Using Essential oils as a Natural Mosquito repellent
It's summer again and along with ripe strawberries, fresh veggies and lots of sun, the pests are also in abundance. Public enemy number one has to be the mosquito.
Most insects have some reasonable excuse for being here. Spiders eat other bugs, lady bugs eat aphids and so on. However I have not discovered on reasonable explanation for the blood sucker that plagues not only people, but hapless animals as well. I suppose it might be nice if in a couple of hundred years, scientist discover a mosquito frozen with my DNA in his gullet and they clone me, but realistically, that ain't going to happen. So my solution is to kill the critter. However, considering the impact of pesticides on the environment, that's not such a smart thing to do.
So, my next choice is to use a deterrent. I haven't yet found a good deterrent that can be bought in your local shop. They all have nasty chemicals in them and DEET has been shown to cause problems, not to mention, that while effective, it is not all THAT effective.
However, during my incarnation as an aromatherapist, I have found something that really works. Catnip essential oil (nepeta cataria). I've heard all the stories about citronella of course and again, it does work, somewhat. However, catnip essential oil works wonders. You only need a few drop in some sort of carrier oils, such as olive oil, fractionated coconut oil etc.
In the spirit of fellowship and good will, I must also say that it's a good thing that one only needs a few drops, because to be quite frank, catnip eo, STINKS! There are a few people who disagree with me on this, but everyone who's tried it agrees, catnip eo is pure magic when discouraging mosquitoes.
I can hear the question now so, no. You will not have cats coming from six miles around just to get a cheap high, most cats show no interest in the oil, although a few strange souls have shown some liking for it.
To make a good mosquito repellent you need the following:
One spray bottle (you can actually get the small ones really cheap at DIY beauty shops like "Sallys".
Vodka
Catnip eo
geranium eo
lemon eo
teatree eo
cedar eo
Fill your bottle almost up to the top of your spray bottle with your vodka. Depending on the size of your bottle (I'm thinking a 3 ounce bottle here). Add, 10 drops of Catnip eo. All the others are your choice and are really a masking agent, so your Mosquito repellent doesn't smell so bad. Also all these oils are mosquito repellents in their own right, just not as effective as catnip. Shake and spray.
I make my family take this stuff with them every time they go camping and they will come back home with MAYBE one or two bites.
Suggestions for use: spray your clothes, hats, shoes, tents, the areas around your campsite, picnic table etc. One added benefit of this oil is, not only are mosquitoes the ones repelled, but also other flying irritants such as gnats.
As I finished writing this, I was going to post a bunch of links for Catnip studies. What I found was interesting. There are not only several studies that have been done, but it seems that it is reaching mainstream shops as well. Of course, they're charging an arm and a leg for their products, but that's capitalism for you.
If you are interested in buying catnip oil to make your own, I highly recommend the following sites for excellent quality oils without the hype and expense of the more outrageous companies.
Http://www.av-at.com
http://www.naturesgift.com
http://www.wingedseed.com