We live by water. We have mosquitos. Lots of mosquitos. I’m actually convinced they’re mutant mosquitos because they leave welts, not just bites…welts!
On more than one occasion, I’ve frantically run one of the boys over to my dad (the family physician) to see if the bites on their arms or legs are brown recluse bites (my other enemy who currently enjoys residing in our house) or mosquito bites because they are THAT big. They’ve always been mosquito bites (thankfully), but I know how irritating they must be for the boys (and for us).
Last week I asked Facebook friends to share their favorite mosquito repellents and/or mosquito bit remedies. Lindsey shared about her homemade mosquito repellent that she puts on pulse points and I was intrigued! Then just a few days ago I saw this idea for homemade mosquito repellent on Pinterest and knew I had to try it out.
Here’s what you’ll need: essential oils (citronella and lemongrass are musts, I also like lavender or you could use tea tree oil or geranium oil for tick protection), 14 oz. bottle of witch hazel (available in grocery stores & pharmacies usually close to the rubbing alcohol), a spray bottle (or two–one for home and one for the diaper bag/car), a jar for mixing, and a funnel.
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| We used these essential oils: citronella, lemongrass and lavender. You could also use peppermint or cedar wood essential oils as well. |
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| I cleaned out an empty detangler spray bottle for our “on the go” spray. |
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| 1. Pour the witch hazel into the glass jar then add your essential oils. We put about 15 drops of both citronella and lemongrass, and about 10-12 drops of lavender. |
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| 2. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until it is mixed. |
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| It should be pretty cloudy. |
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| 3. Pour into your spray bottles using a funnel. |
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| Make a label (or write in Sharpie). I used an old Scrapbook sticker to make it look “cuter”. :) |
What kind of mosquito repellent does your family use???
AWESOME! Great idea! I will have to try it! Thanks for sharing!
That looks great as well. Yes, the essential oils add up. I had wanted to buy some lavender anyway for our next batch of laundry detergent anyway.
When we went to get the essential oils, I saw a product similar to the one you shared, Natalie. It was $10 and I almost just bought that instead, but Kevin convinced me that once we have the oils, we'll be able to make tons more. So yes, the oils are a bit expensive upfront, but since you only use a few drops, you'll get lots of use out of them. I think we spent around $20 for the oils and $1.50 for the witch hazel.
Hi Since reading your comment I thought I’d tell you where to buy awesome oils etc.
SanFrancisco herb company
I buy from them all the time:)
Let me know what your experience was
Thank you so much for posting this, I LOVE that site! My husband might groan but I am so excited to buy from them!
Just wanted to share something an herbalist told me once: don’t waste money on oils for laundry soap,etc. The dryer heat destroys the scent, so unless you hang clothes instead of drying them,you won’t smell anything.
Do you have to use the oils? I am alergic to most scents. I am with you. We all have huge welts from the mosquitos. We live about a half mile or so from a lake and have lots of trees in our back yard so it attracts the little buggers.
Essential Oils are different than traditional “fragrances”, especially if you get good quality ones. There are some good brands available on the internet that may be better than the store ones (if you’d like some suggestions, i can give you some, i sell one, and there are two others i like as well of the many brands i’ve used). I have had contact allergies for a while, including fragrances, and don’t have the same problem with oils. I even have an oil I use for perfume that I love!
hello anonymous – you wrote that you were allergic to some scents, you could order some “Skin So Soft bath oil” from Avon it is a great Mosquito repellent, you can place it in a spray bottle, or get the tiny one from Avon with the oil in it & buy a big bottle that will last for possibly years, i have had some for years, so unless Avon has changed something about it, it should last a long time. i keep it under a sink or someplace fairly cool & dark preferably …you can test the essential oils on your skin, dilute 1 drop with a “carrier” oil, like Olive ,Sunflower,safflower, or any light oil of your choosing, then dab with a q-tip on the inside of your wrist, wait awhile. if no reaction you should be ok to use the Essential oils…good luck
avon also has non sented bug guard with sun screen .
