DIY 'Green' Repellents

OPEN BUG SEASON

Summer's here! Yay! ... Sadly so are mozzies and blackflies! Boo!

Don't want to coat yourself with DEET? 

Here are a few alternate solutions for you and your family.

             

Homemade Mosquito Repellents

With spring comes the promise of sunny days ahead, and cozy evenings around the fire making S'mores. It's when we tuck away the winter coats, boots, and mitts in exchange for lighter jackets, little dresses, and large sunhats. Not only is it time to dig out the full-strength sunscreen, but also the bug hats, bug nets, and all the bug paraphernalia you own in preparation for the flesh-slapping pest season ahead.

Yes, it's mosquito season again, and time to douse ourselves from head to toe in that scary bug spray to try to to ward off these unwelcome little guests.

While the war against mosquitoes can be fought by soaking in a vat of variety of oily, smelly, stinging, and dangerous commercial repellents available everywhere, some people prefer a more 'natural' line of attack against these pesky little blood-suckers. While they don't always work for everyone, some have experienced raging success with some home-grown blends.

Getting to know you

Meet the Mosquito

Responsible for more human deaths than any other creature on earth, over 4 million fatalities occur worldwide each year due to mosquito-borne viruses.

Water (particularly stagnant water) is needed for mosquitoes to complete their life cycle, which takes about 7 to 10 days.

Only the female bites to draw blood needing the source of protein in order to produce healthy offspring, while the male feeds on plant juices (nectar and other sugar sources).

The female can live more than 3 weeks in summer, and even many months through winter in order to lay her eggs in spring.

When biting, the female mosquito injects saliva which contains an anticoagulant to thin the blood, allowing her to suck up blood in a shorter period of time. This saliva is what most humans and animals are allergic to, causing the area to itch and swell to various degrees.

Mosquitoes prefer dark colours (especially black and blue), so wear loose, light-coloured (especially white and tan) clothing with long sleeves/legs to lessen the attack when working outdoors. Keep in mind that mozzies can still bite through thin, tight fabric.

A few mosquito transmitted diseases include Malaria, yellow fever, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, dog or cat heartworm, Dengue fever, and Filariasis.

Ancient Family Recipe

Eat Me

Garlic: Apparently vampires aren't the only creatures who dislike garlic since it's one of the top anti-mozzy tips. Eating lots of it regularly won't only make your friends keep their distance, but mosquitoes too. If ingesting copious amounts of it doesn't appeal to you, then mixing one part minced garlic with five parts water, then adding a little lemon juice and a touch of mineral oil all together in a spray bottle is a good solution. Shake it well, squirt yourself liberally and regularly and it should do the trick.

Mystical Magical Concoctions

Spray me

Notes:

Always do a skin test before trying out anything new in case of allergic reactions or skin irritations.

Keep in mind that some stronger oils may discolour fabric.

When spraying, don't forget your ankles, and underneath thin sock, which is a favourite chewing spot for mozzies and chiggers.

Keep out of eyes, mouth, open cuts, and sores.

Not recommended for children under 3.

Oils: There are many essential oils available to keep bugs at bay. The best ones to try include: lemon balm; thyme; citronella; peppermint and tea tree oil. Choose a scent that you enjoy or make up your own concoction combining with Witch Hazel or Vodka (for that distilled feeling).

side note: not to be taken internally unless the Vodka is mixed with cranberry juice and a little lime

• Witchy Lemon Eucalyptus: Mix 1 to 5 parts of lemon eucalyptus oil with every 10 parts of Witch Hazel in a spray bottle depending on your sensitivity. Shake well, and spray onto skin.
• Gotta pulse?: Some people have a magical connection with eucalyptus and find that they simply need to dab a bit of the oil onto their pulse areas before going outside. Vanilla is another enchanting smell that mosquitoes apparently abhor when applied to the pulse points.
• Bite back with Catnip: Rinse 2 cups fresh catnip, taking care to remove stems. Place the catnip inside a small cheesecloth bag and tie it shut before crushing gently with a rolling pin. Place the bag inside a jar large enough to accommodate the bag along with 4 cups of rice vinegar, then seal lid tightly. Give it a shake and store in a cool, dry place for 2 weeks, shaking at least once a day. After a few weeks remove the bag of catnip, although if it's broken or too much catnip has escaped then strain through cheesecloth. Add one tsp of essential oil (pick your fave), and place the concoction in a spray bottle, mixing well. Spray onto skin, or in the air around you, shaking well between each use. The mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
• Listerine: Having thymol, eucalyptol and menthol in its list of ingredients makes Listerine another around-the-house favourite to place inside a spray bottle and mist yourselves, your pets, or air around  with. There is an ongoing debate on whether or not Listerine actually works as a repellent, but at least you won't have to worry about garlic breath. 

