How to make cheap mosquito repellent the natural way

lose-up of a common mosquito on human skin.

Mosquitoes aren't people. They tend to hate sweets, flowers and vodka. (Photo Credit: CC BY-SA/J.J. Harrison/Wikipedia)

If it’s hot and humid outside, odds are it’s mosquito season. When standing water draws pests aplenty, you want safe, cheap pest control that won’t ruin your summertime fun. Spend more money on steaks and beer and less on bug spray with these cheap, homemade mosquito repellent recipes.

Avoid the skull and crossbones and save

Most commercial pest control sprays on the market today include the toxic chemical DEET. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have made numerous recommendations for limiting exposure, particularly when young children are involved. If there are harmless, all-natural alternatives that cost less money, wouldn’t you want to use one? Stop mosquitoes from annoying your party guests and spreading disease with one of these homemade remedies.

Try some garlic

Garlic has been known to keep the vampires away, so why not the blood-suckers of the much smaller, non-fictional variety? All you need is some minced garlic, some mineral oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mince some gloves of garlic, then cover them with mineral oil. Allow the mix to sit for at least a full day. Take some of the oil from the mix and add it to two cups of water and a teaspoon of the lemon juice. Remove floating bits with a cheesecloth strainer, and pour what you get into a spray bottle. It’s a mosquito repellent that costs less than $5. Just be sure to shake before each use.

Lemon eucalyptus buts bugs on the run

For a bit more than $10, you can also make a lemon eucalyptus mosquito repellent. You’ll need about eight ounces of lemon eucalyptus oil. Mix one part of the oil with 10 parts of either sunflower oil or witch hazel. Rub or spray directly on the skin. Variations on this may include cedar, rosemary, juniper, peppermint, cinnamon and cloves.

Mosquitoes aren’t approaching lavender

Fresh lavender flower works great as a cheap, homemade mosquito repellent, particularly if you already have lavender growing in your yard. In that case, it’s free. A lavender plant should cost somewhere around $12, otherwise. Rub a lavender flower behind your ears, wrist and neck. This will not only produce a pleasing odor that best pesticide any day, but mosquitoes won’t come anywhere near you.

Vanilla is not so sweet for mosquitoes

Some swear by the potency of vanilla extract as a safe, natural mosquito repellent. For less than $5 per bottle, you’ll have a sweet scent to apply to your pulse points that mosquitoes can’t stand.

Yarrow bug spray

Lavender flowers don’t have the natural mosquito remedies market cornered by any means. Fresh or dried yarrow flowers and leaves also work, when mixed with the right ingredients. These ingredients would include vodka or a similar alcohol and catnip essential oil. Infuse the yarrow in vodka for a week, strain it, mix with the catnip essential oil, then send it to the spray bottle.