Natural Home Herbal Remedies

Buy organic bulk herbs, spices, oils and teas

Annies Aromatherapy
Medicinal Herbs, plants and Uses
Medicinal Herbs
Herbal Remedies
Herbal Remedies

Health Conditions

Herb Store

Using Herbs For:
Green Home < :

Homemade Insect Repellents: Natural, Safe And Effective Home Remedies


Herbal Remedies

In the early 1900's rat catchers would make use of peppermint oil by blocking their holes and with rags soaked with peppermint, and drive them with ferrets through the remaining holes into bags. Herbs and essential oils use in pest control continues in today's home, minus the ferrets.

Insect Repellent remedies
homemade insect repellents


Neem branches

When you venture outside, especially in peak mosquito season, choose your insect repellent carefully. While it is important to minimize the risk of being bitten, many commercial products contain dangerous and toxic chemicals such as DEET. The same thing goes for your home garden. While we don't like the competition from those pesky insects that want to munch our herbs and veggies before we have a chance to harvest them, no one wants to spray poisons all over the food we feed to our families. Thankfully there are natural, organic alternatives for the backyard family garden.

Try some of these effective and great smelling herbal insect repellent formulas for yourself and see for yourself what a better choice they can be for your family. See also: Natural treatment for bug bites and rashes

Herbs Used for Insect Repellent

Basil * Bay Rum * Cajeput * Catnip * Cedar * Cinnamon * Clove * Dill * Eucalyptus * Feverfew * Garlic * Geranium * Hyssop * Lavender * Lemongrass * Neem * Patchouli * PennyRoyal * Peppermint * Rosemary * Rue * Sage * Sandalwood * Tansy * Tea Tree * Thyme * Vetiver * Wormwood *

Basil For: Insect repellent
Basil
Profile
For a quick insect repellent, just rub some crushed basil leaves on your skin, or add the essential oil to a outdoors blend
Catnip essential oil For: Repelling mosquitoes
Catnip essential oil
Profile
Researchers at Iowa State University found nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.
Chrysanthemum For: Natural insect repellent
Chrysanthemum
Profile
Pyrethrins, derived from the flowers of chrysanthemum, and rotenone from the roots of derris, cube and cracca plants, are good contact insecticides.

. Fleas Fact Sheet. (), Ohio State University EXT

Feverfew For: Flies, gnats and mosquitoes
Feverfew
Profile
To protect against flies, gnats and mosquitoes, and especially bees bathe exposed skin with a double strength standard brew of Feverfew and let dry.
Garlic For: Homemade insecticide
Garlic
Profile
Crushed garlic is a good addition to any homemade insecticide spray. Garlic cloves, placed in the ground around plants will deter slugs. Garlic is a natural pesticide against mosquito larvae.
Geranium oil For: Plant insecticide
Geranium oil
Profile
Spray house and garden plants with geranium oil diluted in distilled water to discourage larvae from feeding
Lavender oil, flowers For: Sachets, insect repellent
Lavender oil, flowers
Profile
Use lavender sachet bags to protect clothes against moths. Also flies and mosquitoes dislike the fragrance, use the oil in insect sprays, or add the cut flowers to flower vases.
Lemon ecualyptus oil For: Mosquito repellent
Lemon ecualyptus oil
Profile
Oil of lemon eucalyptus Eucalyptus citriodoraprovides provides protection against mosquito bites, according to the CDC
Lemongrass, citronella For: Pet care, flea shampoo
Lemongrass, citronella
Profile
Add 1 to 2 drops (depending on your pets size), of lemongrass or citronella essential oil to your pets shampoo. It added a fresh clean scent and discourages fleas. Also a good mosquito repellent.
Neem oil For: Garden insecticide, pest control
Neem oil
Profile
In the garden, neem stands out as a highly effective, but non-toxic insecticide. Neem contains more than 25 active compounds that combat insects.
PennyRoyal Oil For: Natural insect repellent
PennyRoyal Oil
Profile
Pennyroyal has been used as a natural insect repellent for centuries. A little goes a long way. Linalool (Demize), a citrus peel extract, is a natural, fast-acting flea killer, giving short residual control. Other botanicals include d-Limonene (Flea-Stop), citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, pennyroyal oil, balsam, lavender oil, calendula, comfrey, rosemary, tea tree oil and yucca.

. Fleas Fact Sheet. (), Ohio State University EXT

Peppermint oil For: Insect repellent - ants
Peppermint oil
Profile
Ants dislike peppermint, you can prevent them from entering by scenting cotton balls, spraying along shelves,and entryways

Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy (1993)

Red cedarwood oil For: insect repellent
Red cedarwood oil
Profile
Red cedarwood is very good insect repellent, effective against mosquitoes, moths, woodworms, leeches and rats.
Tea tree oil For: Mosquito or chigger bites
Tea tree oil
Profile
For quick relief from mosquito or chigger bites, rub tea tree oil on them. Tea tree is generally safe to apply directly to skin, but do an allergy test first.
Thyme flowers For: Sachets, insect repellent
Thyme flowers
Profile
Place sprigs of thyme among clothes or linens to dispel musty odors and deter insect pests. Both the leaves and flowers can be used to stuff sachets.
Wormwood For: Pest repellent
Wormwood
Profile
This bitter herb has strong pest repellent properties, use as a companion plant in the garden, or infused in oil for topical skin applications.

Insect Repellent Information

  • Home Cleaners :
    By combining the antibacterial power of herbs and essential oils, you can clean and freshen your home without all the toxic crap that lines the store shelves.
  • Pet care :

    Non toxic, effective ways to treat pet problems such as fleas, coat and skin health, and calming obsessive behaviors in dogs, cats and other domestic animals

Anticellulite Bath Anxiety Blend Jasmine Aromatherapy Facts Sweet Orange Aromatherapy Ylang ylang Sandalwood Peppermint Rose Romance Jittery Nerves Mist Renewal Oil Attar of rose Thyme Oil Arthritis Blend Palmrosa Romantic Massage Lavender oil Vetiver Eucalyptus Begamot Clary Sage Neroli Essential oils Yarrow

references

Annies Remedy Home | Privacy:About: Contact | Medicinal Herbs Uses Chart | Herbal Remedies | Folklore | Books | Herbs by Region | Herbal Preparation |

Common Misspellings:repellants, flys, Mosquitos


Buy organic bulk herbs, spices, oils and teas
A-Z Health Index
mountain rose
Top Selling Herbs, Oils & Teas
Citrus paradisi
Grapefruit Grapefruit : Grapefruit is not only a great breakfast item, but the extracts from the seeds, pulp and inner rind can be helpful.
  1. Aloe
    Aloe vera
  2. Grapefruit
    Citrus paradisi
  3. Lemon
    Citrus limonum
  4. Orange
    Citrus sinensis, C.Nobilus
  5. Peppermint
    Mentha piperita
  6. Yucca
    Yucca schidigera
  7. Catnip
    Nepeta cataria
  8. Oregano
    Origanum vulgare
  9. Neem
    Azadirachta Indica
  10. Apple
    Malus domestica
remedyHome Remedies for Insect Repellent