Herbal Insect Repellent

 

Natural Insecticides

There are a lot of natural insecticides you could turn to for help in keeping the pesky mosquitoes away as well. Many are available as topical oils and creams for ready use off the pharmacy or health store shelf. Others can be quickly (and easily) made at home from essential (non-dilute) oils.

Citronella Oil is commonly seen in sprays off the shelf, as candles you can burn to keep mosquitoes at bay, and even as scented hangers that react with the air to exude the scent. Most types of flying insects dislike the smell of citronella and will avoid it. Beware of allergies to this oil, however, and make sure to try only small amounts on a "test area" before applying whole hog.

Lemon Eucalyptus is another extremely popular essential oil. It can be found in many off-the-shelf sprays and creams. The base oil can be purchased and diluted in water. A 6oz spray bottle of water can have a few drops (maybe 8-12) of lemon eucalyptus added and sprayed on as a repellent.

Lemongrass Oil is another, similar repellent that can be used as lemon eucalyptus above. Cinnamon, Peppermint, Clove, Rosemary, and Castor oil are also popular alternatives, readily available in health food stores and pharmacies.

Many others are also available and popular, with varying degrees of success. Many oils can be mixed as described below to create a pleasant scent to go along with the repellent as well.

Home made repellent

2 1/2 teaspoons total of any combination of the above or following essential oils: basil, cedarwood, juniper, lemon, myrrh, palmarosa, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary (available at health food stores)

1 cup 190-proof grain alcohol (available in liquour stores)

Place ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Transfer to small bottles for storage. To use, rub a small amount on any exposed skin (test first to be sure your skin will not be adversely affected by the repellent) or dab it on clothing.

Experiment a little to find which essential oils work best with your body chemistry. If you’re lucky, you also will like the way they smell; otherwise, add a few drops of peppermint oil to fine-tune the fragrance.

There are many natural alternatives to spraying or rubbing on combination repellent/sunscreen as well, all of which can be just as effective as the chemicals in the commercial sprays. Be aware that mixing repellents with sunscreen, diluting with rain or sweat, and even time can reduce their effectiveness. If you`re using sunscreen as well as your natural repellent, put the repellent on clothing and use the sunscreen to protect your skin.

Bite relief

If you are bitten, plantain (Plantago, various species) is one of the best herbs to treat insect bites.

You probably won’t need to plant this home remedy because it is a very common weed, often growing in compacted soil along sidewalks and driveways. To use the plant as first aid for a mosquito bite, crush a few leaves and rub them on the bite.

A dab of cider vinegar on the bite can often relieve the itching as well

Some anti-itch drugstore medicines to use include Calamine lotion or cortisone creams. Doctors generally recommend pain relievers, ice packs and meat tenderizer to treat insect bites and stings. Promptly applying a dab of commercial meat tenderizer directly to a sting can neutralize the allergen.