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This is such a cheap and easy homemade bug spray! Each batch is probably less than $0.25 to make depending on where you get your ingredients.
I started learning more about insect control last year so I could start sharing more chemistry solutions for you.
We shared this weed killer last summer that also kills ants due to the nature of the ingredients involved. There is also some tips in our book about controlling ants.
But now that it’s summer, we need to keep the bugs off of our body!
Thanks to chemistry, you can whip up a batch of this homemade bug spray in a few minutes. Stay tuned below the recipe for chemistry tips on why this works!
Really Cheap & Easy Homemade Bug Spray:
Ingredients For Homemade Bug Spray:
- 4 tbsp witch hazel (like this natural one)
- 3 tsp lemon infused rubbing alcohol (MUST be lemon infused)
- 35-40 drops of citronella oil (I use this one)
- Glass spray bottles (These are affordable & good quality)
Directions:
- To make lemon infused alcohol, simply add lemon peels to a glass jar. Cover all the lemons with rubbing alcohol and allow to sit for 2 weeks. You can leave it for months if desired, it will continue to get stronger the longer it sits.
- After the lemon infused rubbing alcohol is done, get together your witch hazel and citronella essential oil.
- Using a small funnel, pour the ingredients right into the spray bottle.
- ALWAYS shake before use since the oils will separate while it sits.
How To Use a DIY Bug Spray Properly:
- Just spray over the main parts of your skin like ankles, neck, wrists, or legs. Also, make sure to spray your clothes! Mosquitoes can get through clothes too. I like to give a few sprays to each area.
- Reapply if you are out in the sun after a few hours.
- This deters most mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. I live in North Texas, and this has helped keep the bugs off us in my area.
Check out these other natural ways to deter mosquitoes!
Chemist Tips for Homemade Bug Spray
After researching different homemade remedies and solutions, I narrowed down these ingredients to be the most effective and affordable to use for a bug spray. There are many different bug repellents that use only essential oils, but they don’t seem to work as well. They also cost more money. Many essential oils can get pricey.
Instead, you can create this combination for just a few cents per batch.
Why this DIY Bug Spray Actually Works:
Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel is an astringent that comes from the leaves and bark of a witch hazel shrub. It has been used for centuries for a wide variety of medicinal uses like inflammation, bleeding, and skin irritations. Due to it’s astringent properties, it naturally repels insects. This makes it a great base for homemade bug spray.
Lemon Infused Rubbing Alcohol
This is a great chemistry hack! Lemon is a natural bug repellent, so lemon oils are very popular to use for deterring insects. When you add something to alcohol and allow it to sit or infuse, you are creating an extract. Basically, you are extracting the natural lemon oils into the alcohol. Just like when you make vanilla extract or chocolate extract.
Obviously, this is not for internal use since we are using rubbing alcohol, but it makes it a wonderful topical option for adding to the bug spray. You are getting the lemon oils which deter bugs along with the rubbing alcohol itself which is an astringent.
Citronella Oil
Citronella is one of the most popular options for repelling bugs. It comes from different species of the lemongrass plant, and is highly effective for keeping insects away. By using the oil, you get a really concentrated dose. I love the option of this oil because it is very affordable and effective!
Can I use other oils?
I know this question may pop up. Can you use other essential oils? You can’t substitute the citronella oil! This must be the essential oil you use! If you want, you can add in other essentials oils you have on hand like lemongrass, eucalyptus, even other lemon oils. Anything besides the citronella is optional and won’t effect how the bug spray works, so if you want to add another kind, that is up to you 🙂
Enjoy!
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
Hi Alexis! Thank you for another great tip. You said you also use the lemon-infused rubbing alcohol for your bathroom cleaner, but the ingredients for that recipe uses lemon-infused vinegar, not alcohol.
Can I use the alcohol in place of the vinegar to make a stronger bathroom disinfectant? Thanks again!:)
That was bad wording on my part, the bathroom cleaner is definitely lemon infused vinegar! The eBook contains the recipe with the lemon infused alcohol 🙂 For that bathroom cleaner, you can use alcohol in place of vinegar, but the vinegar does a better job of dissolving hard water build up. Alcohol is the best disinfectant, but the acid of vinegar does a better job of dissolving particles and water stains 🙂 Thanks Lori!
Can you use lemon oil in place of the lemon infusion? I worry about chemicals that might be on the lemon peels being bad for my skin.