I'm not sure it would be as effective without the oils, but I really don't know. You might look into Avon Skin-so-soft…I've heard that's really good too.
Avon Skin-so-soft works well but is highly perfumed even keeps midges away !
We use a mixture of vanilla (like for baking) and water. Even the imitation vanilla works! I believe the mixture is 1 tbsp vanilla to 1 cup of water, but we haven't had to make any since last summer, so I'll have to pull out my book again and check.
Anyway, it's a fast easy mix-up, it doesn't leave you sticky, and it is with ingredients I always have on hand!
i have done that with Vanilla, it is effective also if you make up a batch of sun tea, Ice tea..with no sugar, that too will keep bugs away, you can take a glass of unsweetened tea out side & no bugs will bother it, if you drink Tea regularly it seems to keep bugs away from your body while outside…seems the Black Pekoe tea works best
Hi can u email the recipe for this?
thanks
Deb
Be careful using vanilla or other fragrances that smell like food if you are camping or staying anywhere near bears. I would warn against it.
Thanks for this! We just moved to CT from New York City and we're dealing with LOTS of bugs. Do you know if this is safe to use on a 7-month old? (other than her face?!)
I have heard that essential oils shouldn't be used during pregnancy and also that lavender has been known to cause abnormal breast tissue growth in boys.
don’t worry– you would have to use a LOT of lavender for the estrogenic effects to kick in. like rubbing it all over his body straight (not diluted like this), every day, for a long time. lavender essential oil has been safely used for hundreds, if not thousands of years. for pregos & babies, it’s definitely a safer bet than DEET, hands down!
This is great! We're going camping next weekend, so I'm going to try it out!
Andrea
http://www.addicted2tutes.blogspot.com
So does it actually work? We have an INSANE number of mosquitoes at our place and are always looking for new solutions.
This sounds great, but I'm a little confused. Is it the oils or the witch hazel that keeps the mosquitoes away? If it's the oils, is there a particular one that needs to go in the mix? I always have a problem with the oils clogging the bottle's pump. Are hair detangler bottles the way to go to avoid this?
actually… I believe the lavendar and breast issues with boys was ONE study.. on a small handful of boys…. and something else was flawed… like maybe a few of them had issues BEFORE adding lavender. Check into it before you 1. worry too much and 2. before you spread worry to everyone else. Worry is contagious. I used it with my son and he is VERY flat-chested! LOL
THANK YOU! I already bought the citronella and lavendar oils and have been looking for a home-made insect repellent. I hate the thought of putting DEET all over my little girl. We used the skin so soft when she was a baby and seemed to work fairly well but I can't stand the smell of it. :p)
We have a family friend that uses Listerine to spray the area where he is having family gatherings. It has worked so far for him. Mosquitoes have been horrible this year!
Sarah, I'm honestly not sure…maybe the combination??? There is so little oil compared to the witch hazel that I don't think clogging should be an issue.
Kelly M: What a great idea to use LIsterine! We might have to try that.
I've also heard that tea tree oil works as a good repellant.
How does this work? I'd like some real life stories :)
I just read that the essential oils citronella and lemongrass are insect repellants, so you probably wouldn't want to leave those out.
This sounds great for the mosquitoes. Everyone should just be aware that this will not work against ticks. For that, as far as I know, you need the DEET. I was all set to make something for my kids until I read this. We live in an area with a lot of ticks.
Even using Deet my son has had ticks in the past. As long as you are checking your children after playing outside and remove the ticks immediately there isn’t reason for concern. Personally I”d rather do that then have my son putting his hands with deet on them in his mouth.
Geranium oil works GREAT for ticks. I just put it on my dog's collar every couple of days and we haven't had any ticks since I started doing that.
Do you think it would be beneficial to add Vitamin E oil as well? Not to repel insects but for overall skin care…kill two birds with one stone kinda thing?!
I'm curious as to how safe it is for little ones? I have a 16 month old & I'm still learning all about essential oils. As for geranium oil for ticks, could that possibly be added to the original recipes posted? Thanks for all your wonderful ideas! They're much appreciated =)
Where can I find these essential oils at!?
