Insect repellant: Mix some coconut oil with either peppermint, tea tree, or rosemary essential oils, and apply to your skin to help ward off mosquitoes and other summer insects!
Simply add 1 teaspoon of the lemon eucalyptus essential oil and ¼ cup of coconut oil to a spray bottle. Put the cap on the bottle and shake it up to mix. There you go - all-natural homemade mosquito repellent!
These coconut fatty acids are active against a broad array of blood-sucking arthropods including biting flies, ticks, bed bugs and mosquitoes.
The team of researchers found that coconut oil compounds can repel biting flies and bed bugs for two weeks, while against ticks their repellence was effective for at least one week. Topical application of high concentration of coconut oil can also repel mosquitoes and prevent potentially fatal mosquito bites.
Those most closely associated with repellency are citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, and catnip oil, but others include clove oil, patchouli, peppermint, and geranium.
A study published in the iScience journal Wednesday explored how different soaps repel mosquitoes, concluding that coconut could be the magic scent that keeps the pesky insects away.
“Coconut oil derivatives are strongly repellent to mosquitoes,” says senior study author Clément Vinauger, PhD, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg.
Don't have peppermint essential oil on hand? Mix 1 cup coconut oil with 2 cups water in your spray bottle instead. You can also dip cotton balls in either solution and place them in strategic places inside and outside your home. Not only do spiders hate both peppermint and coconut, your home will smell great!
“It confirms what past studies have found, that mosquitoes don't like coconut-scented products, so our safest bet right now is to use those,” Vinauger said.
Make an All-Purpose Insect Repellent
Lemongrass or citronella oil, and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. 1 cup isopropyl alcohol, 1 cup water, ½ tsp. catnip oil. 1 cup alcohol or witch hazel and 10-20 drops of essential oils such as lemongrass, peppermint, or lemon eucalyptus.
One of the easiest homemade bug sprays, simply mix one cup of white vinegar with three cups of water. You can also add half a teaspoon of dishwashing soap to help the solution adhere. Shake thoroughly and apply to the affected areas.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of lavender, citronella, clove, peppermint, basil, cedarwood, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass and rosemary. They also hate smells such as smoke, for further insight, see our exploration on, does smoke keep mosquitoes away?
Citronella oil is one of the top essential oils to use against mosquitoes. Popularly used as an insect repellent, citronella oil is derived from the citronella plant, and can be found in candles, or can be incorporated into a bug repellent lotion.
Clove, peppermint, thyme, rosemary, and citronella oil are just a few essential oils that can help keep bugs away.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that coconut oil compounds repulse bugs. According to the publication, coconut oil fatty acids have long-lasting repellency effects on ticks, biting flies, mosquitoes, and bed bugs.
The mosquitoes were most attracted to airborne carboxylic acids, including butyric acid, a compound present in “stinky” cheeses such as Limburger. These carboxylic acids are produced by bacteria on human skin and tend not to be noticeable to us.
Peppermint Essential Oil
While most people enjoy the smell of peppermint and find it refreshing, most bugs hate it. You can apply peppermint to the skin (diluted in a carrier oil) to keep away pests or you can mix with water and spray in and around your home.
Citronella oil
It is one of the most commonly used and effective repellents against mosquitos. Citronella contains compounds like citronellol, geraniol, citral, and limonene that keep mosquitos away. When mixed with alcohol, the efficiency of citronella oil increases and makes a potent repellent.
Many natural scents that are appealing to humans actually repel mosquitoes, including lavender, peppermint, basil, and eucalyptus. Many of these scents can be worn as an essential oil on your skin to help keep these pesky pests from biting you.
Lemongrass, citrus, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree, citronella, catnip, and lavender oils all possess properties that repel bugs. The oils can be used individually or combined to make a simple anti-bug potion. Mix about 1 cup of water with 25-30 total drops of oil into a small spray bottle.
Vinegar is one of the best ingredients to make a pest control spray out of. It is effective in repelling ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and many others. Creating a mix is quite simple. What's best is that it is safe for humans and pets.