Insect repellent recipe you can make

No matter the season or time of year, insects seem to find their way into your garden and home. The hot summer season usually means insects are more active, and nuisances like mosquitoes are just one example of the pests we want to get rid of. Now you can spray all kinds of chemicals all over your garden, but these commercial sprays can be dangerous to animals, children and even adults. You can plant some flowers to keep certain insects from getting used to your home, but you can also make your own insect repellent that can be sprayed on grassy areas and other parts of your garden where planting flowers is not possible.

You need:

10 – 25 drops of essential oil (as per the suggestions below)

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (such as olive oil)

1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel (optional but beneficial)

Directions:

• Combine the ingredients for your insect repellent in a jar.
• Seal with a lid before shaking well to mix everything together.
• Dab this mixture on your skin or clothing. Take care with clothes since you could end up with an oily residue on your clothes. You can apply to clothing you wear when gardening but avoid applying to any clothes you wear out.
• Each essential oil has its own unique scent and this plays a role in the bugs it repels. You can use the following suggestions to keep common pests at bay.

Tick repellent:

• Palmerosa
• European Pennyroyal Lavender or Tickweed
• Bay
• Eucalyptus
• Rose Geranium is the best choice

Mosquito repellent:

• Lavender
• Thyme
• Citronella
• Pennyroyal

Blackfly repellent:

• Eucalyptus
• Citronella
• Peppermint
• Pennyroyal
• Lavender

Flea repellent:

• Orange oil

Important tips

It’s also important to remember that some bugs are attracted to the scent of your perfume or lotions, so if you want to keep them away, don’t apply those products when you go out. If you do, your natural insect repellent won’t be as effective. If you go swimming, you should reapply the repellent because it may have partially or completely washed off. Mosquitoes are attracted to sweat because it raises the humidity around the body and they love humid environments. This means they also enjoy the moisture created by water evaporating from your body after swimming. You should reapply the repellent every few hours as high temperatures and wind will cause it to lose its effectiveness more quickly.

Just as you are careful when selecting a bouquet of fresh flowers from your local florist, you need to be careful when choosing our essential oils for your insect repellent. Make sure they are safe to use on your skin and test a few on a small patch of your skin to make sure you are not allergic. It is also a good idea to consult your doctor if you have any health problems, are pregnant or breastfeeding.