The use of natural insecticides not only helps our environment but also cuts the immediate risk to our children and loved ones. Many natural insecticides can be easily and quickly make up at home.

Not only are natural insecticides less toxic in general, but also many of them are more effective than their commercial counterpart. Making your own can save you some money in the long run, as commercial insect repellents can be costly and not necessarily affective.

Garden mix. Take the dried leaves of lavender, tobacco, rosemary, and Pyrethrum daisy. You can then mix all of these together and use it as a powder, or they can be steeped overnight in water and then strained into a spray bottle. Each of these plants can be used individually but often gardeners will combine them.

During the summer months we spend more time outdoors children are often in the grass playing late into the evening and many of us worked in our gardens once the temperature has cooled down. It seems as the sun goes down the bugs come out. Below is a recipe for a natural insecticide or insect repellent that can be safely used instead of commercial bug sprays.

Soak in water the following:

Lemon peels and/or orange peels

Mint leaves and/or sage leaves

Lavender leaves

If you can soak them overnight and in the morning you'll have a strong "tea." Strain this and use half of this mixture and add witch hazel to make up the other half and put in a spray bottle. Simply lightly spray yourself down with this mixture and shall be good to go in the evening. This natural insecticide can also be used on the kids and the dog too.

A natural insecticide that works as a flea repellent for dogs that will save you a lot of money can be whipped up in the kitchen in a matter of minutes. It should be noted however that this repellent should not be used on cats as citrus is toxic to them in large amounts.

You basically make a tea out of citrus peels, it doesn't matter what type, lemon peels, or orange peels, any type of citrus peels will work. You put the peels in water and boil. After they have cooled, you strain the liquid and then rub it into his or her coat, during the final rinse of the bath. This kills fleas as well as acts as a repellent for any that might be lurking around the yard. Do not use on cats, as it is toxic to them!

As we all know citronella has been added to candles and sprays for quite some time. Citronella is an excellent repellent and is a natural insecticide. Also chamomile seems to make mosquitoes run the other way. Combining about 1 ounce each of these two plants leaves together and boiling them in a gallon of water, is a highly effective repellent.

Another natural insecticide that has been around for centuries in the Middle East is Neem oil. Although in the United States it has gained in popularity in the past few years. Neem oil is biodegradable and very low toxicity and seems to be in everything from toothpaste to pharmaceuticals. This natural insecticide works as a systemic that is absorbed into the plant and then ingested by feeding insects.

Neem oil is highly effective as an natural insecticide for the treatment of head lice, but with in the garden you can mix 1 ounce of Neem Oil to 1.3 gallons of water to spray around your yard.

Utilizing natural insecticides within the garden and around your home may take a little effort in their preparation but in the long run and not only will save money, but you're reducing the risk to your family and the environment.