4 Thieves Vinegar

What Is Four Thieves Vinegar?: A vinegar based tincture of herbs thought to cure, treat, and/or prevent the Bubonic plague. In modern day, it’s used to boost the immune system, repel insects (including the fleas that spread the plague), and as a condiment.

A Little History: There are a number of different versions of the origin of this traditional remedy, but they all share the same basic points. I’ll summarize them here. When the Bubonic plague was sweeping through Europe, there arose a group of grave robbers and thieves that covered their bodies and doused their face masks in an herbal vinegar with strong antibacterial and antiviral properties in order to keep themselves from contracting the plague. Initially no one worried about the grave robbers and thieves who stole into the houses in the dark of moonless nights to rob victims of the Black Death as, the townspeople assumed, the plague would inevitably infect and kill the thieves, too. But it didn’t. The thieves continued to assail the homes and graves of the dead with impunity until they were finally caught in the middle of their act, tried, and set to be burned at the stake. Astonished by the thieves’ immunity and seemingly indifferent attitude toward the plague that devastated the community so severely, the judges offered the thieves a bargain: in exchange for releasing the cause of their immunity, the thieves would be hanged instead of burned at the stake – a less brutal and more quick end. The thieves acquiesced and surrendered the recipe for their elixir, and the legend has continued to grow since then.

What Is That Recipe?: No one really knows the original recipe, and many recipes for Four Thieves Vinegar abound. Though a recipe written by Jean Valnet, a renowned aromatherapist and herbalist of the early 20th century, may resemble the original more closely than any other. He calls for vinegar, wormwood, meadow sweet, juniper, marjoram, sage, cloves, horse heal, angelica, rosemary, horehound and camphor. Valnet calls for steeping these herbs in vinegar for six weeks before decanting, for a lighter flavor some people only steep the herbs for only seven days.

Does It Work?:  While this traditional remedy may or may not have helped grave robbers and thieves to stave off the plague that ravaged Europe centuries ago, it seems modern herbalists and gardeners have revived the interest in this garden remedy. Many herbalists use it as a cleansing agent – transferring it to a spray bottle and using it to clean and sterilize kitchen counters or bathrooms; indeed, many of the herbs possess strong antimicrobial effects and vinegar, in any case, makes an excellent natural cleanser. Others recommend using Four Thieves Vinegar in personal care, diluted with water of course, as a cleansing agent for the skin or as an astringent. Among neo-Pagan circles, Four Thieves Vinegar is thought to have protective qualities and some swear that if you dress your doorstep with the vinegar, it’ll keep your enemies away. As to preventing the Plague, many people attribute it’s abilities to a combination of the immune boosting, antiviral, and antibacterial properties of the herbs and the bonus fact that many of the herbs used in the recipes also drive away pests such as fleas, which are the currently known way that the plague is spread.

The Basics of The Recipe: Really and truly, there are so many versions of this recipe that you can customize it almost endlessly. All you need to do is use a good quality Apple Cider Vinegar as your base (though some recipes call for other vinegars, I think this one has the most antibacterial and beneficial qualities), crush up a few cloves of garlic (crushing the garlic releases the antibacterial properties, though you may notice that your garlic turns blue after a few days in the vinegar, this is a natural process and does not indicate it’s gone bad), and throw in a handful of herbs. Herbs that are traditionally used include lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, marjoram, anise hyssop, wormwood, meadow sweet, juniper, cloves, horse heal, angelica, horehound, camphor, thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, rue, cayenne, chili pepper, coriander, plantain, and lemon balm. Though I’m sure there are more herbs that could be used. Some people recommend using only 4 herbs, one for each thief, and others just throw in however many they feel like using.

Four Thieves Vinegar

2 tbsp Lavender

2 tbsp Rosemary

2 tbsp Mint

2 tbsp Sage

2 tbsp Juniper Berry

2 tbsp Lemon Balm

4 cloves Garlic (peeled and crushed)

4 cups raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions:
Toss herbs and garlic together in a one-quart mason jar, cover with vinegar and place them in a cool, dark location. After a minimum of seven days (you get more medicinal benefits after 6 weeks), strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a second, clean 1-quart glass jar.


