Natural Bug Repellent Recipes That Work!

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Every year as warmer weather approaches, I make several homemade products for summer. This includes my homemade sunscreen and these natural bug repellent recipes.

I don’t use sunscreen often because it limits vitamin D production. I prefer to eat my sunscreen instead. This homemade insect repellent spray recipe, on the other hand, gets daily use where we live (unfortunately!).

Why Homemade Bug Spray?

At my house, we joke about mosquitoes being the size of birds. They certainly do seem to come in flocks! Keeping bugs away with a good mosquito repellent is a top priority, especially with small children who are prone to scratching mosquito bites.

It’s not just annoying bites that we have to worry about. Some mosquitos can transmit diseases like Zika and West Nile virus. Then there are fleas and ticks infected with Lyme disease, Bartonella, and more.

According to the CDC, about 6% of all mosquito types are known to transmit diseases. But it’s impossible to know which ones when you’re just enjoying an evening outside.

Many natural bug-repellent options from the store aren’t my first option either. The label may say all natural and plant-based but they’re full of soybean oil and undisclosed proprietary ingredients. For example, one popular brand of DEET-free natural mosquito repellent features oil of lemon eucalyptus. However, the other 70% of the ingredients list is a mystery.

What’s the Deal with DEET?

While I am serious about avoiding bug bites, I don’t want to use nasty pesticides and repellents like DEET to do it. DEET is in many commercial insect repellents and has mixed results when it comes to safety.

The EPA weighed in on DEET in 1998 and again in 2014, concluding it doesn’t have health concerns for most people, even for kids. Looking at their long list of warnings and precautions, I’ll stick with my natural bug spray.

Dr. Aboue Donia, a pharmacologist found that rats treated with an average human dose of DEET had some issues. They performed far worse than control rats on physical tasks requiring muscle control, strength, and coordination.

In the same study, DEET caused neurons to die in parts of the brain that control muscles, learning, memory, and concentration. Young children are more at risk because their skin absorbs things more readily.

It’s also interesting to note that so far the EPA has yet to complete an endocrine disruptor screening on DEET. So we don’t know know how it affects hormones.

Another common pest control option is picaridin, a synthetic chemical derived from piperine. Runoff from these products contaminates the water supply and is known to cause deformities in certain animals. So what is it doing to us?

Natural Alternatives to DEET

As with most household items, you can make natural bug spray cheaply and naturally at home. Lotion with coconut oil is another DIY I like to make instead of buy. This recipe takes just minutes to mix up. You can use different ingredients based on what you have available. I’ve included several variations so you can try whichever one you have the ingredients for.

5-Minute Essential Oil Natural Bug Repellent

This is the best bug spray recipe I’ve found. It uses essential oils, which are really effective for natural bug protection. I prefer not to put this blend directly on skin, especially on kids. Instead, I use it on clothing or our gear.

Any combination of these essential oils will work

All of the above have insect and mosquito-repelling properties. I’ve included the mixture I use below. For this recipe, I use 100 drops of essential oil in total with a mixture of various oils. If you don’t have a certain oil you can leave it out or use a mixture of the others in its place.

Don’t Want to DIY Your Natural Bug Repellent?

Don’t feel like making your own? There are some really great pre-made bug-repellant options now.

To save time, I sometimes use a pre-mixed kid-safe essential oil blend. It’s made to repel insects and can replace the other oils in the recipe below. Here are a few premade natural bug spray options that don’t require any mixing at all.

I definitely recommend spot-testing for allergic reactions anytime you’re using a new product on your skin, whether it’s natural or not.

Natural Bug Repellent Recipes

I use this bug spray to spray my kid’s clothing on their way out the back door in the summer. I also pack one in our first aid kit when camping or hiking. This homemade anti-itch cream is also handy to carry in case of a random bug bite!

How to make natural bug spray in about five minutes
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3.96 from 136 votes

Natural Bug Repellent Recipe

Make this 5 minute simple & effective homemade bug spray recipe with essential oils and other natural ingredients to keep mosquitos and insects away.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

Instructions

  • In a glass spray bottle, combine the essential oils.
  • Add the vodka or rubbing alcohol and shake well to combine.
  • Pour in the witch hazel and shake again to combine.
  • Add the vegetable glycerin if using. It isn’t necessary, but it does help everything stay combined.
  • Add the water and shake again.
  • Shake before each use as the oils and water will naturally separate over time.

Notes

How to Use:
I keep a bottle of this bug spray by the back door for easy application. I also pack one in our first aid kit when camping or hiking. I find it’s also handy to carry this homemade anti-itch cream in case of the random bug bite!

DIY Bug Repellent Recipe Variations

Natural bug sprays can also be made without essential oils. Just use dried herbs and witch hazel or vinegar. This recipe is less expensive, but it’s not as potent as the recipe above.

