Learn how to make an all-natural bug and tick repellant with this simple recipe using essential oils.  Safe for all ages, budget-friendly, and works!

Summer is in the air and I couldn’t be more excited! Winter was way too long for me this year! I love everything about summer; swimming, barbecuing, boating, floating, camping, the beach….everything except for the bugs!

That is one thing I seem to forget about every single year. It’s all fun except for the bugs!

We practically live outside in the summer, so using a bug spray is a must. I am leery of the ingredients found in conventional bug spray, so I went to my essential oil collection to whip up an all-natural bug spray. It works and I feel good putting it on my skin.

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NATURAL TICK REPELLENT

I often get asked what I do about ticks, especially when I am sharing photos and videos of my kids in the woods. Ticks can carry diseases that can transfer to humans when they bite you.

I understand the danger of them and we do the best we can. Keeping my kids inside or out of the woods is nearly impossible and I do love that they love to explore. Cedarwood essential oil works wonders for ticks. Have you ever noticed ticks are less prevalent in woods with cedar trees? They don’t like the scent.

This is why you will find cedarwood essential oil in this natural bug spray. If ticks are a problem in your area, you can even add extra cedarwood, I usually do.

During the warmer months, I will soak my dogs’ collars in a mixture of water and cedarwood every few weeks to keep the ticks off them too. I share more natural remedies using essential oils for animals here.

It is important to get ticks off after they bite to reduce the chances of certain diseases. Checking the kids for ticks becomes part of the bedtime routine during tick season.

DIY MOSQUITO REPELLENT

Other than ticks, I think mosquitos are the most annoying part of summer. Are you one of those people that get bite up worse than anyone else? Have you ever noticed that? You are not crazy, mosquitos and ticks prefer certain blood types.

Mosquitos really hate the scent of eucalyptus, peppermint, and lemongrass. Adding those essential oils to your natural bug repellent will help with those pesky mosquitos.

IF you do get mosquito bites, you can use this roller bottle for itch relief or this anti-itch bug balm.

HOMEMADE INSECT REPELLENT

All you need for this DIY insect repellent is essential oils and witch hazel.

Making your own insect repellent is easy and I am happy to say it works just as well as store-bought. We tested this when we had an issue with gnats and chickens.

One summer we had gnats REALLY bad. Like so bad it took out half our flocks of chickens. If you didn’t know, gnats like to work their way up chickens noses and it literally suffocates them. It is so horrible and gross. We learned this lesson the hard way when we came home to a run full of dead hens.

I quickly made this bug spray. We even bought bug spray on amazon specifically for gnats. We used the spray from amazon one time to find out it didn’t work near as well as the homemade kind with oils. Now we use it daily during “gnat season,” is that a thing?

BUG SPRAY WITH WITCH HAZEL

Witch hazel can be made with or without an alcohol-based astringent that is commonly used in homemade repellents. I prefer to use an alcohol-free kind to keep it from drying out my skin. If you plan to use this on surfaces or clothing, then either kind will work just fine.

I am using a mixture of witch hazel and vinegar in my bug spray. Vinegar works well at deterring a lot of different bugs, including ants and spiders. However, fruit flies can be attracted to the vinegar and people often add a little to a bowl in the kitchen and they will fly into it and drown.

If fruit flies are an issue, you can make this spray with just witch hazel. So far, I have noticed it to work best with the witch hazel and vinegar mixture.

HOW TO MAKE ALL-NATURAL BUG AND TICK SPRAY

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INGREDIENTS

• Witch Hazel (I use this kind.)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (I use this kind.)
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• Tea Tree essential oil
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour 1/4 cup of witch hazel in your spray bottle.
2. Add 8 drops of each essential oil.
3. Top off with apple cider vinegar.
4. Shake and it’s ready for use!

HOW TO USE YOUR NATURAL BUG SPRAY?

It is best to use before the bugs start biting. I leave mine right by the door so I can spray it on the kids and myself before we go outside. Spray it on any exposed skin (avoiding the face), and on clothing. I use my bug repellent lotion bars for the face and neck.

It is best to reapply every couple of hours while outside.  The ingredients are natural and safe for children, but if you feel more comfortable, you can just spray it on children’s clothing. I personally have 4 little ones and I use this on all of them.

If you have children under age 3, you can dilute it further by cutting the amount of oils in half.

PIN IT FOR LATER

Bug and Tick Spray

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Materials

• 1/4 cup witch hazel
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Cedarwood essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• Tea Tree essential oil
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil

Instructions

1. Pour 1/4 cup of witch hazel in your spray bottle.
2. Add 8 drops of each essential oil.
3. Top off with apple cider vinegar.
4. Shake and it's ready for use!