Some Ideas for Variations: In all these variations use 4-8 cloves of garlic, 4 cups of apple cider vinegar, and equal portions of the suggested herbs.
A Bitter Formula: Wormwood, Rue, Anise Hyssop, and Juniper
(this recipe would be great for your digestion, take a dropperful 15 minutes before eating
to improve digestion and prevent stomach problems)
A Great Salad Dressing: Lemon Balm, Thyme, Rosemary, and Coriander
(this recipe tastes great and is also good for digestion)
A Spicy Adventure: Cayenne, Chili Pepper, and Black Pepper
(this recipe will help clear upper respiratory illness, break fever, and makes a great marinade)


You can also feel free to add in any herbs you may feel like. Elderberry or Hibiscus may be beneficial to the formula, adding in extra immune boosting properties. Hawthorne and ginger may help to improve heart health. Mix up your own recipe, try new formulas. Feel free to post any questions, comments, and/or observations in the comments down below. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram or updates on my adventures in Nature. Find me on YouTube and check out my videos! I also have a few things up on Teespring, check it out! Also, if you like what I do and what to see more, Become a Patron!

Resources:

The Noursihed Kitchen: https://nourishedkitchen.com/four-thieves-vinegar-recipe/
Adventures in Making: http://adventures-in-making.com/recipe-the-legendary-four-thieves-vinegar/
Farmer’s Almanac: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/four-thieves-vinegar-35968
Magical Recipes Online: https://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2012/08/how-to-make-and-use-four-thieves-vinegar.html
Common Sense Home: https://commonsensehome.com/thieves-vinegar/
Learn Religions: https://www.learnreligions.com/four-thieves-vinegar-2562515
The Herbal Academy: https://theherbalacademy.com/diy-four-thieves%E2%93%87-vinegar/
Tipnut: https://tipnut.com/four-thieves/

Home Pest Control

     Welcome to Summer! The time of year where the sun is bright, the water is cool, and the bugs are at their worst. Whether you are outside enjoying nature's abundant beauty, or at home just trying to soak up some AC on those super hot days, you have to deal with the encroaching menace of bugs. While cleanliness is the first step to dealing with household pests, there are other things you can do for natural pest control in your home.

Ants:

     Ants just love to use our homes as parade grounds this time of year. They're also super hard to get rid of once they decide they like your home. However, there is something they really don't like that most homes have plenty of. Used coffee grounds. Yes, you heard me. Used coffee grounds. Sprinkle a few of these around your windows and doors. This will deter those pesky paraders.

     If, however, you missed a spot and get invaded, try borax. Mix equal portions of borax and sugar together. Pour this mixture into containers with holes poked in the lid. Place them strategically around your home (close to the afore mentioned invasion). The ants will be attracted to the mixture by the sugar and the borax will take care of the silent invasion for you.

Fruit Flies:

     Fruit flies may seem, at first, to be harmless. However, if left to their own devices, they will quickly develop into a massive swarm. This is because their entire life cycle takes place over the course of 8 days. So in just over a week, your fruit fly population can more than triple. Cleanliness and good sanitation practices are the best prevention, but quite often it's not enough.

     These flies tend to breed and develop in drains, so the first step to getting rid of these pests is to clean the drains. A mixture of equal amounts boiling water and white vinegar, should be poured down your drains daily while you are combating this menace. You can also use natural traps to help catch the adults. The one that works best for me is very simple. Take a jar pour apple cider vinegar into it, filling it up about 2 inches. Add in a piece of fruit. Cover it with plastic wrap and poke holes in it. The flies will be drawn to the trap by the sweet smell, and won't be able to get out.

Roaches:

     Roaches, the epitome of horrid bug problems. If you live in Florida, you deal with them every rainy season. The best way to prevent an infestation is to keep your home super clean, but sometimes you need a little extra help.

     For a little extra help with prevention, turn to catnip. Roaches hate catnip. Just use some catnip oil in the little nooks and crannies that roaches find cozy. You can also crush fresh catnip leaves and leave them in those same corners of your home that you would put the oil. You can also use cypress wood chips (or mulch) around the outside of your home. This will help deter them from even entering into your home.

     However, if the creepy crawlies do make it inside there is something that works pretty well. Make a paste of equal parts boric acid (or use borax), sugar, and water. Place the paste in around possible roach hangout spots, the adult roaches will take it back to their nests and your roach problem should be gone in 2 weeks. If not, just make some more and reapply. However, you should be careful if you have animals or children as it could be harmful if they ingest this paste.

