This is a sponsored guest post.
By Kari Warberg Block, CEO/Founder of EarthKind
As the daughter of an entomologist and wife of a farmer – rodents and bugs were, funnily enough, kind of in my destiny. Severe rodent damage on my farm, coupled with the discovery that 98% of pest control products at the time were filled with toxic poisons, sent me on a journey to find out what in nature could naturally repel pests. I was determined to find a solution that would protect the planet, families, pets, and even the pest itself, from the hazardous effects of conventional pesticides, and to invent a safe, effective, toxin-free solution everyone could afford and count on. But what I didn’t know then, is that the quintessential scent of the holiday season – balsam fir – would unlock the answers.
As we gear up for the holidays, it feels fitting to reflect on how the very ‘scent of Christmas’ is what helped launch EarthKind into the award-winning pest prevention brand it is today. How? It turns out that while balsam fir – whether it be in tree, wreath, or even candle form – puts most families in the holiday spirit, the scent doesn’t quite evoke the same amount of cheer in rodents.
While researching what in nature naturally repels bed bugs at my state’s university, I discovered that balsam fir highly disrupts rodents’ sensitive scent receptors, effectively making them stay out of areas that are masked with the scent. Once I tested and proved that its oil acts as a natural rodent repellent, I knew my dream of creating a world of poison-free, plant-based pest protection, powered by nature, was feasible. From there, I worked to patent my invention, and to get EPA-approval on my first product, EarthKind’s Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellent.
Fresh Cab is made with balsam fir oil, lavender oil, Spanish rosemary oil, cedar oil, orange oil, and lemon oil from plants sourced from American regenerative family farms. It has been effectively keeping rodents out of farm equipment, barns, attics, garages, basements and storage areas since 1997, and in turn has saved farmers and families thousands of dollars on costly rodent damage. Fresh Cab has become one of America’s most trusted products, and for this, I am forever grateful.
But I couldn’t stop there. There were so many more pest control problems to be solved! I continued my research and unearthed that other essential oils dramatically affect different pests’ behaviors. This led to the creation of EarthKind’s plant-based Stay Away product line for in-home use.
The Stay Away line consists of Stay Away Moths, Stay Away Spiders, Stay Away Ants, Stay Away Mosquitoes, and the new and improved, recently launched, Stay Away Rodents! All EarthKind product ingredients are made with a unique blend of plant fibers and essential oils, transparently sourced, and are safe for use around children and pets when used as directed. At EarthKind, we are committed to honesty, transparency, efficacy and sustainability, and always have the safety and health of the planet and your families in mind.
With the holidays right around the corner, you might want to consider keeping the scent of balsam fir around a little longer this year. Winter is prime rodent infestation season, and let’s not forget about it being moth and spider infestation season as well, so having a few of EarthKind’s Stay Away Rodent, Moth and Spider pouches in your home will bring fresh, natural scents of essential oils inside, while keeping the pests and poisons out!
EarthKind products are available online at www.earthkind.com, Amazon, Grove Collaborative, and in select Lowes, Target, ACE Hardware, The Container Store, and Tractor Supply stores nationwide.
Happy Holidays!
With gratitude,
Kari
