Beauty
4 Methods to Repel Bugs Naturally
Jun
Mosquitoes are my nemeses! The pesky bugs have been horrible this yr (and we’re nonetheless coping with them!). So I have been on the lookout for methods to repel bugs naturally, not being an enormous fan of slathering the children in chemical compounds. I’ve to say, important oils work nice for this function. 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 embrace a sprig, reed diffuser, physique mist, and lotion, and we examined them for retaining the bugs at bay. Every technique has a number of professionals and cons; here is what we discovered.
1. Lemon Mint Patio Spray
Mix vodka, lemon juice and peppermint oil in a sprig bottle. Spray across the perimeter of your gathering or play space. The menthol in peppermint important oil isn’t solely answerable for the robust minty aroma, however it additionally has insecticidal properties as nicely [source]. Â
Upside: Issues positively appeared much less buggy, and it added a pleasant aroma to the yard.
Draw back: It is onerous to cowl your complete 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 fairly cup and add reed sticks. These important oils are steadily utilized in formulations to discourage flying pests they usually have the added bonus of constructing 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: Undoubtedly the simplest of the pure treatments! And the soothing scent of lavender tones down the medicinal odor of eucalyptus. It may very well be a very good possibility for a smaller house, 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.
Be aware, this won’t appear to be a variety 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 hold mosquitoes away for as much as two full hours [source].
Upside: The lotion really smells good! No yucky bug chemical scent to comply with you round.
Draw back: It’s a must to catch the children 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-obligatory) 1 teaspoon glycerin or aloe vera gel
Mix all components 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 gives even protection than perimeter sprays or diffusers.
Draw back: Peppermint oil isn’t beneficial for teenagers’ pores and skin, so it is higher to omit it from the recipe if utilizing on youngsters beneath 10.
The ultimate verdict? The lotion was positively the winner to repel bugs naturally, however I will hold utilizing all these recipes to complement. Lemongrass stays my favourite of the bug-repelling important oils. You’ll be able to mix it with lemon eucalyptus, citronella, and lavender in a bug chew spray or a bug-repelling bracelet.
What do you do to maintain mosquitoes away? Remember that there are vegetation that bugs hate so take into consideration planting a number of of these across the patio!
And for those who do get undesirable bites, important oils may also help ease the itch too. Apply this bug chew spray or this balm to assuage the pores and skin irritation.
Pictures by Ana Stanciu