It’s going to be another bad year for Zika and we’re all looking for protection from the evil mosquito… and other bugs too! But who wants to spray all of those chemicals on you and your kids just to have some protection when you are outdoors? This quick and easy DIY offers an all-natural alternative to your mosquito and bug repellents!
DIY Mosquito and Bug Spray
Is it me or does anyone else get eaten alive when you go outside? I like to say it’s because I’m so sweet (groan…) but maybe it’s something in my DNA. Regardless, I can walk outside and five minutes later be covered in bites. It’s like these little buggers have some kind of radar and know it’s dinner time when I’m around. I know that Essential Oils are a great insect deterrent so I thought I would give this DIY mosquito and bug spray a try.
Ingredients + DIY
16 oz Glass Spray Bottle
20 drops Purification Essential Oil
20 drops Citronella Essential Oil
20 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
2 TBSP Witch Hazel
Distilled Water
Optional oils – cloves, geranium, lemongrass, and/or lavender.
Optional – smaller spray container
I like to use a funnel to keep the work area a little neater. Add the witch hazel first to the spray container. Then fill it up almost to the top with water. Add in your essential oils. If you go over or under a few drops, no worries at all. Many of these oils help to repel many different insects, and you can always add in a few extra oils 10-15 drops if you like. Add geranium and lemongrass to give this spray an extra boost to repel ticks and help prevent Lyme Disease. I fill up the smaller container from the big container, and then you have a smaller go-bottle you can take with you.
Keep in mind, you always want to use a glass container when working with essential oils. And always shake first before using. I spot tested this on a few old cotton t-shirts and they did not stain. But always do a spot check on both your clothes and also your skin to ensure that you are free from any kind of stains or reactions.
I was running around the house gathering all of the items to make this when our mailman came to the door with our mail. He’s been our neighborhood mailman for years and we treat him like family. He asked what I was doing, so I told him about the bug spray and blog post.
“I would love some!!!”
Done and done!
Psst… want easy to follow instructions on how to make all of your favorite household cleaners… the all-natural way? It’s eezy peezy! Click below…
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If you don’t want to make your own, no worries, there are plenty of all-natural options of bug spray out there!
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Love, hugs, and no one’s bugging me!
Love essential oils….this looks like another great use for them.
Thanks for sharing at Waste Not Wednesday.
Thanks Kimm! I was really surprised how much I enjoy the scent too! Hugs, Holly
I make this all the time but did not know I needed to use glass bottles. Thank you so much for the tip!
Hi Pam – You are not alone! I hear this from a lot of folks. It actually has me thinking about writing an Oils 101 blog post. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon. Hugs, Holly