Herbal Bug Spray Ingredients

Herbal Bug Spray Instructions

  1. Boil water, then add the herbs.
  2. Mix well, cover, and turn off the stove. Let cool completely. Covering is important to keep the volatile oils in!
  3. Strain out the herbs and mix the tea with witch hazel or alcohol. Store in a spray bottle in the fridge for up to a week.
  4. Use as needed. Added bonus: it smells great and is very refreshing to the skin.

TIP: You can also use the above herbs and make an alcohol tincture instead for longer shelf life. Add 1 part tincture to 1 part water before use and spray liberally on clothing.

Vinegar Tick and Insect Repellent Recipe

Fair warning: this stuff stinks when it’s wet. Thankfully the smell disappears as it dries. It works really well though. I use this spray whenever I’m going deep into the woods or other tick-infested areas.

It’s based on a recipe that was rumored to be used by thieves during the Black Plague to prevent sickness. Legend has it that the thieves survived thanks to this bug blend. Regardless if the story is true or not, it definitely makes a great insect repellent.

This recipe is cheap and you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.

Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent Ingredients

Vinegar of the Four Thieves Insect Repellent Instructions

  1. Put the dried herbs into the large glass jar. Pour the vinegar over the herbs until the jar is almost full.
  2. Seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Shake occasionally.
  3. After 2-3 weeks, strain the herbs out. Store the vinegar in spray bottles or tincture bottles, preferably in the fridge.
  4. To use on skin, dilute to half with water in a spray bottle and use as needed.
  5. Use it whenever you need serious bug control!

Note: This mixture is very strong and has antiviral and antibacterial properties. It can also be used as a tincture for many illnesses. For adults, I use 1 tablespoon in water several times a day. For kids over two, I use 1 teaspoon in water several times a day.

Other Simple Natural Bug Repellent Ideas

  • Use a non-toxic, plastic-free insect-repelling band like these. They’re easier to use on children and very effective.
  • Add vanilla extract to either of the above recipes or just rub it on the skin. You can also mix vanilla with witch hazel and water for a spray version.
  • Plant insect-repelling herbs in your yard. I grow lavender, thyme, mint, and citronella near our patio and we use these fresh plants as bug repellent in a pinch.
  • Rub lavender flowers or diluted lavender oil on your skin to repel insects.
  • Rub fresh or dried leaves of anything in the mint family all over your skin to repel insects. Peppermint, spearmint, catnip, pennyroyal, etc., or citronella, lemongrass, etc. Basil is also said to repel mosquitoes. I’ve used fresh basil leaves in the garden with great success before.

What are your tricks for keeping bugs at bay? Which do you think is worse… the insects or the chemicals in most repellents?

Sources
  1. Swale, D. R., Sun, B., Tong, F., & Bloomquist, J. R. (2014). Neurotoxicity and mode of action of N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). PloS one9(8), e103713.
  2. Duke Today Staff. (2002, May 1). Duke pharmacologist says animal studies on DEET’s brain effects warrant further testing. Duke Today. 
  3. Centers For Disease Control. (2020, March 5). Mosquitoes in the United States.
  4. Almeida, R. et al. (2018, October 4). High mortality in aquatic predators of mosquito larvae caused by exposure to insect repellent. Biology Letters, 14: 20180526. Royal Society Publishing. 

 

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

575 responses to “Natural Bug Repellent Recipes That Work!”

  1. Tia M Avatar

    We live in an apartment building, so people are always coming and going and letting bugs in (boo!) I find I’m fine during the day, then I wake up in the morning with new bites. I think I’m being attacked by mosquitoes in my sleep! Is the essential oil spray made with witch hazel safe to use on my sheets? I make my spray with eucalyptus and rosemary (if that makes a difference).

  2. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    I’m going to try the witch hazel one as my dad hates the smell of vinegar. I’m wondering what ratio (how many drops of each) of essential oils I can use. I have lavender, rosemary, cedarwood, rose geranium, tea tree and palmarosa. Please tell me if I shouldn’t use any of these oils, also if they’re okay to use in the sunlight, thanks.

    1. Tia M Avatar

      My husband and I each have our own 14 ounce spray bottles. We did half cooled water we’d boiled and half witch hazel, I used 30 drops of eucalyptus oil and 20 drops of rosemary. My husband made his with 50 drops as well, and did a mix of rosemary and eucalyptus with clove as well. I will say it seems the strong the oil, the better it works (his seems to work better than mine).
      The rosemary and tea tree you have should world well together, and I’ve read that lavender also repels insects.

