DIY Insect Repellents

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

Sometimes in life, you don't have good, happy options.  You have to pick your poison, so to speak.  If you're stranded in the middle of nowhere on a hot day, are you going to die of dehydration, or are you going to drink water from that plastic bottle that's been sitting in the back of your car all summer?  Yeah, those leached plastics aren't any good for you, but neither is dehydration.

If I'm faced with our normal mosquito threat, which is pretty minimal considering that we live in a desert several miles from any water, I'm just going to use some homemade repellents.  However, if I've got any concerns about Zika or yellow fever mosquitoes, I'm using DEET, permethrin, and home made stuff.  Covering all the bases.

The recipes for homemade insect repellents are going to cover all the bases as well today.  Recipes abound online; I've chosen those most practical for preppers.  The herbal options are likely to be more sustainable in the long-term.  The fresh herbs option can be made and ready to use within an hour, if necessary.  The essential oils option will work well until the essential oils run out and can't be replaced easily.

Bear in mind that while the DIY options can work every bit as well as commercial repellents, they do not last as long.  Homemade sprays will need to be reapplied frequently, perhaps even hourly.  Yes, that's a huge drawback, but it's a price to be paid for something sustainable and safe.

Fresh Herbs Insect Repellent

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons peppermint or spearmint, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons catnip (the best choice), lavender, and/or citronella, finely chopped
• 1 cup rubbing alcohol

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat, add herbs, cover, and cool completely.  Strain to remove the herbs.  Add rubbing alcohol to the infused water.  Pour into a spray bottle and store in the refrigerator.  Use as needed.  

Dried Herbs Insect Repellent

• 1 tablespoon catnip
• 1 tablespoon peppermint or spearmint
• 1 tablespoon lavender
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water

Put herbs in a one pint canning jar.  Add vinegar, place lid on jar, and shake well to combine.  Store in a cool, dark place for three weeks, and shake daily.  Strain out and discard the herbs.  Pour remaining liquid into a spray bottle and add water.  Store in the refrigerator and use as needed. 

Essential Oils Insect Repellent

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
• 50 drops total of at least three of the following essential oils:
• catnip
• citronella
• clove
• eucalyptus
• lavender
• lemongrass
• peppermint
• spearmint

Combine all ingredients in a small spray bottle.  Use as needed.

The same herbs and oils listed above can also be used to make insect repellent lotion bars.  Let the herbs infuse in 1/2 cup of olive oil in a dark place for a month.  Strain to remove the herbs.  In a double boiler melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of beeswax.  Stir in the infused olive oil and pour into molds.  When hardened, remove from molds and use as lotion.

Links to related posts:
Catnip
Lavender
Peppermint
Spearmint
Permethrin
Yellow Fever 

For further reading:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736918/  (lavender mentioned in research)
https://wellnessmama.com/5170/bug-repellent-lotion-bars/  insect repellent bars
https://www.diynatural.com/homemade-insect-mosquito-repellent/
https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/prevention/index.html
https://www.enjoynaturalhealth.com/homemade-mosquito-repellents/
https://draxe.com/homemade-bug-spray/
https://www.livingonadime.com/homemade-bug-repellent-recipes/

 5 august 2019