Days at the lake, bonfires, camping trips, hiking—you and your kids aren’t the only ones excited for summer. Those fun outdoor moments can be ruined by a few hundred small—but seriously annoying—uninvited guests. That’s right, we’re talking about mosquitoes. No matter how well you pack your picnic or how refreshing that cool lake water looks, tiny blood suckers will always ruin your fun. No one wants to spend the whole day swatting and itching, but store-bought mosquito sprays aren’t for everyone. They’re made with potentially harmful chemicals that a holistic-minded mama like yourself would rather avoid.
These DIY mosquito sprays are great for families interested in living a more natural and less chemical-dependent lifestyle. There’s no DEET or any other chemicals that could potentially harm your children or the environment. With these recipes, you know exactly what you’re spraying, and you can make your DIY spray as potent as you want. As an added benefit, DIY mosquito repellent is usually cheaper than the stuff you buy in the store.
Here are our favorite DIY mosquito repellent recipes for you to try out.
Essential Oil Mosquito Spray
This easy-to-mix mosquito spray comes to us from the holistic harbingers over at Wellness Mama. If you’re already a fan of essential oils, you probably have these ingredients somewhere in your house. Even if you don’t, essential oils are a relatively inexpensive investment once you realize how many uses they really have. This particular recipe is especially potent, and it should give you and your family a nice respite from misquotes no matter where you are. Because it’s so powerful, however, Wellness Mama recommends spraying the mix on your clothes and other gear instead of putting it directly on your skin–especially for little children.
This DIY mosquito spray recipe uses several essential oils known for their pest control properties. Citronella, clove, rosemary, lavender—they’re all accounted for. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients:
- 30 drops geranium essential oil
- 30 drops citronella essential oil
- 20 drops lemon eucalyptus essential oil
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops rosemary essential oil
- 1 TBSP vodka or rubbing alcohol
- ½ cup natural witch hazel
- ½ cup water (or vinegar)
- 1 tsp vegetable glycerin (optional)
Instructions
- Place essential oils in a glass spray bottle. Add vodka or alcohol and shake well to combine.
- Pour in witch hazel and shake to combine.
- Add ½ tsp vegetable glycerin if using. This is not necessary but helps everything stay combined.
- Add water and shake again. Shake before each use as the oils and water will naturally separate over time.
Lavender and Vanilla Mosquito Repellent
Lavender is one of the strongest natural allies you have in your fight against mosquitoes. It’s perfect for repelling bugs, because while people love the smell, tiny bloodsuckers hate it. Lavender has been used to repel mosquitoes long before store-bought bug sprays even existed. Simply planting lavender in your yard will help keep bugs away from your house, and you can also use it to make a seriously effective DIY mosquito repellent. This recipe from Wide Open Eats uses lavender, vanilla, and lemon for a spray you can apply to your skin and clothes.
Ingredients:
- 15 drops lavender essential oil
- 3-4 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp. lemon juice
- Distilled water
Instructions:
- Combine lavender, vanilla, and lemon in a small spray bottle.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.
- Shake before spraying.
Coconut Oil Balm
There’s more to repelling mosquitoes than spray. If you’re not into spritzing your skin, or if you have a Costco-sized tub of coconut oil and nothing to do with it, you can try out this anti-mosquito balm. It has the added bonus of making a great moisturizer, and rubbing a finger-full onto your skin will give you a force field no blood-sucking insect will want to cross. Better Homes & Gardens has the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 5 drops peppermint oil
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions:
- Add the ingredients to a jar and stir together until smooth.
- When the mixture is the consistency of a hand or lip salve, you’re done. Apply the balm directly to your skin to deter mosquitoes.
Tea Tree Mosquito Repellent
For our last DIY mosquito repellent, we’re going back to essential oils. Tea tree and geranium are two essential oils that are tough on pests. They smell great to us, but they keep bugs, especially the biting kind, at bay. This recipe from Scratch Mommy also has another ingredient on the list. Vegetable glycerin is often used to bind essential oils to whatever you spray them on. This recipe isn’t as involved as the first essential oil spray on this list, and it’ll take you only seconds to mix up. Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients:
- 30 drops tea tree essential oil
- 10 drops geranium essential oil
- 1 T vegetable glycerin
- Distilled water
Instructions:
- Combine the two essential oils and the vegetable glycerin in a small glass bottle.
- Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.
- Shake well and apply directly to skin as needed.
These DIY mosquito repellents are great for long summer nights and warm summer days. Why not try them all and let us know which one you like best?
Patty Parker lives in Texas with her husband, Marshall, and three active children ages 2, 4 and 6. She loves dark chocolate, Micron pens, and journals. Patty loves sharing “me too” stories of her adventures in motherhood and works diligently to remove the isolation moms often feel on their parenting journey. She believes moms are stronger together and advocates for a supportive community of mothers. You can read more on her blog: 
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