Are you looking for a natural mosquito repellent recipe? Do you want to eliminate mosquitoes naturally?

Summer is around the corner. Sunshine, lake days, campfires, starry nights… all wonderful elements of this time of year. But then there’s the mosquito… the dreaded little bugger that tries to rob us of our enjoyment of this short season. Early last summer I became prey to these awful little insects and decided to fight back (and ended up having some success)! This year, they’ve already arrived in hoards.

Here are some strategies to avoid being sucked dry this summer.

photo credit: © depositphotos.com / apichart

PRACTICAL TIPS TO AVOID MOSQUITOES

* Wear light coloured clothing. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours… it’s summer, all the more reason to brighten up your wardrobe.

* Stay away from foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas) and salt (i.e. potato chips).

* Avoid fruity & floral fragrances (not only does this mean perfume but you should also avoid using scented soaps, hair products, and laundry detergents that are fruity or floral scented).

* Eat lots of garlic. Vampires Mosquitoes hate garlic.

* Take a Vitamin B supplement. Mosquitoes hate Vitamin B.

* Burn citronella candles in the area.

* Stay out of high grass and bushes. Make sure the grass in your yard is kept short.

* Avoid being outside during dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.

* Don’t swat wildly at them. Apparently they thrive on your fear.

ELIMINATE MOSQUITOES NATURALLY

* Avoid using mosquito repellent. DEET is a dangerous chemical which should be avoided as much as possible. Last summer I made my own mosquito repellent (and it worked so well)! See my natural mosquito repellent recipe at the end of this posting.

* If you don’t mind bats, make a home for them! You can buy or make a bat house. Bats feed on approximately 500-1000 mosquitoes/hour… that’s a lot of mosquitoes in one evening! Free instructions on how to build a bat house can be found on this Free Woodworking Plans website.

* Put plants on your deck and in your yard that repel mosquitoes. Catnip, basil, marigolds and rosemary are some of the best plants for keeping mosquitoes away!

Homemade Mosquito Repellent Recipe

It’s important to select 100% pure and natural essential oils when making your homemade mosquito repellent. I love Rocky Mountain Oils. Their essential oils are 100% pure, natural, and authentic.

My recipe does not include citronella because citronella should not be used with children under two. I made my repellent child-safe (so my daughter could wear it too). For information on essential oils that are safe to use with babies and children, please check the Abundant Health website.

MOSQUITO REPELLENT RECIPE
40 drops geranium oil
20 drops spearmint oil
20 drops rosemary oil
2 Tbsp carrier oil (I use olive oil)
1/4 cup water

Shake well in a small spray bottle and mist on skin and clothing. It’s most important to cover your pulse points (wrists, neck, inner elbows etc).

If you want to use citronella oil, add 20 drops citronella to the above recipe (just remember that citronella is not safe for use with young children).

This spray doesn’t last as long as the commercial ones, so reapply every two-three hours.

If you don’t want to make your own mosquito spray, Rocky Mountain Oils makes their own repellent oil blend called, Bug Away! Make sure to check out their website for more details.

Jennifer Bly

Author of My Kitchen, My Classroom: An Introduction to Homeschool and creator of The Deliberate Mom. Jennifer writes about parenting, homeschooling, her faith, and life with her husband and two girls. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration Degree with a specialization in Early Learning in Child Care.