Homemade Recipes: How to Make Organic Mosquito Spray

Mosquitos can ruin any outdoor activity, whether it be barbecuing, hanging out with friends and family, or relaxing with a good book. Fortunately, there are several recipes for brewing your own homemade organic mosquito repellent. This article provides information for making your own organic mosquito spray using essential oil or distilled water.

Homemade Mosquito Repellent: Ingredients and Tools

To begin, you will need one spray bottle, one small jar (such as a small mason jar,) one mesh strainer and a mortar and pestle.

On your next shopping trick, you will also need to pick up the following ingredients. You will need approximately two ounces of dried lemon balm leaves. However, you can grow your own lemon balm and dry the leaves out yourself, ensuring that they are organic. It may take up to five days for the leaves to fully drive. If not, lemon balm leaves are often available at herbal stores or organic grocers.

You will also need either distilled water or essential oils, be sure to get enough to mostly fill your small jar. I prefer distilled water, as it is less oily to the skin, but you may wish to try both mixtures before deciding which you prefer.

Essential oils are concentrated liquids, often named after what plant they are derived from (for example, oil of lemon or oil of clove.) These oils can be found at health stores, organic and standard grocery stores and even at some major retailers, though be sure to check that your chosen oil is organic. When choosing a scent, lemon is ideal, as are any other citrus-scents, as you will already being using dried lemon balm leaves in the mixture.

How to Make Homemade Organic Mosquito Repellent

Using your mortar and pestle, you will crush the lemon balm leaves into fine pieces. Ideally, you should crush the leaves up as much as possible, into the smallest pieces possible, as you will be blending these into your oil or distilled water.

Once you have ground the lemon balm into a fine powder, you can mix them into the jar with the distilled water or your chosen essential oil. Both are acceptable, and distilled water is recommended if you cannot find any essential oil. You should let your mixture sit for approximately two weeks so that the dried leaves can combine with the chosen liquid. Shake daily to prevent settling and to ensure that your mixture fully 'cures.'

After the two week time frame, your mixture will be complete. If there are large particles in your mixture, use your strainer to drain them out as you pour the mixture from your jar into your spray bottle.

You can store your mosquito repellent for up to six months, but be sure to store in a cool, dry and dark place (preferably your refrigerator.) Avoid leaving the mixture out in the heat or the sunlight, as this can cause it to spoil.

If you find your mosquito repellent does not work, consider slightly increasing the amount of dried lemon balm leaves in your mixture, or slightly decreasing the amount of water or oil you use in your next batch.

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Source: Personal Family Recipes