  3. Mary B Avatar

    I’ve been making double batches of the essential oil recipe (using tea tree oil only) and I keep it in a spray bottle near the door as our daytime repellant. I spray myself and my kids down every time we go outside. It works but must be reapplied at least every 30 minutes. I tried it once at night when we had drinks outside with house guests but we were eaten alive. We even had citronella torches burning nearby plus a citronella candle on the table. I am not sure why it only seems to work during the day; the bugs seem more ferocious at night. Insights anyone? So it appears that I need something stronger for night time. I will try the essential oil recipe with a more complicated blend of the oils mentioned by the other folk. Particularly, I will start with the “Bug Off” oil blend mentioned by someone here.

    1. Tia M Avatar

      You could try adding another essential oil. My husband makes his with eucalyptus, rosemary, and clove, and it seems to work much better than mine (which is just eucalyptus and rosemary).

    2. Elaine Avatar

      On the farm my mother kept a bottle of diluted pinesol to sprinkle on our legs before going into the pasture–very effective tick repellent, don’t know about for mosquitoes.

    3. Elaine Avatar

      Some species of mosquitoes are active in daytime, while other species are evening/night biters. You may have several species in your area.

  4. Helena Soares Travers Avatar
    Helena Soares Travers

    I’m going to make the essential oil bug spray and was wondering what the benefits of using the vegetable glycerin are. I know it’s optional but I’d like to use it if there’s an added benefit. Also can the bug spray be used liberally on young children.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      It helps the ingredients stay mixed so you don’t have to shake as much.

  5. Kait Nurrenberg Avatar
    Kait Nurrenberg

    Thank you!!! I usually get bitten four times in the first minute or so of being outside, but I made bug spray from dried rosemary, thyme and mint, and I used it when my family and I went to a fireworks display on the 4th. We sat on a blanket in the grass near the river, and I didn’t get a SINGLE BITE!!!! The rest of my family decided to use the commercial spray (I HATE the smell of that stuff) and ended up getting bitten! I shouldn’t feel smug about it but I kind of did 🙂 Thank you so much for posting this!

  6. Greg Avatar

    Where do you get vegetable glycerin? Is that the same glycerin you make desserts with? I never can find it.

    1. Lynne Avatar

      I found it at WalMart in the pharmacy department near alcohol & peroxide.

  7. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    I had to post an update – this worked so very well. Smelled great, a couple of bugs landed on me but didn’t bite, and everyone wanted the recipe because it worked way better than what you buy at the store. I’m sending everyone I know here for the recipe. Thank you!

  8. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    My 5year old dog has gotten fleas, for the first time (have allways given her garlic, but didn’t get it for sometime). So now I must deflea the house and my dog. Do you know of any safe way? Any herbal flea & flea eggs repellent/killer?

  9. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Just made this in anticipation of a long weekend of BBQs. It smells GREAT, I hope it works as well! (I used a combo of citronella, lavender, clove, spearmint, eucalyptus and rosemary EOs)

  10. Mary Penn Avatar
    Mary Penn

    On the mountain rose sight- there are several options for witch hazel…am I supposed to be buying “pure witch hazel extract”?

  11. Jennifer Klemp Schuetz Avatar
    Jennifer Klemp Schuetz

    Please help Wellness Mama! I made a homemade repellant last year. My friends and I used it on my patio last week and they said it worked wonderfully. I have several questions- 1. I boiled, then simmered my herbs last year and this year for a bit, (like 10-15 min) – lavender, my own bark and leaves from witch hazel tree- and whatever other herbs I had last week… some thyme, some basil. You said to boil water then put the leaves in- did I harm my concoction?

    2. the concoction I made is brown. I have more than a gallon- I plan on making several bottles of homemade insect repellant and will give to friends and family as my testers, then I plan on selling locally. When making a concoction like this- it is hard to know how much concoction to use. I covered my herbs with the water and came up with the ‘more than a gallon amount’. 3. the repellant I made from last year had brown junk at the bottom of the bottle. I stored in a blue spray bottle, and I assume that is because I did not add preservative, and well, it doesn’t last a year. There is a preservative from the website (where I ordered more essential oils from) that I used called Optiphen. Should I use this, or just make these in small quantities and say they last 3 months? (or for how long?) how many months if you are not using preservative? 4. some people use grain alcohol as a preservative. does this break down the strength of the oils/herbs that I just boiled? Last years concoction that I made had essential oils of citronella, lemon eucalyptus, and rose geranium, and the boiled herb water which was brown, and olive oil. My mix smelled pretty good compared to other sprays (burts bees for one) I have used and was also very moisturizing with the olive oil. I plan to perfect this recipe this year and have lots of chemistry questions- we need a chemistry expert here!!! Thank you!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      I’d make sure to use dried herbs and adding alcohol is fine as a preservative, or witch hazel works well too…

  12. corina Avatar

    I just made the spray. The liquid in the bottle smells very strong but when I spray it on the skin there’s no scent 🙁

  13. Jan Avatar

    What is the best way to store this bug spray? Room temperature or fridge? Clear spray bottle or opaque bottle? Thanks so much!

