No-Squito: Homemade Bug Spray

suwanneerose garden

Summer sunsets are always the prettiest, especially when we’ve had some rain and the remaining clouds add purple streaks to the coral sky. It should be relaxing, watching the sun go down, but it’s usually Bzzt. Zap! Swat! the whole time.

Mosquitos are the deadliest animals in the world. The disease-transmitting blood suckers kill 725,000 people a year (for reference, sharks kill about 10). Then there are the biting midges, aka no-see-ums. They’re so tiny they pass through window screens. Not as dangerous as mosquitos, but really annoying. 

It’s only the female mosquitos and no-see-ums that bite us, and it’s their saliva that causes the irritation. That’s right, they bite you and then they spit on you, literally adding insult to injury.  

So how do we deal, short of staying inside all summer?  For big adventures, mosquito-repellent clothing and Buffs are the way to go. For short walks and sunsets, I’ve been using a homemade spray that works well for mosquitos and no-see-ums thanks to cedar wood oil, an essential oil sailors around the coast of Florida and the Bahamas swear by. bugsprayNo toxic ingredients and it smells better than commercial sprays. Here’s the recipe so you can make some, too. 

I can’t decide on a name.  If you’ve got any suggestions, comment below.  I’ll send a bottle of bug spray to the winner. 

***update 6/29/16:  And the winner is…. No-Squito!  Thanks so much, Claire!

Homemade Bug Spray
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Essential Oils
  1. citronella
  2. geranium
  3. cedarwood
  4. lemongrass
  5. peppermint
  6. tea tree
  7. neem
  8. lemon eucalyptus*
  9. 2 tablespoons jojoba oil
  10. 3 ounces witch hazel
Instructions
  1. Combine 20 drops of each of the essential oils and the jojoba oil in a spray bottle and top it off with witch hazel. Shake well before each use.
Notes
  1. ***update 6/26/16*** I've been adding lemon eucalyptus oil to my latest batches.
Suwannee Rose https://suwanneerose.com/
Check out Specialty Bottle for spray bottles. 

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24 Comments No-Squito: Homemade Bug Spray

  1. Toby June 11, 2016 at 11:02 am

    Pine Island Perfume

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Haha.

  2. Jennifer LEAF June 11, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    Danielle’s Bug OFF

    (for bugs not the other kind of pests)

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Yes, I need to work on something for the other kind of pests as well. 🙂

  3. Lindsey F June 11, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    Bugs be Gone.

    Buzz off Bugs

    ZAP, and just like that, the bugs are gone!!!!!

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:43 am

      I like that! Zap!

  4. Lindsey F June 11, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    Bugs be Gone.

    Buzz off Bugs

  5. Lindsey F June 11, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    Bye Bye Bugs!

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:37 am

      Very cute, Lindsey! I know you hate bugs.

      1. Lindsey F June 14, 2016 at 6:13 pm

        Very true. As you know

        1. suwanneerose June 16, 2016 at 11:54 am

          I was just thinking of how much you hate them when we were at Egmont Key last weekend! Remember when you were attacked by mosquitos on the back of the golf cart? Boy, you were not happy. I wish I had some of this spray with us then!

  6. John June 11, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Davis island all natural bug barrier

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:38 am

      That one sounds legit!

  7. Lindsey F June 11, 2016 at 4:33 pm

    1. Buzz Off Bugs
    2. Peace out bugs!
    3. Bye bye Bug

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:37 am

      More great ones, Lindsey! Thank you!!!

  8. Sue June 14, 2016 at 10:30 am

    Essentially Invisible Spray

    1. suwanneerose June 14, 2016 at 10:38 am

      That one’s really good.

  9. bt June 15, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    Suwannee’s swarm stopper
    liquid mosquito net

    1. suwanneerose June 16, 2016 at 11:53 am

      Love them! Thanks, bt!

  10. Claire June 17, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    “No-squito” Claire came up with this for you

    1. suwanneerose June 17, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      That’s a really good one, Claire! Thank you!

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