Are you tired of spraying nasty chemicals all over your children to prevent pests from feasting on their little bodies? Me too! I was so worried about it, in fact, that I went on a mission to find an alternative that met all of my criteria.... namely, it needed to be very effective, concocted in my kitchen, and totally natural and harmless to my little ones! I began researching my many herbal books for something... ANYTHING... that would repel at a minimum the mosquitoes that carry West Nile and other "nasties". What I came up with is really simple, smells very mild on the skin, and can be sprayed everywhere except directly into the eyes. My boys actually like the smell, and so don't object at all to being sprayed... ESPECIALLY after they realized how well it kept the bugs off!
Sooo.... lets get down to the business of making some repellent. Your necessary ingredients are Catnip, Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Vodka & Water! If you just happen to have those herbs laying around or growing in your yard thats awesome.... but if you don't this is still doable, you will just need to order the dried herbs from an online herbal company, such as Herbalcom company. (www.herbalcom.com). I buy a lot of bulk herbs from them and have always been happy with their service and prices.
Allright, lets do this! First we're going to make a tincture. Fill a quart jar 1/3 full of dried, crumbled Catnip, 4TBSP. Lemon Balm leaves, 4TBSP. Peppermint leaves, 2 TBSP Eucalyptus leaves. Pour Vodka over all, filling the jar right to the brim and then capping tightly with a screw on lid. Now for the inconvenient part... waiting for your tincture to be ready. Yes, I know, waiting is not your strong suit! It's not mine either, but you only have to do this once and you will have enough tincture to last a couple of years easily. Place your jar of tincture in a dark cabinet and give it a shake once a day as it ages. In 4 weeks your tincture is ready to use!!! (I have been known to "cheat" the jar and remove some after a week when desperate)
You need a squirt bottle/ spray bottle/ mister. Fill with clean water leaving two inches of space at the top. Finish filling your bottle with your liquid tincture and shake to mix....... And thats it! Its not rocket science, but I've found a ratio of 1:12 is about right. Lightly mist your skin and the mosquitoes will avoid you like the plague. Be sure to store the remaining tincture back in a cool dark cabinet to keep it potent for your next refill. Tinctures in alcohol will last for MANY YEARS!
And remember, I can't give medical advice... I'm not a Doctor. This is my personal recipe for the mosquito repellent I make and use. You should always do your own research when borrowing a recipe from the net. I hope you enjoyed learning to make a tincture with me, and hope if you like the results you'll let me know. Until next time, enjoy life and the great outdoors..... Kathy
