We often find our outdoor fun activities restricted by the presence of pesky insects. There are plenty of commercial insect repellents available in the market, but some of us are wary of the harsh ...

Q: How soon should I start spraying my apple tree with Sevin to stop bug damage to apples? Last year I had quite a bit of damage. The tree is just starting to leaf out. — Robert M. A: If the damage ...

I received the following email from Doug Brooks, who gardens in Claremont. “For years, I have used some type of yearly insect control product to help protect my fruit trees. The last few years I have ...

Rebecca Brill is a writer whose essays have appeared in The Paris Review Daily, VICE, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. She runs the Susan Sontag's Diary and the Sylvia Plath's Food Diary accounts on ...

Check out any pharmacy or sporting goods store, or browse online, and you’re sure to find a dizzying array of insect repellents, all claiming to thwart pesky — and sometimes dangerous — bugs like ...

Making your own insect repellent sounds so simple: Just whip up a mixture of apple cider vinegar or witch hazel plus a few drops of some herby essential oils—no deet required. But there aren’t a lot ...

Some oils from natural ingredients like peppermint, garlic, lemon, and thyme may help ward off insects. However, more research is needed to fully support the benefits of homemade bug sprays. Not ...

Though I aged out of Girl Scouts decades ago, the Girl Scout within me remains ever present. Way back in 1984, during my initial foray into the Scouting world, my 8-year-old self took to heart the ...