Hi! You can find really good essentail oils at: http://www.ineways.com/leblanc
They are fantastic!
Yes, definitely use citronella and lemongrass both…the other oils are optional.
Lindsey, I would think that would be a great idea!
Tina, I'm not entirely sure if essential oils are safe for babies. I would check with your pediatrician.
I bought some organic baby bug spray and it is made with essential oils. I will definitely be making my own and see how that goes! My son is SO sensitive to bug bites so I have to find something safe but effective.
I found the essential oils at Whole Foods, but you can also find them on Amazon:
Citronella Essential Oil: http://t.co/GXGdfNO
Lemongrass: http://t.co/7bRVLvK
Lavender: http://t.co/PmATNh4
That is SO neat! Thank you for sharing. :) I saw this on moneysavingmom.
All of the essential oils you mentioned here are safe to use on babies & children & adults too as long as they have been diluted as per the recipe above or in a lotion too. The witch hazel is just a carrier as is lotion. Most EOs need to be diluted for safe use because they are so strong.
I personally have used straight lavender oil (one of the few oils you can use full strength on your skin) in a mosquito infested forest several times. It works pretty good, but not 100%.
If I were making a bug spray, I'd definitely use the lavender, citronella & lemongrass.
If you remember, there are citronella candles for sale for this purpose.
Any of the mint family will work well.. Here is a link.. read down to the natural repellent section and it can give you an idea of what else might help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_repellent
Also, I get my EOs from 3 different places…I use EOS a lot. These places have the best quality in my opinion and are very popular with herbalists & soap makers.
1. http://www.sfherb.com/store/essential-oils,category.asp
2. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=105381&BID=681
or
3.http://www.naturaloptions.us/
HTH
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We live by a large wooded area, with a pond in our backyard. So, needless to say, it's mosquito heaven! I hate it! It seems like the mosquitoes go straight to ME! I'm also pregnant and running around with a 2 year old. So this bug repellent is great! I hate smelling all the chemicals the put in those store-bought products. Thanks again!
This is such a great idea! I never knew you could make bug spray on your own. Honestly, this really is probably a lot healthier than the ones you buy in the store with tons of deet! I live in MN where the mosquito is out state bird, so this will definitely come in handy!
Thanks for sharing! We only use natural bug sprays to avoid the chemicals but they are very expensive! Mosquitoes have been really bad here this year with all the rain we are getting so hopefully with a little of this I can finally look like I don't have a scary disease all over my legs!
I did not check on all the other oils but know that Lavender should be avoided in pregnant and nursing mothers.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/143985-lavender-oil-pregnancy/
You can also buy the Thayer's Alcohol Free, Organic Witch Hazel, which won't be a problem for the face or eyes. Young Living Brand, Purification Essential Oil contains citronella, lemongrass, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree and costs about $27 I think. You can use about 50 drops of this and add it directly to the spray bottle, then add the witch hazel, that way you won't waste a single drop in the pre-mixing in another container. If you add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the mix, this will help to preserve it a bit and won't add any smell as the amount is so small, but this is optional. This is how I make mine and it works really well.
i have tried a recipe similar to this but I used water as the carrier and it wasn't always effective. I am excited to try it with witch hazel and hope it will be effective %100 of the time!
Do you have any idea how long of a "shelf" life the spray has? How often do you have to apply/reapply? We live in MN where deer ticks are prevalent not to mention the unofficial state bird, the mosquito!
in reply to the lady who said she was allergic to most scents — often people don't realize that essential oils are very opposite from "fragrances" and most people who cannot tolerate fragrances have no trouble with Essential Oils. This is true both with respiratory and skin sensitivities. In fact many essential oils are used for medicinal purposes.
I don't know if this applies to you or not, but I thought I'd mention it.
I would have to disagree with that. As someone who is severely salicylate intolerant I find that I have the same, if not more, problems with ‘natural’ things. In my experience people who are ‘allergic to most scents’ (or a wide range of foods etc) and can’t put their finger on a specific allergy, usually are intolerant to something like salicylates or amines.
