4 Easy Homemade Mosquito Repellent Recipes for People, Homes & Yards

Some of us love the summertime, some of us love the winter more, while some of us enjoy a little bit of all seasons. We all have different preferences, however, most of us will agree that it’s quite tough to love a mosquito.  In this article Organic Aromas shares 4 tested homemade mosquito repellent recipes for people, homes & yards. Learn how to ward off those pesky little mozzies in a totally healthy way.

Summertime and Mosquitos

Summer is a great time for spending time outdoors and leaving the windows open. However, this great time is often invaded by mosquitoes. The buzz of Mosquitoes is not only annoying but they also leave itchy bites. In fact, they can also potentially carry diseases. While mosquitoes are important to maintaining ecosystems there are natural ways to keep them from bugging you at home.

Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your summer. Learn how to make natural mosquito repellent with essential oils for people and homes. You will love these DIY mosquito repellent essential oils recipes.

Commercial Bug Repellent Products

There are so many ready-made products made to repel insects. Most of these products contain synthetic chemicals like DEET, whose safety is not guaranteed yet. Studies have been inconclusive but adverse skin reactions like swelling and rashes have been reported.  

Avoid the potential risks that come with these ingredients. Natural homemade mosquito repellent recipes with essential oils is the option for you and your kids. Aside from avoiding synthetic chemicals, natural insect repellents also smell much better than most store-bought products. Plus, you have full control over what goes into the product of choice. 

10 Best Essential Oils for Your Natural Bug Repellent Blend

Citronella – mosquitoes, fleas, gnats, moths, spiders, ticks
Peppermint – ants, bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas, fruit flies, gnats, head lice, moths, spiders, wasps
Lavender – aphids, bed bugs, chiggers, fleas, flies, head lice, mosquitoes, moths, spiders, ticks
Thyme – bed bugs, beetles, chiggers, cockroaches, flies, cockroaches, ticks
Rosemary – head lice, mosquitoes, ticks, flies
Clary Sage – chiggers, ticks
Cinnamon – earwigs, cockroaches, mosquitoes, silverfish, spiders, wasps, ants
Tea Tree – ants, bed bugs, head lice, flies, ticks
Lemongrass – fleas, chiggers, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, biting gnats
Lemon – ants, cockroaches, head lice, mosquitoes
Spearmint – aphids, ants, head lice, moths, mosquitoes, spiders, flies, boxelder bugs

Mosquito Repellent Product Types 

1 – Repellent Spray 
2 – Mosquito Body Lotion
3 – Home & Yard Spray 
4 – Bug Repellent Candles 
5 – Nebulizing Diffuser Blends

5 Great Homemade Mosquito Repellent Recipes

There are different ways to repel insects and prevent mosquito bites. You could make a spray, lotion, room spray or a blend for your nebulizing diffuser. Here’s how to make natural insect repellent with essential oils:

Recipe 1: Homemade Mosquito Repellent Body Spray

What you’ll need:
Glass spray bottle

Ingredients:
4 tbsp Witch hazel or apple cider vinegar
8  tbsp water
10 drops Lavender essential oil
8 drops Citronella essential oil
8 drops Peppermint essential oil

*You could also substitute virgin coconut oil or some other carrier oil for witch hazel.

Steps:

1. Mix the witch hazel, water, and essential oils.
2. Mix the ingredients well in a bowl before transferring them to the glass spray bottle.
3. Shake up the insect repellent spray before every use.

Recipe 2: Body Lotion Insect Repellent for Skin

What you’ll need:
Double boiler or a pot and heat-resistant bowl
Spatula

Ingredients:
2 tbsp beeswax, grated
½ cup sweet almond oil or olive oil
2 tbsp vitamin E oil
2 tbsp cocoa butter
10 drops Peppermint
10 drops Citronella
10 drops Lemon
10 drops Spearmint
¾ cup water

Steps:
1. Melt the beeswax, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil or olive oil, and vitamin E oil in the double boiler.
2. Add the essential oils
3. Stir thoroughly
4. Transfer into with a tight sealed container.

Recipe 3: Insect Repellent Yard & Home Spray

What you’ll need:
Glass spray bottle

Ingredients:
14 tbsp distilled water
6 tbsp vodka
20 drops of Citronella essential oil
20 drops of Peppermint essential oil
10 drops of Tea Tree oil

Steps: 
1.All you need to do is mix all the ingredients thoroughly then transfer them to the glass spray bottle.
2. Don’t forget to shake the bottle before use. 

Recipe 4: DIY Insect Repellent Candle

What you’ll need:
Pot
Candle wicks
Sticky Tape
Mason jar or any container
Skewers or Popsicle sticks

Ingredients
2 cups soy wax or beeswax
10 drops of Lemon essential oil
10 drops of Rosemary essential oil
10 drops of Cinnamon essential oil

Steps: 
1. Place tape in the middle of the jar. 
2. Press the wick onto the tape. With the skewer at the top of the jar, wrap the wick around it to keep the wick in place. Cut any excess wick.
3. Place the soy or beeswax flakes into the pot. Stir over low heat until it melts completely.
4. Once melted, stir the essential oils into the wax. 
5. Pour the mixture into the jar. Let the wax harden for a day or so.

Recipe 5: Insect Repellent Blends to Diffuser

You could also fill your home with the scent of these insect-repelling essential oils to keep insects away during the summer. Here are some blends to try:

Blend 1:
Lemon
Sweet orange
Eucalyptus
Lavender       

Blend 2:
Lavender
Rosemary
Lemongrass

Blend 3: 
Sweet Orange
Peppermint
Clary Sage

Takeaway

The natural remedies mentioned here have been proven and tested and are used by many. It’s great fun to experiment with natural DIY recipes. Get your hands on some high-quality essential oils. Take a few minutes to make these simple homemade mosquito repellent recipes and avoid exposure to toxic chemicals. 

Challenge

The Organic Aromas team loves experimenting. Do you have any other bug repellent recipes for to share in the comments? Share your trick or recipe to keep bugs away on any of our social media platforms and get 10% discount on any product! (IG: organic_aromas_sa or FB: Organic Aromas SA)