Homemade Mosquito Repellent – 5 Natural Ways to Fight Mosquitoes
We’re not free of warm weather yet, and that means fending off more mosquitoes. If DEET isn’t your cup of tea (and it shouldn’t be), but you’re tired of battling a tiny bloodsucking army every time you set foot outdoors, don’t hesitate to turn to natural homemade mosquito repellent. Try these natural mosquito repellents to keep the bugs at bay.
Homemade Mosquito Repellent – 5 Natural Solutions
Eat B Vitamins and Garlic
The Mayo Clinic says taking 75 to 150 mg of vitamin B-1 may change your scent into one mosquitoes don’t like. Although not much research has been done for humans, neither vitamin B nor garlic will have adverse effects, but may be extremely helpful.
Conifer Bark
For this homemade mosquito repellent, slide a knife under the bark of a living conifer and pour on a few drops of natural oil. Rub it into the bark and then on the body. It’ll smell good and ward off bugs.
Yarrow
Also recommended as a diuretic and acne treatment, rubbing yarrow between your hands and then onto your body will keep away mosquitoes.
Eucalyptus Oil
At 40 percent concentration, lemon eucalyptus oil should ward off mosquitoes and ticks, although it isn’t recommended for children under 3.
Catnip
You might attract cats while you ward away mosquitoes, but one study says catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET. To make your own catnip homemade mosquito repellant, collect 2 cups of catnip and 1 cup of rosemary leaves. Crush them and put them into a jar; pour in some natural oil and leave, cover on, in a cool and dark place for 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily. Use as needed and refrigerate.
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Lastly, what many would view as bad news, alcohol is the only food or beverage consistently researched and proven to attract mosquitoes. If you’re imbibing on an afternoon picnic, though, keep these remedies handy as well as some long sleeves to cover up exposed skin. It won’t hurt to burn a candle, either, since mosquitoes don’t like smoke.
If not one homemade mosquito repellent seems to work for you, you’ll definitely want to check out some effective home remedies for mosquito bites, although one of the above solutions should prove successful. Also helpful, you’ll want to know of some home remedies for itching if you do get bitten.
Additional Sources:
lavendar can work as a repelent
I make an essential oil blend that seems to be very effective for most people. In an quality massage oil base,I infuse drops of Lemongrass, Rose Geranium ,(best for ticks), Lavender, Eucalyptus,and Cedarwood. I call it insect Away and sell it online.
Garlic is awesome, fresh is best, one or two cloves a day will keep all kind of things away. The lemongrass is also excellent for pests of all kinds, Both of these also work for Bed Bugs, how about that? And in addition to that you can keep the garlic smell from coming out of your pores with a cup of peppermint tea. Add honey and lemon if you please, or chew on a few sprigs of parsley. Happy natural remedies to you all! They do work!
Garlic is fatally-toxic to dogs! Please consider rewording so that people don't follow that ill-advice!
Further, garlic is an aromatic, which increases circulation and oxygen exchange with CO2 – making one exhaust higher concentrations of CO2, which attracts all bugs!
As for taking a Thiamine/B1 supplement – it is not advisable unless prescribed by a doctor. Instead, one should seek out dietary sources, such as pork, nuts, beans or seeds. It is a VERY potent diuretic, and this effect is very much increased when taken in 'vitamin' form rather than from food. I think also that it is incorrect, since Thiamine/B1 increases body-temperature, which is a significant factor (as noted by Nick in his comment) in attracting sanguinary-insects and animals.
The other suggestions are very useful and successful!
I've learned that including lemongrass (aka citronella) in ones diet is VERY effective to detract all bugs, and tastes fantastic in the right dishes – without the unfortunate result to ones body-odor that garlic can produce. Many Asian-dishes include lemongrass, but it compliments many other styles with ease.
About the garlic and dogs: really, please make sure you don't get yourself in trouble and change that asap!
Actually a little bit of garlic is not necessarily toxic for dogs, it's an excessive amount. Lots of people use it to prevent ticks and fleas.
Also, who the heck trusts an MD to consult before taking a food-based supplement. Take control of your own health.
my dog is 12 years old and always been fed garlic – not a truck load of course. she is doing great – and still want to play like a puppy. she also get raw meat and people food as much as possible.
I have always put garlic in our dog's cooked food, to keep their immunity high, it also helps with parasites. They're extremely healthy.
And by the way they also love lemongrass, they chew it in our garden straight off the lemongrass bushes, I expect that also helps them with parasites.
Thank you for this! I would rather not use cancer causing DEET!
Agreed
Sorry but for me and some others these will not work ok honestly i not try the catnip one, What mosquito's are attracted to is blood. Now if your blood temperature is slightly higher than normal then no matter what you cover yourself in the mosie's will still attack you if you have slightly lower blood temp then you can sleep in a room full of them an they not touch you. As i normaly live in Africa i have investigated a lot of remedies for mosquito's I learnt about the blood thing from an English Doctor who does 3 month a year volunteering in Senegal who has the same problem most of the remedies either shop bought or naturl remedies seem to work fine for other people but not if u in the warm blood group
Garlic is the most effective in my experience.