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital has some great resources on this.
http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/
As to the original topic, thanks for all the tips – am going to try some of the methods out for my husband. He HATES getting bitten and seems to attract them like crazy.
it is perfectly safe to use Young Living essential oils throughout pregnancy and with babies with correct knowledge of how. An excellent resource book is Gentle Babies, by Debra Raybern (www.growinghealthyhomes.com), I teach applied aromatherapy through CARE (raindroptraining.com). There are some excellent articles on discerning purity of essential oils in the archived newsletters at raindroptraining.com.
If you are interested in a summary of the scientific literature on bug repellent effectiveness check out this PDF summary.
http://ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/tickbiteprevention05.pdf
Thanks for this timely post! I am going to be making some to keep the massive mosquitos away this summer! I'm going to blog this in my Sunday Surf! thanks!
so….is the recipe 14 oz witch hazel to 15 drops of oils? And thanks for all the great comments like where to get the oils and all.
Tracey,
It's 14 oz. witch hazel to 40-45 drops of essential oil (15 citronella + 15 lemongrass + 10 lavender (or 5 lavender and 5 peppermint).
And to all who wondered how it works…GREAT so far!
Thanks for this! New follower here and super excited to read more!
Saw the earlier comment about ticks and geranium oil. Would this work as a tick repellant if you add geranium oil to the other three?
Joy, I'm not completely sure…but I would think it would be just fine!
The welts you describe could be because the boys are mildly allergic to mosquitos. I am and I always get welts from mosquitos, no matter where they are from. Does this spray work well? I'll have to try it!
I use peppermint, catnip, lavender, lemon, and eucalyptus mixed with water, oil (I prefer jojoba) and 1 tbs lemon joy dish detergent. Shake it all up and put it in a spray bottle. Work great! Smells great! Safe for kids.
I didn't get enough protection with just witch hazel and tea tree oil, but when I added apple cider vinegar to the mix, it worked much better. Equal parts witch hazel and vinegar.
I work in mosquito control, and just want to say that while these are lovely smelling and will work for a little while — they really won’t provide a lot of protection from mosquitoes (or at least not for longer than 5-15 minutes).
The CDC actually recommends one “natural” product — oil of lemon eucalyptus (along with picaridin and DEET) to repel mosquitoes for a significant amount of time. If you are going to add a “special ingredient” to your best natural remedies, you might want to seriously consider that one.
mosquito control? Anyways, people want to use all natural products on their children and any pediatrician or good mommy will tell you to stay away from DEET! Using products with deet on your children, in my eyes, is like spraying your crops with pesticides. Love the essential oil and with hazel and am going to give it a try!
Any pediatrician? Is that why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends DEET?
You guys can decide to dose yourself in air fresheners and perfume if you want. But I’ve met people who have had family members die from mosquito borne disease. It’s not something I mess around with.
I make a wonderful spray with many of the same oils as above in an aloe vera gel and witch hazel base. Some alternatives are Patchouli, Orange, and Opopanax for fleas and ticks. It works great, just needs to be applied often as the oils evaporate and are absorbed.
There are a handful of widely recognized essential oils that possess properties that naturally repel biting insects. These oils include: cedarwood, lavender, lemon, patchouli, neem, peppermint, rosemary, basil, thyme, citronella, lemongrass, pennyroyal, tea tree oil, geranium, catnip, and eucalyptus. You can sub any of these oils. I have more ideas on making insect repellents on my blog article here: http://www.soapdelinews.com/2011/06/natural-mosquito-repellent-recipes-and.html if you’re interested.
I made the following bug spray at the start of the summer, and neither my hubby or me have gotten bitten this summer and we are out all of the time. There are substitutions at the bottom of the tutorial if you don’t have lemon balm or lavender around.
http://www.bloombakecreate.com/2011/05/lemon-balm-lavender-bugs-off-spray/
I have tried different natural bug sprays but they never work. This one looks like a good one, I am going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing.
This looks Great! I am excited to try it. We use California Baby Bug Repellant. It works very well and uses essential oils like these to repell bugs.
