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Ever swat at your ear, over and over, and then worry people are judging you? In the spring and summer months, that “buzzzzz” from bugs just won’t go away, along with the red bites.

Or maybe you have a colony or two of ants, or maybe some spiders who are making homes around your house and in spaces that used to be safe from these invertebrates. The cat or dog might help a little to clean them out, but that is until boredom gets the best of your pets.

There are ways to combat these warm weather pests without living in a cloud of toxins, and many companies are selling products that are meeting consumers’ needs for being “green.”

Sharon Benford, who works in customer service at Sonnewald Natural Foods, said many conventional products sold in stores that say will help combat insects have a lot of ingredients that aren’t safe.

Benford said there are companies that make products with all-natural ingredients, such as essential oils in cedar wood, peppermint and lemongrass. The natural bases include purified water, coconut oil and glycerin.

Many of these products also are free of parabens and phthalates.

“Stuff in the regular stores would have these in their products,” she said.

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