The DIY Farmer

What Homemade Insect Spray Work?

Homemade Insect Spray

Homemade Insect Spray

Let’s be honest, no one wants any sort of insect in their home. However, most people aren’t fond of chemicals being sprayed in their home either. Chemical insect sprays are easy to find and purchase but, you do not know what you are spreading around your home. There are a number of homemade insect sprays that you should consider if you want a natural method of getting rid of insects.

Using Essential Oils

When making insect spray there are certain essential oils that you should look at. Essential oils are high-effective in insect sprays and they are natural. Of course, you will need to consider allergic reactions and that certain essential oils could exacerbate some illnesses.

Citronella, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Clove, Lavender, Mint and Eucalyptus are the essential oils most common for making insect sprays. Their strongest scents acts as a deterrent for insects. Because of this they are less likely to enter your home or land on your clothing. When mixing these essential oils it is very important to use distilled water. You can also used boiled water and it is often recommended that you you add Witch Hazel, although it isn’t necessarily required.  

Using Herbs

It is also possible to use fresh or dried herbs to make natural insect sprays. The herbs commonly used will be similar to the essential oils as they need to have a strong fragrance that deters insects. If you look up  the most commonly used herbs for insect sprays you will see that citronella, peppermint, spearmint, and lavender are used. It is pertinent that you are aware of any allergies to these herbs or how they may effect any medicine you take.

To create the insect spray you will need to have boiling water that you add the herbs to. You should then allow the water to cool with the herbs still in it. Once the mixed is cool you will need to strain out the herbs and store in a spray bottle. To increase the storage length you might want to combine rubbing alcohol or natural witch hazel to the mixture.

Using Vinegar

If you are looking for a very effective insect spray then you should look at using vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is recommended but, it is important to note that insect spray made with this will have a very strong smell. One of the benefits of this spray is that you are likely to have all the ingredients in your kitchen before you start.

You will need to combine the apple cider vinegar with herbs such as sage, rosemary or mint. The combination should be shaken each day but left for 2 to 3 weeks. After the resting period, you need to strain out the herbs and transfer the mixture to a spray bottle. If you want to use this spray on the skin as a repellent you will need to dilute it with water first.

Spraying The Homemade Insect Spray

Many homemade sprays can be applied directly to the skin to keep mosquitoes and ticks away. If you are going to be using the sprays to keep insects from your home you need to look at the most likely entryways. This will include doors and windows. You will then need to spray these entryways to repel the insects.

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Finn Anderson

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