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Minnesota from Scratch

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Homemade Chemical-free Insect Repellent

June 18, 2013 by Stephanie 13 Comments

Bug Repellant - MinnesotaFromScratch.wordpress.com

Here comes the sun!  The rain has finally stopped here in Minnesota, however, after a spring as wet as this one we are no doubt going to be left with a summer full of bugs and flying pests!  Over the years, my preference has been to OPT OUT of the chemical-filled bug sprays (DEET has always freaked me out).

Now that I have my son to think about (and as much as we love being outdoors), I felt it was time to actively repel insects, without harmful chemicals.  Turns out it’s super simple to make your on concoction!  Just pick a carrier oil and add essential oils based on what insects you want to repel!

I worked off of these Google search results:  Natural Insect Repellent Recipe (for the recipe) Natural Repellents (to decide which oils to use).  Here’s what I ended up with:

Homemade bug spray - MinnesotaFromScratch.wordpress.com

The Ingredients:

  • 4oz blue glass spray bottle – $2.99 at Whole Foods
  • 1/2 Cup Organic Sunflower Oil – left over from my homemade lip balm
  • 30 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil –  repels mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, flies, ants
  • 30 drops Citronella Essential Oil –  repels mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, flies, ants

Simply measure and mix.  Done!  I used my handy Pyrex measuring cup with the spout so I could easily pour the potion into my jar.  Just spray onto your skin and rub in.

Substitution:  Replace the Carrier Oil (sunflower oil) with Vodka or Witch Hazel for better “spray action” and a try bug spray that can be used on clothes, etc.

You need a dark bottle and/or store in a dark place.  Use or replace within a few months.

Thanks for reading,
Kristin

Filed Under: Fun Stuff (DIY), FYI, Homemade, Organic Tagged With: homemade bug spray, natural bug spray, natural insect repellant, organic bug spray

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Savannah miller says

    June 19, 2013 at 8:03 am

    I want to try this! My current insect repellent smells horrible from all the chemicals! thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  2. Dee Mauser says

    June 19, 2013 at 8:04 am

    Oh I need to try this. One thing I noticed when using brand name (toxic) insect repellents is that when I sprayed them on my kids on the lawn, our lawn turned brown. Imagine what it does to our bodies. Ick!

    Reply
    • MinnesotaFromScratch says

      June 19, 2013 at 8:06 am

      Wow! That’s disgusting. I definitely would not want that on my skin!

      Reply
  3. Melanie says

    June 19, 2013 at 8:06 am

    Wow! I didn’t even know you could make your own!

    Reply
  4. Jenn McCullar says

    June 19, 2013 at 8:07 am

    Must try this, we live in the woods and have a pond the mosquitoes are horrible.

    Reply
    • MinnesotaFromScratch says

      June 19, 2013 at 8:09 am

      I could not even imagine living close to a body of water! I hope this works for you. I have read about lemon grass lately. You can plant it in pots and put it around your patio or where ever you are outside. That is supposed to be a natural repellent too. They sell it at our local farmer’s market but they were all sold out last weekend so I have not tried it out first hand.

      Reply
  5. Pam says

    June 19, 2013 at 8:12 am

    We don’t have too many issues with insects here in southern California but when I go home to Wisconsin to visit we do. I will have to share this post with my family and friends from back in the midwest. Thanks!

    Reply
    • MinnesotaFromScratch says

      June 19, 2013 at 8:17 am

      You are welcome!

      Reply
  6. earthlingorgeous says

    June 19, 2013 at 11:16 am

    thanks for this citronella plain is effective against mosquitos

    Reply
  7. Ronnie says

    June 19, 2013 at 3:55 pm

    How did it work out?? Was it as effective?

    Reply
    • MinnesotaFromScratch says

      June 19, 2013 at 4:28 pm

      Well I have been putting it on my daughter almost daily but not on myself as often. She loves to play in the backyard which is ultra buggy. She has only gotten two bites in the last week and a half since this was made and I have about 10 and I’m out less than her! So, I’d say it works.

      Reply
  8. Filipino Beef Recipes says

    June 19, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    I must try this, my insect repellent smells awful!.. Thanks for sharing.. 🙂

    Reply
  9. indypassionlady says

    June 20, 2013 at 6:09 am

    I am so going to try this. We live near the river and we get absolutely bombarded with bugs.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Stephanie. I'm the best selling author of Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving and WECK Home Preserving. My fourth book, Small-Scale Homesteading, is now available for pre-order! I'm a certified master food preserver, food preservation instructor, organic gardener, chicken keeper and nature lover. I specialize in creating easy to follow recipes and directions to help other homesteaders meet their goals.

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