Homemade Bug Spray
Our home is in former wetland territory, and borders a currently still protected wetland. The water table is so high that a stream literally runs through our fieldstone basement and after a good rain half the yard is under an inch of water. So, mosquitos. So, so many mosquitos... those bastards! They'll eat you alive if you aren't careful! And poor Hester, with her sweet, sweet baby flesh. Too young and innocent to swat them away!
I won't go on and on about the horrors of DEET. If you're here, you've probably already heard DEET is bad. Let's focus on the solution: homemade bug spray! The key is essential oils. And actually, there are quite a lot of essential oils that repel bugs. Below is a list of all the essential oils (to my knowledge) that make great additions to bug repellant. I'll give you my exact formula in the recipe below, but if you don't have one of the oils handy, you can swap it out for a different one on this list.
essential oils that repel insects
Lemon Eucalyptus*
Cedarwood*
Lavender (Lavandula angustfolia)*
Rosemary*
Peppermint
Citronella*
Lemongrass
Clove
Cinnamon
Geranium*
Tea Tree*
Basil*
Vetiver*
* These oils are considered safe for diluted topical use on children over 3 mo. If you expect to use your homemade bug spray on children under 6, stick with these oils.
homemade bug spray recipe
yield: 4 oz.
30 drops citronella essential oil
15 drops rosemary essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops geranium essential oil
15 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
3 oz. distilled water
1 oz. rubbing alcohol, vodka or witch hazel
Combine ingredients in a 4 oz. glass spray bottle. Shake before every use. To apply, spritz generously over entire body. Reapply every 2 hours for extended mosquito parties. For use on infants over 3 months, spritz bug spray on their clothes, rather than directly on their skin. Not recommended for children under 3 months of age.
I also like to mix up this combination of essential oils in a little roll-on bottle like this one. Top it off with sweet almond oil (or any other carrier oil) and keep it in your purse for impromptu encounters with mosquitos! To apply, roll a stripe down your arms & legs, and rub to distribute.