I found this link on Pintrest and I was super excited about it. I am going to try this right away.
Do you know if it will keep the bugs called no-see-ums away? We have an awful time with them where I live.
Thanks so much for posting this!!!
Hi there,
I use on myself and will be using on my son this week or so (EEE threat in our town) the EcoSmart bug spray. I ride horses so flies are AWWWFULLLL and it works pretty well. It smells just like horse fly spray – so you’d have to smell it. I like the smell of it, but I am used to the stronger scents. But besides that, EcoSmart brand products (and they include insecticides, etc) are organic, natural, plant-based and pet-kid safe. Yes including the ant/roach killers. And they can be used in the kitchen (we also have a huge ant problem and I was worried about my son playing on the wood floor and then putting his hands in his mouth). Yupp, they’re all non-toxic. Their website is ecosmart.com I once saw a reviewer on a TV show eat one of the bug killers (not recommending at all haha).
1
Dr. Christopher’s has a balm that is FABULOUS! It will HEAL a brown recluse bite. We put barely a smudge on a skeeter bite and that’s that for the bite. No itch, no welt, no bump, it goes away within a day or two and never does itch. rarely we have had to put salve on a bite twice. I gave some to a guy who had a recluse bite turning gangrene. He came back the next day and wanted to know where to buy some, as he saw a huge change over night. It is amazing on a bee sting. It is called…Dr. Christopher’s Bite and Sting. Google Dr C and find his Herb Shop to purchase or if you live in a city with a good health food store they might carry it! I am a true believer in Dr. C!
Can you find essential oils at Walmart?
Do you think this would work for chiggers too? All of a sudden the past few years, I’m very attractive to chiggers! If now, does anyone have a suggestion for chigger repellant?
Ceaderwood essential oil works against chiggers.
I just came across this great pin on pintrest. I am excited to be able to try this recipe out in the summer.
I just thought I would post my website http://www.mydoterra.com/aubreykhill as another option of a place to buy great Certified Pure Theraputic Grade essential oils (CPTG). They are a great company resolved to have the best, purest, potent essentil oils. They do 2 different test on every single batch of oils they produce at a 3rd party testing center to ensure there are no chemicals or pesticides added to the essential oils. They source their oils where the plants, flowers, roots, fruits grow the best throughout the world. Go on over & check them out. Thanks!
You should also try putting a dryer sheet in your pocket. I live in Minnesota. Land of 10,000 lakes and 10 million mosquitos. The dryer sheet keeps them at bay from my experience, but I’ll also give this a try! Thank you for the recipe and pictures!
The dryer sheet works for gnats, too. We live in southwest GA, “below the gnat line,” and this is the only thing I’ve ever found that keeps gnats away (they don’t bite, but one buzzing around your ear is enough to send a sane person over the edge). Just tuck in in your pocket/ponytail/wherever you want. Sometimes when we go fishing I always rub it over my arms, legs, and neck, but that would be up to you depending on your skin sensitivity. I generally can’t use detergents or scented dryer sheets in my laundry because it makes my skin itch, but just carrying one for gnats has never given me a problem.
I just wanted to add that my parents run their own company called Gritman that sells and distributes essential oils. From experience I know that when dealing with essential oils you will want to store them in a colored glass bottle. (ie brown or cobalt) Essential oils will eat through the plastic containers causing a mess and who knows what plastic chemicals to be sprayed on you and your loved ones skin. Because my parents are based in Houston, they also have an aweful time with mosquitoes and have come up with a few blends that are particularly effective. Their website is http://www.gritman. com if you’d like to check it out. Also, if you already have bites, teatree oil is fantastic on them. It really helps to cause the itching to subside, and to help your body heal the bite faster. Good luck in your bitey bug fighting adventures!
this works great been using even before I read it here. Tea tree I found worked to keep horse and deer fly away when camping in NY Adirondacks! even got my cousin hooked on it before I left up there. She lives 1 mile inside of park. Also pepermint is big help too
Sounds cool but pricey–and I don’t like that you can’t put some on your face. But most importantly, does it work? I swear on Avons’s Skin So Soft bug spray. We never get bitten when we have that stuff on. They always have it on sale in Avon too. Highly recommend.
