Frugal Tips: Bugs Be Gone!

I love Vermont in the spring and summer it is just so beautiful. I spend as much time outside as I can working in the garden and just enjoying the outdoors. However one thing I do not like are the bugs! Each year I make my own bug repellent using witch hazel and several essential oils. This recipe actually works quite well and I love the way it smells. If I am outside for an extended period of time I find I have to reapply the repellent.

Recently I featured a post that was shared on the HomeAcre Hop written by Tewauna of For His Glory Homestead. She shared her own recipe for a 3-ingredient bug spray that works for ticks and mosquitos. I figured it was well worth trying! Her recipe was very similar to the one I use with the exception of the essential oil she used. She used a blend called Plague Rescue (clove, lemon, eucalyptus, cinnamon and rosemary). Apparently the cinnamon will help with the mosquitos and the eucalyptus will help with the ticks. Clove and rosemary are supposed to be good at repelling insects.

Here is the recipe

Tewauna’s 3 Ingredient Bug Spray

4oz water
4oz witch hazel
20-30 drops of Plague Rescue

The plague rescue essential oil comes from a friend of Tewauna’s who bottles oils straight from the distiller. If you want her contact information just leave a comment with your email and I will get back to you.

I am quite pleased with the results and like my original bug repellent it has a wonderful smell. Much better for me than some commercial spray!

What do you use to keep the bugs away?

Linked To: TuesdaysWithATwist, PennyPinchingParty, WhimsyWednesday FabulouslyFrugalThrusday, ThinkTankThursday, DIY LINKY, FromTheFarm