Parenting

Make Your Own Bug Spray: 5 Simple Recipes

ParentingPublished Jul 24, 2014
By Judy Dutton
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In the eyes of many natural moms, commercial bug spray presents more dangers to their kids than the insects they repel. And they have some reason to worry -- studies have shown that pesticides like DEET can cause a host of problems in children. So what's a holistic-minded mom to do, short of letting her kids get bitten to death? One option is you can make your own bug spray at home. As is the case with all-natural remedies, it's best to consult your doctor before trying them, and test for allergies on a small area of skin first. But since the ingredients are all-natural, the odds of an adverse reaction are slim. Here we highlight five all-natural recipes from holistic bloggers and explain what makes them effective.

Do you know a natural way to keep bugs away?

DIY Bug Spray Recipes

Images © Steve Hix/Somos Images/Corbis; © iStock.com/viafilms

1/5
To keep mosquitoes away ...-placeholder
To keep mosquitoes away ...
LushVitality.com

To keep mosquitoes away ...

This bug spray recipe combines citronella -- a strong mosquito deterrent -- with the fighting power of a variety of essential oils. "Certain oils keep insects from swarming, while others keep them from biting because they don't like the taste," says Marie Delcioppo, who is certified in the use of essential oils and owner of health and wellness center LushVitality.com.

2/5
To repel mosquitoes without citronella ...-placeholder
To repel mosquitoes without citronella ...
Jessica Healey/ScratchMommy.com

To repel mosquitoes without citronella ...

If you can't stand mosquitoes but also detest the scent of citronella, there are other options to keep these insects at bay. This natural mosquito repellent by Jessica Healey at ScratchMommy.com uses tea tree oil instead.

3/5
To deter ticks ...-placeholder
To deter ticks ...
John Tann/Flickr

To deter ticks ...

This all-natural bug repellent recipe from Elizabeth Walling at LivingtheNourishedLife.com suggests using a range of essential oils, including geranium oil -- which works particularly well on ticks. Added bonus: Unlike commercial sprays like Off, these bug repellents smell nice, so kids don't mind using them. "My kids always remind me to spray them before they go outside!" says Walling.

4/5
To drive away ants ...-placeholder
To drive away ants ...
Tasty-Yummies.com

To drive away ants ...

Want to keep ants from crashing your picnic? This bug spray recipe by Beth Manos Brickey at Tasty-Yummies.com has the option of adding vodka to it, which works particularly well on ants (apparently the insects aren't into hard liquor). And don't worry, you won't smell like a boozehound due to other ingredients in the mix like peppermint and citronella oil.

5/5
To get rid of flies ...-placeholder
To get rid of flies ...
HealyEatsReal.com

To get rid of flies ...

For naturopathic neophytes, this three-ingredient bug spray from Hannah Healy at HealyEatsReal.com is an easy way to get started: All you need is coconut oil, lavender oil, and purification oil (a blend of citronella, lemongrass, and rosemary). Added bonus: Lavender is particularly good at driving away flies.

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