When we moved into the woods a few months back, I realized very quickly we would need a Homemade Bug Repellent Spray. There’s a lake close by. The amount of bugs, insects, creepy crawlies is unbelievable. My 3 boys (7,10, 11) are getting used to them. When we first moved in we were being attacked by ticks.
I pulled out a bottle of flea spray I bought at the pet store. It claimed to be all-natural and safe for humans and pets, so we tried it out on ourselves.
Halfway through the week and through the bottle, I realized that I would have to figure out how to make this myself.
The bottle costs $20 for 32 FL OZ. It only took us about a week to use the entire bottle. I surely couldn’t spend $20 bucks a week on this stuff. So, I did what I usually do when I want to make something myself, I simply look at the ingredients!
That’s right I look at the bottle to see what’s in there. I saw peppermint oil and clove oil. I knew I could make something with essential oils.
It’s pretty easy these days to find a Whole Foods Market, or an Earth Fare, or other natural foods market where they sell essential oils.
They come in small bottles but don’t be alarmed, you’ll only use a tiny bit of them for this recipe. I knew I wanted something that would deter mosquitoes as well as ticks if possible and if it worked on fleas that would be a bonus.
So I looked in the cabinet to see what I had on hand. I noticed I had citronella.
I don’t even remember buying it or ever using it. Citronella candles are used for mosquitos, right? So, I looked more into it and saw that there were a couple of studies saying it was about as good as deet.
Mixing up the natural tick, mosquito, and flea repellent is a breeze and takes probably under 2 minutes, including grabbing the supplies.
I also did a bit more research. Learn more about citronella, peppermint and clove oil too. I found a video where a lady put peppermint oil on a tick, and it seemed to die, although I can’t be sure.
Also, look at more uses for peppermint oil!
IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAIMERS:
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not meant to treat, cure, or diagnose diseases or disorders.
Speaking of animals. Is this safe for animals? You should ask a veterinarian. They may talk you into buying an expensive prescription like my dog is on, but hey it is pretty foolproof it seems.
This repellent is just that it aids in repelling fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. It’s not going to repel every single insect or bug. Ticks or other bugs may still get on you and bite. Some insects/bugs carry diseases. If you need an absolute solution you should seek other sources.
Also, the spray must be applied very often, every hour or so. Make sure to spray shoes well. Use common sense and don’t spray it in your eyes.
My observations on how well this repellent works…
Before use, we were seeing about 7 or 8 ticks on each person give or take a few. When you apply spray (to skin, shoes, & clothing) about every hour (when outside), we only saw about 1 to 2 ticks per person. It’s a significant difference but not absolute.
Homemade Bug Repellent Spray Recipe
You will need 32 FL OZ bottle.
- 25 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 15 drops Clove Essential Oil
- 5 drops Citronella Essential Oil
- 1-2 tsp of natural degreasing soap or just Dawn dish liquid
- Enough water to fill up the rest of the bottle
Mix together the ingredients in a 32 FL OZ Bottle, place the top on and swish it around a bit. That’s all there is to it!
Try my Roll-on Bug Repellent Version!
OTHER OPTIONS:
There are a couple of other good repellents you may not find in the store that seems to work pretty well.
Picaridin – This works up to 12 hours on mosquitoes and ticks (14 hours for lotion); up to 8 hours against biting flies, gnats, chiggers, and sand flies.
Permethrin. – Works on ticks, chiggers, mites, and mosquitoes. It says on Amazon, in the product description, it lasts up to 6 weeks (or 6 washings.)
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Have questions? Leave me a comment!
I would love to know what you think, Please leave me a comment! Thank you for visiting. 🙂
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Kekentia
So it doesn’t say so but I’m assuming you top it off wit water correct?
Homestead Wishing
Yes, I’m sorry. Not sure how that got left out. Thanks so much for pointing it out, I updated the recipe to show the water included!
sherry
is this safe to put on my pets?
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
Here is a quote directly from the post, “Speaking of animals. Is this safe for animals? You should ask a veterinarian. They may talk you into buying an expensive prescription, like my dog is on, but hey it is pretty foolproof it seems.”
Your Vet, is the only person who can safely tell you if this can be used on your pet. I am not a veterinarian, and cannot give this advice. Sorry, but when you need professional advice seek a professional!
Jane
A bit of research will show you that Peppermint is VERY toxic to dogs and cats.
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
I did a “bit” research, some say it’s fine if you do it right. Some say not at all. At the end of the day people need to speak to a Veterinarian before putting essential oils on their pets. PERIOD.
Have a blessed day Jane!
Lori
What is the dish soap for?
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
If this recipe was just oil and water, the oil would just float to the top. Oil is less dense than water, therefore it floats. Oil and water also don’t mix because water molecules are MORE attracted to other water molecules than to oil molecules. Soap molecules are attracted to both water and oil. Thus, helping to mix them together.
Science! Hope this helps Lori!
Rita
I used mayonnaise, and it killed the fleas in the hair and fur. Didn’t kill the flea eggs. If the fleas get in your hair, just put mayonnaise all over your hair – like a hair mask, cover your hair with a plastic bag, and leave it on for 35 minutes. Give it a good rinse, and you’ll notice all fleas are dead. Straighten your hair at high heat (use heat protector spray), and all flea eggs will die as well. You just have to comb them out after straightening your hair. A nice little bonus for using mayonnaise on your hair- it makes it so soft!
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
Thanks for the tips Rita.
Leslie
Hi wondering if this is sprayed on clothes, directly on skin, outside around the yard , or all three?
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
Well, I’ve sprayed it on skin, shoes, and clothing. Never tried spraying the yard so not sure how/if it would work. It might kill plants or could possibly be bad for pets (if you have them) if ingested. You never know so I’d do some research and/or be careful what you spray in the yard just in case.
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it last long?
Kristi @HomesteadWishing
Not really, you need to spray pretty often. I usually re-spray once it dries. I hope to figure out something I can add to help it last longer.