Make Your Own Natural Bug Repellent
Whether it’s mosquitoes, fleas, or ticks, we all need protection from biting insects. Learn how to make your own natural "bug spray" without toxic chemicals!
Whether it’s mosquitoes, fleas and ticks or plant-destroying pests, we could all use some good bug repellent. For your skin, DEET insect repellents are purported to be safe and effective, but many of us would rather use an all-natural product. If you want to steer clear of potentially dangerous chemical bug sprays, we’ll show you how to make your own bug repellent.
Essential Oils That Bugs Hate
If you’d rather not use synthetic repellents, then your best all-natural defense comes from essential oils — especially lemon eucalyptus oil. Note: lemon eucalyptus oil is not a blend of lemon oil and eucalyptus oil, but an oil made from the lemon eucalyptus plant. This essential oil is proven to be every bit as effective as DEET and it even comes with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. However, because it can be toxic in extremely high doses, it isn’t recommended for children under three years old.
There are also several other bug-repelling essential oils, though none as effective as lemon eucalyptus. Here’s a list of effective essential oils if you’d like to make a blended insect repellent:
• Lavender
• Thyme
• Basil
• Bergamot
• Peppermint
• Tea Tree
• Eucalyptus
How to Make Homemade Bug Repellent
All homemade insect repellent sprays have three basic ingredients: water, the oil or blend of oils of your choice, and a carrier to dilute the oil. A common rule of thumb is to make sure that your mixture is 10% essential oil, with the rest being a half-and-half mixture of water and the carrying agent.
Here’s a basic recipe:
• 4½ ounces of water
• 4½ ounces carrier
• 1 ounce essential oil
Mix the three ingredients in a spray bottle and shake before using.
What Is A “Carrier”?
People use all kinds of things as a carrier, including vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, vodka, vinegar, and witch hazel. The choice is up to your personal preferences. A bug spray with rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly and won’t stain clothing like almond oil, for instance, but it may dry your skin. If you want a moisturizing bug spray, then using a vegetable-based oil for the carrier might be the way to go.
The best part about homemade bug repellent is that it lasts just as long as store-bought chemical repellents. A 10% mixture of either DEET or an essential oil (like the recipe we’ve listed above) will need to be reapplied every hour or two. Stronger mixtures will last much longer, so if you’re looking for an all-day repellent, simply increase the amount of essential oil in your bug spray. Mixtures that contain 30% DEET or essential oil typically last five to six hours, which means one or two applications will let you be bug-free outside all day long!
Homemade Tick and Insect Repellent
Just mix and apply to exposed skin before heading outdoors:
• 9 drops citronella essential oil
• 6 drops Tea Tree essential oil
• 6 drops Peppermint essential oil
• 1 tablespoon carrier oil, such as almond oil or jojoba oil
NOTE: Do note that essential oils are very powerful and should be used with caution, especially with pregnant women and young children. Essential oils should always be diluted as noted above.
Some oils are toxic to cats and dogs, so please do your research and check with your vet.
Try out some of these oils to make your own bug repellent and you may never need to use synthetic pesticides again!
Need a repellent for deer? Try this…
Join the discussion
Have you tried any of these homemade repellents?
What’s your go-to way to “hide” from bugs?
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Amber Kanuckel
Amber Kanuckel is a freelance writer from rural Ohio who loves all things outdoors. She specializes in home, garden, environmental, and green living topics.
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I have citronella plants on my deck..hope they work..
I need a good repellent to help get rid of gnats! It seems everytime I buy dirt for potting some how they eventually get gnats in the plants. HELP! What would you suggest.
Hi Christina, it sounds like you have an encounter with the “fungus gnat,” an all-inclusive name for a huge number of small flying creatures that breed in houseplant soil, and in your case, potting soil. Take a look at the suggestions offered in this article, which we think you’ll find helpful: https://www.gardensalive.com/product/fungus-gnats-tiny-flying-houseplant-pests
I bought fungas knat spray. I had to use on all of my potted indoor plant soil. Not natural spray and i did not use on edible plants.
Try Diatomaceous Earth. Read up on it. Get at Agway or whatever is near you.
How can I keep bees away from my hummingbird feeder. They drive the hummers away.
Bees are terrible creatures of habit: they’d rather return to the same watering hole every day. Simply moving the feeder will help. Honestly though, depending on your climate, the bees are primarily looking for water. Maybe you can add a bee waterer as well.
Need help against Japanese Beetles. Tried Milky Spore to no avail and picking them off which requires 18 hours each day and herbs and flowers. any other ideas?
I bought bags that have an attractive scent from HOME DEPOT only put one in front yard by blackberries and it seemed to get rid of the beetles, I was amazed. my property is 1.35 acre.
I had almost none in back yard.
try neem oil
Need help against Japanese Beetles that are destroying my grapes, roses and plum tree.
I just researched pennyroyal oil and it has been found to be highly toxic both internally and externally. I would be extremely cautious about using the oil for anything!
Wanted to share a mixture I learned on Pinterest. Take plain tap water with 3 garlic cloves. Boil for approx. 15 minutes, then let sit overnight. Next day, pour into a spray bottle. Spray directly on plants.
I’ve used this on my Basil, Mint & other plants that seems to get eaten by little critters in the night. It works Fantastic!!! Spray every other day or so… ?
Thank you! I will try this. Those dang beetles destroyed my grape vine last year just as it started producing good. I have tried everything but this. Thank you
Can you use these products on Dogs?? My dog is a Black Lab mix. The ticks LoVe his fluffy chest. Found 3 on him in 2 days!!!… PLEASE HELP!!!
I’ve been adding small amounts of garlic into my dogs homemade food and its going on 6 weeks not one tick he is Maltese and I was pulling 1-3 off him a day. I give it for one week then off for 4 days you have to research some dogs garlic can be very bad for. Good luck!!
Hi Maureen, good info, thank you!
Most essential oil companies recommend using extreme caution applying oils on animals, children, and pregnant women.
For bed bugs call the folks at Cedar oil store dot com in Texas. They have a very effective product for bed bugs, spiders, etc.
For moths, try fresh or dried bay leaves. Grow your own tree as a houseplant and have fresh leaves or buy from the store spice rack.
For chigger, mosquito and tick repellent I use Pennyroyal oil from hopewell essential oils dot com in Texas for me (often) and our cat (just a little, not too often). They have a number of oils we use a lot, depending on situation. When our cat got very sick, we used “Bacteria Top Gun” and she recovered from being very weak, not eating and just lying around. It saved her life. Just a little on my fingers, spread on her ear tips and back paw pads, night and morning and she was much better. Only did it a few days. She does not like the smell of either oil, so my husband holds her while I rub either of them on.
I have read that studies indicate that the leaves of the beauty bush, Callicarpa, are very effective against chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, etc. I haven’t tried it yet, but when I find some time, intend to make an herbal oil using olive oil poured over some dried leaves from the bush in our yard and heating just on WARM for several hours in a crock pot. More info online about the process.