I always use organic lemons and clean them before use. I have a section in the post about other oils you can use too. You are welcome to use lemon oil, but I have found that the lemon infused alcohol was more effective. I use lemon peels for many other homemade beauty hacks, and it has some great benefits, but especially good for repelling bugs. If you use regular alcohol, make sure to add at least 10-15 drops of lemon oil 🙂
Thank you for that information. We don’t have a source for organic lemons here, so I will try this with the oil.
I hope you enjoy using it! 🙂
This sounds interesting
It’s such a great DIY to keep on hand 🙂
The flies and bugs are killing us this time of year…I just had an electronic insect killer delivered today from Amazon to solve the problem but so good to know about this spray. Definitely need to try it!
I use one of those too! It really helps with spiders, roaches, and all those nasty bugs lol it doesn’t work for mosquitoes or flies for us though 🙁 but it’s been great for our cricket problem!
I am so making some of this! I got bit my first mosquito of the season last week. Thanks for the post.
It’s definitely that time of year!! I spray this all over before going outside in the evenings and it helps!
Hi! Thanks for a great all-natural, easily sourced bug spray. Like your mom, I got my first bug bite on Monday morning… What do you recommend to relieve the ridiculous itching? I’m currently using a topical lidocaine spray… Bactine… it helps some, but not a lot.
I use chigger-x for all bug bites…it is a miracle! This is what it looks like.
Great tips as usual. Thanks, Alexis. I love using lemons so I’ll try this lemon infused rubbing alcohol one.
Thank you 🙂 I really love infusing the alcohol with lemon, it is really great for this!
Would this be ok to spray on dogs? Mosquitos and flies bedevil them too.
It is definitely safe for dogs. It might not work as well as it does on humans do to their different scents and fur, but you are welcome to try 🙂
Really appreciate your articles. I would love to find a bug spray that does not have oils of lemongrass or lavender. These oils are toxic to cats, and can cause liver failure. Having had a cat that died from this, I can’t take any chances. Have you ever heard of using lime juice? It worked for me on a golf course (mosquitoes), But that was with rubbing a lime all over exposed areas.
Lime juice has some similar chemical properties, but it won’t be as potent as citronella or lemongrass. You can definitely substitute lime or another citrus oil in this recipe, it just won’t be as strong. The witch hazel itself does a great job.
I live in SC and am having a difficult time getting rid of cockroaches. Have you a recipe for that. Currently I’m using boric acid. Jo
I use this ant spray for small ones and it works to kill them. I don’t have experience using anything else for larger ones.
Can I use this one my cats and dogs
I would double check with your vet first to make sure it won’t bother your cats or dogs
Instead of using citronella oil, can I make an infusion with the citronella plant and alcohol or vinegar?
Yes you can! It won’t be as potent as using the citronella oil, but it can still work.
Thank you for the quick response! We have a mass of citronella plants around the garden, and have never had problems with mosquitoes. Do you think alcohol or vinegar would be best?
Alcohol will work better to infuse and also do better to repel the insects 🙂
Could you put this in plastic bottles instead of glass?
It’s best to use glass because of the essential oil. If you plan on using this bag by up quickly, you can use a plastic bottle
This is wonderful so thank you so much for sharing. My family is allergic to citronella – what do you suggest we use instead?
You can use lemon or lemongrass oil, but I have found those not to be quiet as effective as the citronella is
Thanks so much. I can’t wait to try it.
You said Anything besides the citronella is optional and won’t effect how the bug spray works, so if you want to add another kind, that is up to you…
There are other oils that also work and enhance citronella. Including peppermint. It will effect it and deter more bugs.
Yes, other oils deter bugs. But I tested this exact solution with just the citronella and it still works. Other oils can be added to enhance how this works…but with the infused alcohol and citronella, it still worked 🙂
I live in Central Alabama and we have a lot of open ponds/standing water around. Our winters are not cold enough to kill mosquitoes so we battle them year-round. I am highly allergic to them and it seems they are drawn to me. There bites leave places that look like ant stings, which later turn to bruises. I also take Vitamin B1 which is supposed to deter them. I’m definitely
trying this and will spray after showering, before going outside and as often as needed while outside. This may become my new scent instead of a cologne. I don’t care for peppermint, so what could I add to give this a nice, fresh, fragrance since I plan to wear it constantly?
Sandalwood essential oil has a nice scent and is popular for things you might wear on your body.
Thank you! I’ll check it out!!