Tiny Bubbles

Rub me 

Good ol' fashioned Soap film: Some swear that if you leave a thin layer of soap just before exiting your morning shower (especially on the main biting areas such as the arms, legs, neck) it works as a protective 'film' like an armour that it will impedes their ability or desire to bite through. Mosquitoes aren't fond of soap, so even blowing soap bubbles around the campfire is supposed to deter them, but at the very least it's fun and may distract you from the winged-cloud forming overhead.

Yard: So long as you don't live on a property the size of a shopping mall, one way to deter mosquitoes and most other biting insects from invading your yard while also inhibiting plant bacteria is to spray it with a bit of soap. Using a hose sprayer attachment, filling it with cheap dish soap and 1tbsp of glycerine for every 2 cups, use a light setting to spray down across the entire yard area you want to cover.

Green Superheroes

Grow me

Plants: There are a few great plants that can be grown around the common areas of your yard in order to minimize the number of mosquitoes that dare to venture in your circle of protection. Many are quite attractive, so no one would suspect that they're put there as natural and inexpensive defences. You can always tuck a little Lavender sprig in your hair or behind your ear, or boil up a cup of fresh Rosemary repellent tea to then rub or spray it onto your skin or clothing adding a lovely fragrance to your day. If your yard can't accommodate in-ground plants, then find a funky container that screams 'YOU' and plant a few favourites in it. Placing them on (or under) the picnic table and around the barbeque will help repel unwanted  biters while enhancing the atmosphere.

The best mosquito nemesis plants to cultivate are: Lavender; Rosemary; Horsemint; Marigold; Lemongrass; Sweet Woodruff; Thyme; Catnip; Mint; Artemisia; Feverfew; Tansy.

You'll need to read the instruction for each plant before purchasing to ensure they are suited to your particular growing conditions and needs.

How to help lessen the number in and around your home

Make sure doors and windows are equipped with tight fitting screens, and check for holes regularly.

Mozzies need inactive water, so remove as much stagnant water as possible. Common sources that can be addressed are:

• Neglected, forgotten, out-of-order, or broken water fountains, pools, hot tubs and ponds
• Gutters - clogged or leaf-filled
• Containers around the yard such as barrels, troths, cans, buckets, jars, pots
• Old tires
• Any container or vessel that can hold the same water for several days
• Freshen up pet water bowl and troth regularly
• Fix leaking faucets, hoses, sprinklers
• Clear away leaf, vegetation, and debris piles that can hold water and moisture

Fab Advice & Suggestions generously donated by readers

Thanks for the extra tips!

Einar_A wrote: Good information here. I gave up using all the nasty chemical repellents years ago, and it's good to see additional ideas to try. One that works pretty well for me, if I'm out hiking where it grows, is to take a handful of yarrow leaves, crush them up and rub them on arms, neck, etc. This effectively keeps mosquitoes and black flies from landing for half an hour or so, after which I have to apply it again. I'll also stick some yarrow leaves behind my ears or under the brim of my hat sometimes, to keep them away from my face. Great article!

Quester wrote: It is a great article - I use a lot of 'raw' rosemary. If you get a headache, rub some at the back of your neck and tuck a piece behind a ear. Works 99% of the time! I have book marked this page to keep for 'bug' knowledge - thanks so much.

Gala98 wrote: someone once told me to take vitamin B12 supplements for 3-4 weeks before going on vacation - I had to try it as I'm the kind of person that gets bitten in the middle of winter! It worked pretty well for me - my record was 60 bites in one night - with B12 supplement, only 2-3 per night :)