      1. Ben Dover Avatar
        Ben Dover

        If you do not have an opaque bottle, cover your bottle with, what else, Duct tape.

  14. Tao Avatar

    I live in a rainforest (northern Taiwan) where the mosquitoes are ferocious. I don’t want to use chemical sprays. What I usually do is spray myself with diluted vinegar. The problem is, it’s so humid here that when you’re working outdoors, before long the sweat cleanses off the vinegar. I’m going to try your recipes. Thanks!
    PS: a hint for others who prefer to go barefoot: rub petroleum jelly all over your feet, and especially between the toes, to keep off leeches. Don’t forget the bottom of your toes, either. This really works.

  15. Will Jefferson Avatar
    Will Jefferson

    Let me be perfectly clear; Four Thieves Vinegar DOES NOT WORK, do not waste your time with this recipe. It might be good for something but really sucks as an insect repellent. I made some just like the recipe said and am very frustrated with the results. I actually found a tick crawling up my leg after coming inside.

  16. Heather Terry Habaqe Avatar
    Heather Terry Habaqe

    Hi guys I have read all of these wonderful ideas and comments on making a natural insect (especially mosquito’s) . I also was reading elsewhere that celery seed extract has been studied and given positive results at keeping the little vamps at bay for as long as any commercial brand with out having to reapply. I cant find anywhere though where someone has an idea on how to combine an ingredient mixture for this. The site I viewed states a percentage of 25%. I don’t know what that percentage is for. Does anyone know if too much celery seed extract on skin could cause a bad reaction or possibly a base that I could use with this. I also want to include catnip eo. With any answers I will start the test project and report back with my results. Thanks in advance for any ideas, comments, and/or advice.

  17. Kate Zehnder Avatar
    Kate Zehnder

    Not sure what went wrong here. I used the recommended blend of Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus. I mixed it all up, using about 6-7 drops of each oil, and did a small skin test on my wrist. It had a light herbal scent and didn’t cause any irritation which is important because I have sensitive skin and was also planning on using it on my daughter. So I stored it in the pantry and didn’t need it until about a week later at a birthday party for my niece. So I sprayed it on my arms and legs as well as my daughters. Less then a minute later my daughter starts screaming and I realize that both of us are bright red where the spray was applied and there is a mild burning sensation. Instead of the light herbal scent there was before, there is any overwhelming smell of spicy cinnamon. I’m not sure if maybe the cinnamon got stronger as it sat, but I’d say that was probably the irritant. We had to strip down and take a cool bath (quite embarrassing at a birthday party) and take some Benadryl to deal with the inflammation and I had to borrow clothes to go home in.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      That is strange… I”ve never heard of that type reaction. Have you ever used cinnamon before?

      1. Veronika Avatar
        Veronika

        yes, cinnamon is a common pretty strong irritant, I wouldn’t suggest using it, especially under the sun.

    2. Ben Dover Avatar
      Ben Dover

      Cloves, Cinnamon, and Eucalyptus individually can be extremely irritating to the skin. When used in combination… wow!

      One must be very careful when using natural ingredients. Especially oils from trees.

      The chemicals found in plants are their self-defense mechanisms since they cannot run away from danger. They use chemicals to either attract beneficial insects and other animals, or to repel, irritate, or poison others.

    3. Tia M Avatar

      I noticed you said you stored it in your pantry. My parents pantry has a hatch that leads to above their garage, and gets considerably warmer than the rest their home. Is it possible the combination got over warm and that affected the strength of the oils?

    4. Serena Avatar
      Serena

      Did you use a carrier oil? Essential oils generally need to be diluted, especially in use on children. Also, there is a science to the blending of different oils. The trick is in finding balance on a molecular level for what effect udesire…smelling good helps too:) research the different constituents that oils are comprised off..ie alcohol, sesquiterperne, ketones,etc….they all have differing uses/mechanisms of action….and will affect others effectiveness when blended incorrectly. Hope that helps:)

    5. Tk Avatar

      I wonder the same thing as Serena… you didn’t mention any kind of carriers for the oils, like water, vodka, or vinegar. If you used undiluted oils, I can see how that could be a severe irritant.

  18. Amy Rozeboom Avatar
    Amy Rozeboom

    Would the Four Thieves mixture work if I sprayed it on our porch every few days? We have bombarded with mosquitoes, spiders, wasps, chiggers…you name it.

      1. Amy Rozeboom Avatar
        Amy Rozeboom

        Using the oils, would it be useable immediately or would you still let it steep for 2-3 weeks?

        Thanks!

  19. nicola Avatar
    nicola

    i just made your recipe. I hope it works bc the mosquitos love me!

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