Nothing ruins a good time outdoors than pesky bugs! There are a number of natural bug sprays one can use, but what about the creepy crawly kinds that love to crawl into your tent? Ticks, spiders, ants… these can all ruin a nice camping trip, and no one wants to share a sleeping bag with them!
Luckily, the earth is filled with plenty of plants that can help keep these bugs away. So next time you go camping, be sure to take along this DIY Herbal Bug Repellent Powder and keep the bugs where they belong… outside!
DIY Herbal Bug Repellent Powder
All you need to make this DIY herbal bug repellent powder is a combination of two or three of the following dried herbs—about one ounce of each and a combination of two of the following essential oils, if you choose to use them.
This herbal bug repellent powder works well for a couple of reasons. First, bugs simply don’t like the smell of the plants and oils in this mix. Next, the diatomaceous earth is made up of finely ground shells, and at a microscopic level, it’s sharp and sticks to insects when they walk through it. The tiny shards cut into their exoskeletons and suck moisture out of them, causing them to die from dehydration (“Diatomaceous Earth”, n.d.).
Ingredients:
- