In Alaska, mosquitoes don’t just come out at night. They hang out ALL. DAY. LONG. This makes camping a pain, as in some areas the mosquitoes are thick. I have tested this repellent, and it works! I noticed that after about 2 hours reapplication was needed.
I even sprayed some on the back of my dog, since the mosquitoes were eating him up too. (Never spray near their eyes!) After spraying on his back, I watched the mosquitoes hover around him but they didn’t land on him. Pretty cool!
Although in Alaska our biggest concern is mosquitoes, this would also work well as a tick repellent.
The best part about this homemade recipe is that it is natural and doesn’t contain potentially dangerous chemicals.
Ingredients:
4-oz. dark glass spray bottle
20 drops Citronella essential oil
10 drops Sandalwood essential oil
10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
5 drops Peppermint essential oilAdd the essential oils to your spray bottle, then fill with room temperature water.
Shake well before each use.
Store in a dark place at a comfortable temperature. (Between 50-80 degrees)
Feel free to alter your recipe if the strength isn’t quite what you need, but this is a good starting point.
During a 3-day camping trip with three of us, we used almost an entire 4-oz. bottle.