Sounds cool but pricey–and I don’t like that you can’t put it on your face. But most importantly, does it work? I swear on Avon’s Skin So Soft bug spray. We never get bitten when we have that stuff on. They always have it on sale in Avon too. Highly recommend.
So, I make my own bug repellent. I’ve found that just using these isn’t quite enough (perhaps mid-west bugs are just meaner? lol). As far as DEET is concerned, catnip is the best thing I’ve found. If you have it fresh, make tincture with it (fill glass container with fresh catnip, add vodka, shake daily, let sit 10-14 days). Or, use catnip EO. It’s *very* expensive, but I only use about 5 drops/4oz bottle. It’s *fantastic* and seems to last few hours.
In Hawaii we had a mosquito home in our plants (the hallway between bedrooms was exposed to the outdoors). The post bite cure was a swab of alcohol over the bite. In California the mosquitos are much healthier and it takes more to overcome the itch. A parley rub works pretty well in California to avoid those pesty bugs. At least it’s not very toxic.
we swab with ‘rubbing’ alcohol on bites too! Works great on Houston mosquitos. Don’t be shy with it though, we put some on a cotton ball and rub the well for a good 30 seconds or more. It takes the itching away and the bump is gone within he day.
I saw the idea yesterday to use Listerine as repellent.
http://www.homemademamas.net/2010/08/bugs-be-gone.html
I didn’t have a bottle to dilute it so I just splashed some around my patio edge and it worked quite effectively. I watched mosquitos fly around feet from where we were but they weren’t bothering us.
I’m going to try your recipe for when we’re away from the house. Thanks!!!
Where do you buy your essential oils at?
I bought mine at Whole Foods. But now that I have Amazon Prime, I’ll buy them online from now on because I think they are cheaper.
I buy my essential oils at http://www.puritan.com (Puritan’s Pride) My recipe for mosquito, tick, and flies is for my horse- I use witch hazel and add skin so soft to essential oils (geranium, eucalyptus, citronella, etc) Vinegar, in some studies listed throughout the internet, has been known to attract gnats. They were not specific about apple or regular vinegar though. At puritan you can get free bottles right now with buy x get x amount free- and they are WONDERFUL. I’ve stocked up for the summer for my horse! (And get skin so soft on ebay if avon doesnt have it on sale. I am not paying $13 for 16.9 ounces when I can (and did) just get it for $8 and free shipping.)
Gonna do this too! Too cool of a winter this year I just know those bugs will be out!
How long does this last for once it’s made? Do you have to keep it in the fridge?
If you are allergic to any of these, you should not use them. To work as a natural mosquito repellent, you will need to apply these oils to your exposed skin more often than you would chemical-based products.
My sister and I make a bug repelant that we call “bugg off!” and we steep water with an array of herbs. We dont like the smell of citrenella so we use lime instead. We also use wormwood, pennyroyal and a handful of herbs with cinnamon. Smells great and you wont stink. It can be sprayed on your face AND I spray it on my dog and we have never had fleas. We live right between 2 lakes. We also have a remedy spray for bites and stings. We call it ” be calm”
Sisters Suds and Salves at Facebook.
FYI,. if you decide to use tea tree oil in the mix,.it only take 2 drops to poison your pet,.so if you have them in your home,. best to leave that one out of the mix :)
The house we used to live in had a drainage ditch at the bottom of the yard and the mosquitoes were terrible, my kids couldn’t play in the back yard without getting covered in bites and my son reacts badly to them. I found a product on amazon called mosquito barrier. It’s completely natural – it’s highly concentrated garlic juice – won’t harm you kids, your pets or the beneficial bugs in your yard. You mix it with water and spray it all over your yard ( not on yourself unless you’re worried about vampires!) and it will keep mosquitoes away for about 3 weeks. It worked so well in my yard that both my neighbours started using it too. I highly reccomend it. Use it with your bug spray and your boys will be happy campers.