http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/mosquito-repellent.html
If you’re like me… you loathe mosquitoes. They’re pesky, buzzing, blood sucking summer burdens! I’m also unfortunately apart of the “delicious” population that mosquitoes tend to target most! Some of my friends don’t get bitten at all, while I struggle to keep my bite count for the night under 10!
Everybody, regardless of gender, age and race, releases 4 chemicals, one of which is called nonanal. This chemical (along with carbon dioxide) is what attracts the mosquito to you most. The reason some people get bit more than others is because everyone releases a different amount of nonanal.
Somehow, throughout all the years of being a tasty mosquito victim, I never found a bug spray that I truly trusted, until now!
Why would you waste all that money on store bought, brand name bug repellent when you can make a more effective, cost efficient version from home?
If you’re in the same boat as me, you really should try this homemade mosquito repellent, it allowed me to enjoy those beautiful summer evenings, and forget all about those irritating little beasts!
What you’ll need …
• 100 grams of fresh garlic clove• 100 ml of baby oil
• ½ litre of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
Place the garlic in a bowl with the alcohol and let sit for 4 days. You’ll get even better results if you remember to stir the mixture twice a day. At the end of the 4 days, add the baby oil and… voilá, homemade, bug repellent!
I put my repellent in an old twist top bottle so I could use it at a later date as well. The repellent is gentle enough to put on your skin but you only need a couple of drops in each of the popular biting area.
I find putting a couple drops on my wrists, ankles, back of the neck, and back of the knees keeps most of the mosquitoes away. However, you may get bitten in different areas than me so apply it where you think it’s necessary!
A major bonus about this particular repellent is that it also repels fleas! So if your dog is dealing with a bad flea problem, you can share it with your furry friend!
An important reminder: Be safe with this repellent. Like many other bug sprays, it contains harsh ingredients so you should not ingest it or put it anywhere near your eyes! I would recommend keeping it out of reach from your young children, and supervise them when they apply it. At the same time, it is significantly healthier than many of the store-bought repellents that you can find mass-distributed in your local grocery stores.
For those of you that prefer not to use baby oil or alcohol try this recipe:
- Choose one of the following essential oils: Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
- Natural Witch Hazel
- Distilled or boiled Water
- Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
- Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
- Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be.
Although mosquitoes are often thought of as a mere annoyance, they do carry extremely harmful diseases. The more bites you get, the more likely you are to contract diseases such as West Nile or Malaria. Finding a bug spray that works for you is important for your health and convenience.
Other than that, get back to the important things and have a wonderful, bug free evening outside!!
Sources:
http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/05/what_attracts_mosquitoes_to_ce.htmlhttp://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/12/16/identifying-the-natural-chemical-that-attracts-mosquitoes-and-disease
http://www.insidescience.org/content/smelling-way-better-mosquito-management/744
