Natural Mosquito Repellents – Recommendations & Recipes
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Mosquitoes can ruin time outside and transmit disease. In this article, we’ll discuss the best natural mosquito repellents, including recipes you can make at home.
It’s frustrating to make my yard a place to relax, only to be attacked by blood sucking mosquitoes when I go outside! I swear I emit a homing device to mosquitoes as soon as I walk out of my house. My husband on the other hand, can stand by a swamp all day and never get bit!
We choose natural mosquito repellents and plants that repel mosquitoes because DEET has been linked to nerve damage.
Table of contents
What’s the Best Natural Mosquito Repellent?
Repel Natural Insect Repellent is the top rated DEET free mosquito repellent by Consumer Reports. Repel uses oil of lemon eucalyptus as the active ingredient. Earthley’s Pest Aside repellent stick uses neem, citronella, and patchouli to create a salve that’s applied from a convenient tube. You can also make your own repellent. (See below.)
Rutgers University has developed specialized catnip that increases yield to make it more cost effective to produce.
James Simon, professor at Rutgers, notes that “Research conducted by others shows that the oil from the catnip plant is as efficient if not better than DEET, the most common pesticide in standard mosquito repellent.” We always like to include catnip in our herbal mosquito repellent blends.
In a 1995 field study, a 2% neem oil mixed in coconut oil provided 96-100% protection from mosquitoes.
Natural Mosquito Repellents – 2 Recipes
I am giving you two recipes natural mosquito repellents. Recipe number one includes fresh herbs (my personal choice) and number two uses essential oils. I believe it is best to use the entire herb/flower whenever possible.
See “Mosquito Repellent Plants (and How to Use Them)” for full list of repellent plants. You can include as many mosquito repelling plants as you like to create your own mosquito spray and it will work just fine.
I realize not everyone has a plethora of herbs growing in their garden. Recipe #2 uses essential oils for those who have limited access to herbs.
Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe #1
You will need:
- Empty, Clean Glass Jar w/Lid
- Rubbing Alcohol, Vodka or Witch Hazel
- Herbs: Mint, Eucalyptus, Lemon Balm and or Lemon Grass, Rosemary, Lavender, and Catnip
Directions
Coarsely chop herbs and place the herbs in your glass jar (fill as full as you can). Cover with alcohol or witch hazel, leaving ½-3/4” space at top. Seal with a secure lid.
Set jar in sunny location and leave for two weeks (can leave longer if desired). Try to shake jar every once in a while. Strain herbs and transfer liquid to a spray bottle. Shake before use.
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Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe #2
Note: Some essential oils can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially mint and lemon. Spot test on a small area, or spritz on clothing instead of directly on skin.
You will need:
- Empty, Clean Spray Bottle (I used a 16oz spray bottle) (Buy a glass spray bottle online.)
- Rubbing Alcohol, Vodka or Witch Hazel
- Distilled Water
- Essential Oils:
- Mint (10 drops)
- Rosemary (5 drops)
- Eucalyptus (5 drops)
- Lemon (citronella) (10 drops)
- Lavender (5 drops)
- Clove (5 drops)
Directions
Fill Spray bottle ¾ with alcohol or witch hazel, add your essential oil drops, and add distilled water to fill. Shake before use.
Note: For more information on safe use of essential oils, visit the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.
Why bother with mosquito control?
What’s the most dangerous creature on earth? Without question the answer is: the mosquito. Mosquitoes and the diseases they spread have been responsible for killing more people than all the wars in history.
Even today, mosquitoes transmitting malaria infect 200 million or more every year. Tens of millions more are debilitated by a host of other mosquito-borne diseases, including filariasis, yellow fever, dengue and encephalitis.
In the United States Encephalitis, meningitis and other diseases can develop from mosquito bites. These include the viruses of West Nile, St. Louis encephalitis, LaCrosse (California) encephalitis, and Eastern equine and Western equine encephalitis. (source)
Did I miss some natural mosquito repellents that you swear by? Leave a comment and let me know.
More Mosquito Information
What Attracts Mosquitoes? (Blood Types, Colors, and More)
How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes – Effective Natural Solutions
Mosquito Bite Relief – Home Remedies to Stop the Itch
This post is by Amber Bradshaw of My Homestead Life.
Amber and her family moved from their tiny homestead by the ocean in South Carolina to forty-six acres in the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
First published in 2015, last updated in 2025.
Hi Laurie!
Am I supposed to use all the essential oils you listed or choose any in the amount shown for mosquito repellent?
How long will the essential oil or the fresh herb recipe keep/be effective? Can I use either on my dogs?
Thank you for all the great recipes and tips!!
Wishing you a beautiful bite free summer:)
The recipe calls for a mix of all the different oils (it’s a fairly large container), but you could substitute and use more of one if you don’t have all of them available.
Lavender and lemongrass (not lemon) essential oils repel insects and should be safe for all dogs. The herb based repellent is much milder and should be safe to use with any of the listed herbs. For an extra layer of caution, you could spray the dog’s collar only, to make sure they are comfortable with the repellent. Dogs have very sensitive noses, and these are going to be fragrant.
