Not only are mosquitoes the deadliest disease delivery system on earth, but they are also everywhere. While your Little Guy Teardrop Trailer will protect you from any insects that try to attack you at night, you need to protect yourself from the little buggers during the day. Wearing long sleeves and pants on a hot summer day isn’t going to happen. Most brand name bug repellents contain DEET, which causes adverse reactions for some people and pollutes our fresh waterways. Before you resort to brandishing a citronella tiki torch wherever you go try this home bug spray remedy. It repels bugs and smells good too.
4 teaspoons whole cloves
4 teaspoons scented pelargonium ‘citronella’ leaves (about 15 leaves), washed and chopped
10 lemongrass sticks, washed and chopped
1 2/3 cups sunflower oil, to cover
*Citronella leaves can be hard to find, you can substitute them with lemongrass leaves..
Combine the cloves, pelargonium and lemongrass in a food processor or blender. Add the sunflower oil, then let it whizz until pulped.
Transfer the pulp into a heatproof glass bowl and cover. Fill a pan with water and set to boil, turn the heat to low, put the bowl over the pan, making sure there are no gaps around the bowl, leave for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate.
Let cool to room temperature, then strain the oil through muslin cloth to remove all the chunky bits of fibrous material. Store in a pump spray bottle (these can be found at your local dollar store).
Important: Before using your bug repellant test it on a small area of skin to make sure you’re not allergic. This bug repellant is for external use only, it is not safe for consumption. Avoid contact with mouth and eyes. If it does come in contact, rinse the area thoroughly with water immediately and contact your physician.
Shake the bottle and spray the citrus and spice-scented oil liberally up to four times a day on your person, taking care to cover all exposed areas such as ankles and wrists. Don’t forget to reapply after bath and before bed!
If you have a home remedy or burg repellent recipe that you like, share in the comments below.