apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Homemade: I use 1 part Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar 1 part water few drops lavender essential oil and I refridgerate.

I use it on myself and my dog. I took her hiking upstate in deep woods in Harriman State Park, and she was flea/tick free when we returned. (I don't use Frontline or the like on her.) I smell a bit like a salad for like 10 mins, but the smell really does dissipate. You have to reapply if you're sweating a lot or go swimming, but ACV water works wonders for me.

FYI: Pennyroyal is an abortive and should not be used by or near pregnant women.

Not sure if this is considered "toxic" but I've heard Listerine (old school version) works well ..:)

Catnip oil is the best natural mosquito repellent I have ever used. I make my own by mixing a few drops of catnip oil in a base of 50% sweet almond oil and 50% aloe. I started doing this after reading about some research showing that catnip oil is 10x more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. I have not used DEET since and hardly ever get bitten .

http://www.cherylsherbs.com/Catnip_and_Mosquitoes.htm

I thought essential oils were toxic to pets?

Lemon eucalyptus oil is one of the few non-DEET repellents that's been shown to be really effective. There's a brand called Repel that uses it and gets good reviews. (Note that "lemon eucalyptus" is a species of eucalyptus, not a combination of lemon and eucalyptus oils.)

I just used a natural repellent, All Terrain Herbal Armor, on a camping trip. It had other natural oils but not lemon eucalyptus. It worked pretty well, as well as the DEET I used. I did get over 100 mosquito bites, but that was mostly because I didn't wear long pants or apply much bugspray.

i would love to find a mosquito bomb that is natural and safe to use around veggie garden. any ideas?

Some also may want to check out Dakota Free products.
Dakotafree.com, they have a complete line of all natural products. I have used them for years and love them

I use mint shower gel, which helps to naturally keep the bugs away.

Not sure if it's nationally distributed, but at least around Houston you can buy a deet-free repellant with cedar called Cedarcide (sure it's available online). Best I've used.

Taking Vitamin B is supposed to help repel biting insects.

I'm an avid outdoors person and frankly a few bugs don't bother me. But when I'm ever in place where I do in fact need bug repellant, not a single one suggested above does an iota of good. Sorry, though it's toxic, nothing keeps swarming clouds of mosquitoes away better than Deet. And when you're in Central America, Africa, or other similar location, keeping bugs away is the difference between Malaria and a lifetime of good health. Malaria or a little toxic repellant -- you decide. :-)

After a lot of time in the tropics, I've yet to find a natural product that works like DEET. As scary as DEET is (it once ate all the paint of my nightstand after a small spill), if there are health issues like Dengue or Malaria, I agree with kimg924 that DEET is the way to go. I wear long pants and closed shoes and apply the 100% DEET to them instead of my skin. Lower concentration DEET goes on my arms/neck.

That said, catnip seems to work fairly well. A local soap maker ( http://www.thesoapmakery.com/ ) makes a catnip soap meant to be rubbed on damp skin and not rinsed off. It helps and doesn't irritate my skin at all. And safe around cats :)

our family uses these great little armbands called Bug Bands that have geraniol (geranium oil?) in them. no need to keep spraying and lathering on bug stuff.

I really enjoy California Baby Bug Repellent Spray with Citronella, its about $14 - but this stuff smells so good- with bergamont and citronella, and it truly keeps the bugs at bay.

I agree that DEET can be worth the risk if you are in a place with a risk of malaria. I used it when I was in the Philippines. However, I don't need it when I'm just going to be playing soccer outside or sleeping in my apartment where mosquitoes seem to sneak in at night. Then, I'm willing to use something that is natural but might not last as long.

I have used the Burt's Bees product and it seemed to keep away the biting gnat-type bugs on the field where we played soccer. I'm not buying as many Burt's products since they started changing the formulations, so I recently got a sample size of Keys RediCare (link below, I have no relation to the company). I have been pleased with how it stopped the bugs from biting my hands and arms in my sleep, and I really like how the MetaCare lotion seems to reduce the itch from my existing bug bites.

I'm really interested in trying Bite Blocker and the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus. I am one of those people who bugs LOVE.

http://www.keys-soap.com/xcart41/product.php?productid=5&cat=4&page=1

I have to second All-Terrain Herbal Armor. I used it on a fly-fishing expedition to the Sespe earlier this month and even on a hot June day with bugs all around, it worked quite well. It doesn't smell too much (important for fishing) and it doesn't leave me feeling greasy and toxic. Good stuff!