Homemade Insect Repellent

I've heard people say that they must be made out of sugar and that's why biting insects like them so much. And the same with people who never seem to be bitten happen to have vinegar coursing through their veins (what a strange notion!). I'm not exactly sure why some people seem to be more immune to bugs bites than others, but either way, there is always a time and place for insect repellent. But haven't we all heard the scary stories about insect repellent filled with DEET - it causes cancer, it's bad for children, even causing memory dysfunction! Like everything that is presumably unsafe for us but is widely used - there is much debate on both sides. I'm a big proponent of simplifying things if you can, especially when it comes to homemade, natural products. So why not make some homemade insect repellent?

This is my very own recipe. I learned from HerbMentor that Yarrow is an herb that helps repel insects. I happen to have learned this while I was in my excited tincture making phase (phase? What am I talking about? I love making tinctures and I know that I will always have jars of herbs brewing in my house!). I decided to make a yarrow tincture to use as insect repellent. I filled a glass jar half way up with 100 proof vodka (the higher the proof the better, but see this article to help you understand tincture making). I let mine brew for 2 months - but the longer it brews the better.

After I decanted the yarrow tincture I decided I would add some essential oils to it - one, to make it smell less like alcohol and two, many essential oils actually have properties themselves to deter winged insects. I happened to choose citronella, lavender, clove, eucalyptus and a bit of geranium.

If you don't have yarrow or don't have time to mess around with the tincture making process, you may want to try an easier recipe such as this one HERE.

So, does it work? I spent 2 hours in a friend's garden over the weekend (visit the AR Facebook page for pics of what I got from the garden!). We even sat on the ground and talked for at least a half an hour. Luckily we sprayed ourselves as soon as I got there. No bites, on either one of us!

Now, then I got to my house and sat on my front porch as I replanted the herb starts. Apparently I have mutant mosquitoes that live in my bushes on my front lawn. I woke up with 2 pinkish dots - but with no itch! Lesson? Re-apply this spray as often as necessary. It's natural so it won't hurt you and it's not as strong as the store bought DEET infused stuff.

Be sure to check out my Etsy store soon (I'll announce it on a blog post when it is up and running) to load up on products.


Have a safe and fun bug-filled season!