We got so much rain yesterday that the ground is sodden, the ponds are overflowing, and there’s standing water all over. We also live next to a swamp, so no matter what we do in our yard, there will always be a source of mosquitoes nearby. That said, I think I’m going to put up another bat house. We also have a great crop of catnip this year, so I am making up a big batch of catnip based repellent.
I highly recommend bat houses! We had a terrible problem with mosquitoes and then a bat infestation. The bats wiped out the mosquitoes and we relocated the bats from our eaves to bat houses. Three years later they are still doing an amazing job of keeping down the little nasties!
Why distilled water? Why not tap water?
Tap water may contain bacteria, sediment, chlorine, or other contaminants.
Someone was talking about ticks in New England. There flocks of guinea fowl in New England that you can rent for your property. Best way to get rid of ticks. Totally organic. You will have to watch the dogs or the hens might hurt them. LOL They are noisy.
I recently purchased a spray bottle of “marigold “ oil insect repellent from a local pet health food store. I was told this natural product was safe for both humans and pets and it worked well on our daily hike through the nearby trails on the range.
I also found out that growing marigolds in your flower garden strategically repels insects and, you can make your own brew of it.
Just food for thought if you would like to experiment and create another on of your wonderful articles ?
Thanks for the tip, Janis.
Most impressive information I have ever come across. If you are interested in this topic, please take a research about whether the indian plants or any other native plants which is help full in the mosquito repellent process. It is my humble suggestion.
I’m sure there are many more plants that have been used across the globe for mosquito repellents, but these are some that are more readily available where most of my readers are from.
what is the ratio for herbs in the spray?
Just use a mix of what you have available and fill the jar to 3/4 full, then cover with alcohol or witch hazel. Measurements do not need to be precise.
does the spray stain?
It shouldn’t, but it’s best to test on a small inconspicuous area, just in case. With all the different clothing dyes out there, it’s a possibility that something might have a reaction.
We live next to a junk yard so keeping standing water from happening is impossible. the hubs and I attack the mosquitoes by feeding fish. We put goldfish in our rain barrels! Problem solved! At the end of summer, we have a friend come and take the fish to her small lake where they live out their lives as carp.
As long as the barrels don’t run dry, you’re golden. 🙂
Are we to use all of the essential oils in the mosquito repellent recipe #2?
Yes, the second recipe uses several essential oils.
There is another way to keep Mosquitoes away from your house. You can use Camphor as a mosquito repellant. Scientifically known as Cinnamomum Camphora, Camphor is harvested from camphor trees and later processed through steam distillation. Camphor belongs to the Laurel family, which is scientifically known as Ocotea Usambarensis. The chemical formula of this naturally occurring organic substance is C₁₀H₁₆O. A major source of camphor in Asia is camphor basil. With a melting point of 175 °C, camphor is used mainly for its scent. Camphor is used in the medical industry as an antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory. Camphor can also be used as a natural insecticide and germicide.
Loved the article! Just a grammar thing to help the article: getting bitten 🙂
Hmmm…technically, yes, but not always.
As noted at http://grammarist.com/usage/bit-bitten/:
“Still, even though bitten is conventional in such uses, bit is sometimes used as the past participle.”
In this case, we use the phrase “avoid getting bit” because when people search on search engines, they type “bit” more frequently than “bitten”.
how many days or months will the repellent last or expire?
It should be made fresh each season.
Shoo Fly Insect Repellent
10 drops Geranium
5 drops Cypress
10 drops Cedarwood
5 drops Eucalyptus
1/4 cup distilled water (increase amount proportionally for larger supply)
Mix oils in distilled water and shake well. May be used in a sprayer and applied to hair, skin or clothing. Excellent for people and pets. This is for external use only. Do not ingest or get into eyes.
Discontinue use if skin irritation or other adverse condition develops. Consult a health care practitioner before using these products if pregnant.
What a great article full of really helpful tips . I live in London but we have had a really hot summer so far and Ive got lots of bites so theses are going to come in handy …thanks a lot
You’re welcome, Diana.
EXCELLENT article and comments! Many thanks from a currently mosquito infested homeowner who adores the short summer months of the midwest!
Glad you found it useful, Doreen.
Hi – Thanks for the good information. One clarification, though. It has been pretty well established that bats *do not* control mosquitoes. In fact, they’re a pretty poor predator when it comes to mosquitoes. Bats are known to prefer moths and beetles. The misinformation around bats liking mosquitoes came from a flawed study in the 1950s.
I’ve updated the post with some additional information on bats. Although they may not eat the number of mosquitoes claimed by some, they can still have a positive impact by reducing mosquito reproduction.
Laurie, can I put in my plastic squirt bottle or does it have to be glass?
If you’re going to mix up a small batch and use it up right away, plastic is okay, but should be rinsed as soon as you’re done spraying. Essential oils left in a plastic bottle will break down the plastic. If you don’t use all the spray you make, place the leftovers in a glass jar for storage.
Super, thank you!
I made a tick repellent with vinegar, water and mint/eukalyptus essential oil for the dog and it really repelled the mosquitoes. My most skeptical friend was the first to say it worked!
Glad it worked well for you – and your dog.
I have also read if you drink an Apple cider tea daily during mosquito season they’ll not bite you..
ACV is good for digestions, too.
Anyone ever heard of Every Man Jack?
Herbal men’s hygiene products? Seems like they might do double duty as pest deterrents.