Mosquitoes are my nemeses! The pesky bugs have been horrible this 12 months (and we’re nonetheless coping with them!). So I have been on the lookout for methods to repel bugs naturally, not being a giant fan of slathering the youngsters in chemical substances. I’ve to say, important oils work nice for this objective. And sure, there are extra choices than simply citronella!
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4 Simple Methods to Repel Bugs Naturally
I made these selfmade recipes that embody a sprig,reed diffuser,physique mist,and lotion,and we examined them for holding the bugs at bay. Every methodology has a number of professionals and cons;here is what we realized.
1. Lemon Mint Patio Spray
Mix vodka,lemon juice and peppermint oilin a sprig bottle. Spray across the perimeter of your gathering or play space. The menthol in peppermint important oil will not be solely accountable for the robust minty aroma,nevertheless it additionally has insecticidal properties as nicely [source].
Upside:Issues undoubtedly appeared much less buggy,and it added a pleasant aroma to the yard.
Draw back:It is laborious to cowl your entire perimeter,and the scent fades considerably rapidly—you need to keep in mind to respray each hour to maintain bugs away.
2. Lavender-Eucalyptus Diffuser
Mix important oils withh water in a reasonably cup and add reed sticks. These important oils are incessantly utilized in formulations to discourage flying pests they usually have the added bonus of creating your desk look fairly.
Flip the reeds over each couple of hours to refresh the scent. If the scent begins to dissipate –or is not robust sufficient –then add extra important oil.
Upside:Positively the simplest of the pure cures! And the soothing scent of lavender tones down the medicinal odor of eucalyptus. It could possibly be a superb choice for a smaller area,e.g. bed room.
Draw back:The diffuser solely covers a small space,and in our case,it did not deter mosquitoes.
3. Lemongrass Lotion
Mix important oil with unscented physique lotion or oil. Combine collectively in a bowl and switch to an empty bottle. Apply to uncovered pores and skin areas.
Word,this won’t appear to be a number of important oil,however lemongrass and clove are each highly effective important oils,so do not overdo it. Lemongrass makes you unappealing to ticks and mosquitoes [source],and cloves can maintain mosquitoes awayfor as much as two full hours [source].
Upside:The lotion truly smells good! No yucky bug chemical scent to observe you round.
Draw back:It’s important to catch the youngsters each hour or two to reapply.
4. Lemon-Lavender Physique Mist
- ¼ cup vodka
- ¼ cup witch hazel
- ¼ cup distilled water
- 8 drops lemongrass important oil
- 8 drops lavender important oil
- 6 drops peppermint important oil
- 3 drops clove important oil
- (Non-compulsory) 1 teaspoon glycerin or aloe vera gel
Mix all elements in a 4 oz glass spray bottle (ideally amber or cobalt to guard oils from daylight). Shake nicely earlier than every use.
Spray on uncovered pores and skin and clothes each 1.5–2 hours,or as wanted.
Upside:Spraying the physique is simpler than making use of lotion and offers even protection than perimeter sprays or diffusers.
Draw back:Peppermint oil will not be really useful for youths’pores and skin,so it is higher to omit it from the recipe if utilizing on children beneath 10.
The ultimate verdict? The lotion was undoubtedly the winner to repel bugs naturally,however I am going to maintain utilizing all these recipes to complement. Lemongrass stays my favourite of the bug-repelling important oils. You possibly can mix it with lemon eucalyptus,citronella,and lavender in a bug chew sprayor a bug-repelling bracelet.
What do you do to maintain mosquitoes away? Do not forget that there are vegetation that bugs hateso take into consideration planting a number of of these across the patio!
And in case you do get undesirable bites,important oils might help ease the itchtoo. Apply this bug chew sprayor this balmto appease the pores and skin irritation.
Pictures by Ana Stanciu
