With the warm weather and fun that comes with summer, there’s also a very pesky downside: bug bites. If you’re feeling uneasy about using commercial bug sprays and the chemicals they use to keep bugs away, you can easily make your own effective, natural bug spray. Let’s see how!
Bug Spray For Skin
You’ll only need two ingredients to make bug spray that’s safe to use on your skin: oil of lemon eucalyptus or lavender essential oil and witch hazel. It’s important to know that oil of lemon eucalyptus is completely different than eucalyptus essential oil or lemon essential oil, neither of which is effective at repelling mosquitos. To make your bug spray, mix one-part oil of lemon eucalyptus with 10-parts witch hazel in a reusable spray bottle. If you’re using a 1-ounce. bottle of oil of lemon eucalyptus, you’ll need 10 ounces of witch hazel.
Though you can buy oil of lemon eucalyptus bug repellants, it’s still cheaper to make your own. A 1-ounce. bottle of the oil usually runs $5-$8, and pure witch hazel is usually about $3 for 16 ounces. This means that your DIY spray will cost about $9 for 10 oz. of spray when buying the natural spray is usually $5-8 at the store.
Bug Spray For Your Home and Yard
You can also make a natural, effective spray to use around your home, porch, and yard this summer by combining lavender essential oil, oil of lemon eucalyptus, citronella essential oil, distilled water, and vinegar into a reusable spray bottle. Use 10 – 20 drops of each oil, 2 ounces of distilled water, and 2 ounces of white vinegar and shake the mixture gently to combine before spraying liberally around your home and yard.
You might also like: Mix Up These Blueberry Vanilla Muffins
More Bug Prevention Tips
In addition to wearing bug spray when you’re outdoors, you can also use these tips to minimize the chance of getting bug bites:
- Wear light-colored, loose clothing. The more covered your arms and legs are the better, but be sure you’re keeping cool, too.
- Dawn and dusk are prime mosquito hours. If you can stay indoors just as the sun is rising and setting you’ll reduce the likelihood of getting a bite.
- Use citronella candles outdoors.
- Empty any standing water from your gutters, birdbaths, planters, wheelbarrows, or any other object that gathers water. Standing water is a mosquito’s paradise!
Disclaimer: The stock image is being used for illustrative purposes only, and it is not a direct representation of the business, recipe, or activity listed. Any person depicted in the stock image is a model.