Spending time outside can be great, especially if you’re planning to gather with your family or even planning an outdoor, socially distant event with friends. With a slight breeze blowing through the trees and a group of friends around your fire pit, you should be set for a great day. However, there could be issues that make your outdoor time not as enjoyable as it could be. Learn about some natural ways you can manage those outdoor problems and still have fun.
Invest in some good, breathable sports bras.
Any woman who has worked out or spent time outdoors has faced a harsh reality — sweating underneath your breasts. This is not fun and if you are wearing a bra with thick padding or underwire, it makes the experience even worse. Being outdoors, especially if it is hot and humid, means you need breathable clothing that allows the sweat to easily evaporate. Look into purchasing a good supportive sports bra that will give you the support you need and the ability to enjoy being outside. Some even have removable cups for more breathability. Sports bras are great for a run or for a day outside with friends. Their straps are also better if you are thinking about wearing a racerback tank top for your outdoor outing.
Keep mosquitoes away from you and your pets.
Along with itchy, annoying bites, mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitis, heartworm, and more. While there are many conventional pest control methods such as spray and DEET to get rid of them, many people are looking for ways to minimize their impact on the environment. Those pest control methods can harm beneficial insects such as honeybees and butterflies that are needed to pollinate the plants around them. Instead, consider a form of natural mosquito control, such as:
- Eliminate areas of standing water: If you have any coolers full of water, birdbaths, stagnant ponds, old tires, or other areas of standing water on your property, then you are providing the mosquitoes with a breeding ground. Get rid of these so that they do not have a place to breed.
- Install landscape plants that naturally repel them: Certain plants emit a smell that mosquitoes do not like. These include citronella grass, catnip, basil, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, marigolds, and more.
- Clean out your gutters regularly: When there are damp leaves and other plant debris sitting inside your gutters, that provides a nice area for adult mosquitoes to hide. During the day, they will find dark areas to take refuge in, and your gutters may be giving them a home.
- Use cedar chips and cedar spray: Another natural mosquito repellent is the smell of cedar. Consider using cedar as a mulch in your landscape beds and spray around your yard with cedar oil. Cedar mulch will lose its color more quickly than other types of mulches, but it has an undeniable benefit of repelling mosquitoes.
- Purchase essential oils and make a spray out of them: There are some types of essential oils that will also repel mosquitoes like lavender, eucalyptus, oil of lemon, and more.
- Build a fire: The smoke from wood-burning fires chases mosquitoes and other pests away. Set up a fire in your fire pit and then sit around the area with friends and family.
By using these natural solutions, you can help the ecosystem from your yard and avoid the potential side effects of mosquito repellent that can harm pollinators and other necessary insects. Plus, some of these oils and plants smell great, so you have an added fragrance to enjoy while sitting on your patio and spending time outside.
