Homemade essential oil bug spray.
While we were in Yellowstone, I used my mom’s herbal bug spray and it worked really well. But, as I didn’t want to deprive her of it as she headed back to Illinois, I didn’t have any the night we stayed in Shelby, Montana before crossing the border into Canada.
Wow! I have never experienced mosquitos like the ones that bit the crap out of my legs as I hurriedly unpacked the car in the motel parking lot. In the span of just 15 minutes, I got about 20 bites between my toes and knees and more on my face and arms.
When we got into Saskatoon, I decided I had to do something about the bugs and I went to the local health food store. I bought citronella and tea tree oils and mixed them with water in a glass spray bottle. It’s working great so far [UPDATE: I’ve had to add more citronella and tea tree into the bottle because I originally made it a bit weak and the oils evaporated off my skin too quickly. And, next time, I might also add patchouli]. It’s not as effective or long lasting as conventional big spray, but it doesn’t leave my feeling sticky or gagging on a chemical mist. I feel fine spraying it on my face and on my toddler.
I know that essential oils aren’t necessarily completely safe, but they seem like a much better alternative to conventional bug sprays.