Thanks! I may try the sweet orange oil for the dog's sake. A few years back I tried tons of the diatom.earth....it did absolutely nothing that I could tell. But, hey, it may work for you.
I hate doing the insecticide too, but the little demons are winning way too fast and it's becoming them or the house...and it's gotten so that I can't go outside at all between the bugs and the poison ivy. So at least I'll try the more natural insecticide and see if that can beat them down some.