3 Simple Tips to Make Your Own Herbal Insect Repellent

Herbal insect repellent is a wonderful alternative to the harsh chemicals found in your standard mosquito repellent. Organic insect repellents are an excellent alternative to the obnoxious smelling ones bought in the store. Herbal bug repellent can also smell quite pleasant in comparison to the store-bought variety.

The harsh chemicals found in bug and mosquito repellents bought in the store can be irritating to the eyes and skin. We all know that bug bites can be very irritating, but the rashes and irritation that the chemicals in store-bought repellents can cause can be just as irritating if not more so. Natural repellents can offer an alternative to the harsh chemicals found in store-bought commercial bug repellents. With recent trends towards a more natural and organic products it is even possible to buy herbal insect repellents in Health Food Stores and other mainstream grocery stores.

Many well-known brand names such as Burt's Bees and others are offering a good range of natural and organic products. Unfortunately, in many cases, the herbal and organic varieties of repellents available in stores can be considerably more expensive than the brands with harsh chemicals. But there is a cheaper alternative for a repellent made of herbs. You can make your own natural mosquito repellents at home with a few simple ingredients. Some of the ingredients that you'll need include fresh herbs, essential oils, and rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. A homemade herbal insect repellent can be very effective at deterring insects and even more effective at saving you money. You can make simple herbal insect repellent sprays and oils for yourself and even your pets. When working with natural bug repellents it is important to remember some basic rules:

Large amounts of citrus are toxic for cats. Do not use herbal repellents containing citrus at all on cats.
Pennyroyal should never be used on a woman who is pregnant or wants to become pregnant.
Many herbs and oils that are effective repellents can be toxic when ingested. Keep your herbs, or oils, and natural repellents out of the reach of children and pets.

A good basic herbal insect repellent recipe can include orange or lemon peel, herbs (pennyroyal, sage, lemon grass, mint leaves, bay leaf, or other insect repellent herbs), essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus, orange) and rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Soak the orange or lemon peel overnight in a covered pan with the herbs of your choice. Strain and mix with an equal part of rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and 'spritz' on exposed skin, avoiding the eyes, as needed. Remember to keep the bottle out of the reach of children and pets.

Make your own homemade herbal insect repellent for your own safety, your family's and your pets'.

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Camping Pests - Herbal Insect Repellents For Campers

For some people the mention of a camping trip does not bring to mind long fun filled days under sunny skies communing with nature nor does it bring thoughts of those starry nights sitting around a campfire and telling tall tells or singing campfire songs. Instead their first thought when the word camping is mentioned is of mosquitoes, black flies, and all those other camping pests that are an annoying but a very real part of the campers world.

For some people these camping pests are barely nothing, but for those who seem to be bug magnets, these little insects that are so much a part of nature can ruin what would otherwise be the perfect holiday. These people wouldn't think of setting foot in the great outdoors without being armed with a backpack or trunk load of insect repellent. Therein lays the problem.

It seems to be somewhat sacrilegious to plan a weekend or week in the great outdoors enjoying nature and all it has to offer and then ruining the entire experience by coating yourself with insect repellent, which is harmful to the environment not to mention your own skin and health. The good news is that there are many herbal insect repellents on the market today that will not harm the environment and are good for you as well.

Of course you can always make your own herbal insect repellent and there are plenty of recipes to be found on the internet. Here is one that works on both people and pets, and when sprayed around your tent or on it will help keep those little pests well away from your sleeping area as well.

Homemade Herbal Insect Repellent

Ingredients:

lemon or orange peels or a combination of both (flies in particular do not like citrus)

mint leaves or sage leaves

witch hazel

water

Directions:

Combine the leaves and the lemon or orange peels in a pan with water, boil these into an extremely strong tea. Cover and let stand overnight and then drain the liquid into a jar and mix half and half with witch hazel. Place in a spritz bottle for use.

For those who prefer oil based repellents simply heat the orange and/or lemon peels and leaves in oil (heat together but don't let the oil start frying the ingredients) let set overnight and then pour into a sterilized jar.

For even more pest protection try hanging small sachets of basil from low tree branches to help keep flies from invading your camping area. ?

Pests don't have to ruin your camping trip, using natural and herbal insect repellents can make your camping trip a lot more enjoyable.? Now aren't you just itching to pack up and hit the road?

Gary Youngblood is a camping enthusiast and believes that camping clears the mind and lifts the spirit. Pack up your tent and get out there! Go to Go to http://www.highcountrytents.com to check out a great line up of camping tents.