January 2021 marks 14 years since I arrived in the tropics and started a new life on the Caribbean island of Bonaire

Within the first year there I discovered Dengue Fever - the hard way. That led me to begin years of research into mosquitoes, the diseases they carry and ways to stop them. Having tried every conceivable combination of herbs and essential oils, I accidentally stumbled upon the Neem tree.  These trees grow wild and plentiful in many parts of the world and is also known as the Indian Lilac tree.

Needless to say, some serious research and experimentation with Neem began!  I wanted to create a repellent that is safe for the human body, and that certainly includes children and babies, a product that is safe on our pets and just as important – safe for the environment!   It took me about a year of frustration and single minded determination, but finally BUG PAUSE was born! 

A big thanks to family and friends, my beautiful granddaughter and some unwilling cats and dogs who all participated in perfecting this product!   

BUG PAUSE is a 100% natural DEET-free and ALCOHOL-free  insect repellent with its main ingredient derived from the Neem tree.

WHY THE NAME BUG PAUSE?

All bugs, including mosquitoes and no-see-ums or sandflies are part of nature’s food chain.  Their natural predators are birds, bats, dragonflies and frogs.  We may not like the bugs but is it really necessary to kill them?  Why not just try and prevent them from biting or stinging us!  We as humans have an amazing ability to disrupt or kill or destroy what we do not understand or like!

I have always been dead set against the indiscriminate spraying of extremely harmful chemicals to exterminate for example mosquitoes.  Yes, mosquito borne viruses like dengue and zika are a serious health hazard, but so are the chemicals containing DEET and those used to exterminate the mosquitoes!  See DEET heading for more.

Having lived on Bonaire for many years, two things that were evident within 2 to 3 days after the spraying was done was an alarming increase in the number of mosquitoes (co-incidence?) and the number of dead birds in gardens and rooftops!

I now also make another after-bite product called RELIEF; a roll-on to use on thos bites that many of us get that are painful, swell up quickly, and itch for a week. If you apply it soon after the bite, it reduces those effects drastically. I have been told recently of someone who used it on a scorpion sting with very positive results.
As always, this is an all natural product. I am now making my products in Chiriqui, Panama.

Let’s work with nature, not against it! 

Every Tuesday morning I am at the BCP Tuesday Market, come and talk to me.