All-Purpose Solutions:

     There is something super simple that you can use as an all-purpose pest spray. Simply mix 1 cup grain alcohol with 20-30 drops of essential oils and spray it around your home. Different essential oils work better on certain pests. About the only one that works for spiders is peppermint, but you can mix it with lemongrass, catnip, and lavender to make a good all-purpose blend.

I wish you all the best of luck with your pests! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

Resources:

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies: Every Day Roots: http://everydayroots.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies

How to Get Rid of Cockroaches: Housewife How-To: http://housewifehowtos.com/clean/how-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/

How to Make a Homemade Roach Killer: Do It Yourself: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/cockroachpestcontrol

Keep Your Home Bug Free With These DIY Pest Control Methods: Life Hacker: http://lifehacker.com/keep-your-home-bug-free-with-these-diy-pest-control-met-1631181023

Bats for Insect Control

     Living in Central Florida has it's perks (amazing biodiversity, beautiful beaches, easy gardening weather, etc.) but it also has it's drawbacks. The bug population numbers in the top of my annoyances with Florida. This summer is going to be brutal in that aspect, because we didn't have a single winter day cold enough to kill off a decent amount of the pesky little things. Granted, there's still a chance that we could get a good cold snap, but the likelihood that we'll get one cold enough to decimate the pest population is almost zero. This being said, there are ways to keep the bug population in your garden and yard down. One of the best is by inviting bats into your yard.

     Florida can lay claim to 13 different bat species, all of which are insectivores (they eat mainly bugs). There are also around 7 species that are considered “accidental species,” which means that they do not normally live here, but do visit frequently. The majority of these accidental species are pollinators, which is another amazing reason to invite bats into your yard! Most of these accidentals don't typically reach Central Florida, however. But getting back to the bug eating power of a single bat... according to Bat Conservation International a single little brown bat (Florida is home to it's bigger cousin the big brown bat) can eat up to 60 medium sized moths, or 1000 mosquito sized insects in a single night. That's quite a few less mosquitoes we have to worry about, all thanks to a single little bat.

     How do you attract bats? Two easy steps. First, build or buy a bat house. This will provide the bats with a relatively safe place to roost. Second, make sure the needs of the bat colony are in your yard. This includes water features (or simply put out a bowl or two of water), night-blooming flowers, and plenty of shade (dead trees are also a plus).

Building a Bat House:

Normally I would do a tutorial, giving you a step-by-step of how to craft your own bat house, but I am not a big carpenter and feel that a few other sites have already done a great job of this. So instead of my own instructions, I'll send you to a couple of my favorite DIY bat houses.

• DIY Network has a great tutorial for building a Cedar Bat House that is super cheap, relatively easy to complete, and can house up to 50 brown bats once completed.
• Bat Conservation International has a great tutorial for building a bat house along with modifications to make it larger for bigger colonies.
• The National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife campaign published a great, easy tutorial on building a bat house. This one goes over how to properly place your bat house once finished.
• Morning chores has a list of amazing bat house tutorials you should check out for ideas if you are wanting to try your hand at building one.

Bat Houses for Sale:

If you are like me and not much into carpentry (though my husband and I do occasionally give it a try), here are a few good bat houses to purchase.

• Here's a good, top of the line, bat house that blends well with trees. It's also endorsed by the Organization for Bat Conservation, however it's a bit on the pricey side.
• This bat house is a bit more affordable, but it's recommended to paint it darker to attract more bats.
• Here's a large bat house that can house up to 300 bats.

     If you want to purchase a bat house and make it more attractive to bats, you can either paint it a dark color or glue bark onto the exterior of the house. Some companies offer pheromone sprays to help attract bats, I have not personally used these and am unsure as to their possible effectiveness. If you have experience with these sprays, please leave me a comment below.

     I hope you all enjoy making or assembling your bat houses! If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments below!

Resources:

Bat Conservation International: http://www.batcon.org/

Better Homes and Gardens: Attract Bats for Pest Control: http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/attract-bats-for-organic-insect-control/

DIY Network: Build A Bat House: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/how-to-build-a-bat-house

Florida Bats: http://www.floridabats.org/FloridaBats.htm

Morning Chores : 37 Free Bat House Plans: https://morningchores.com/bat-house-plans/

National Wildlife Federation Garden for Wildlife: Build a Bat House: http://www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife/cover/build-a-bat-house.aspx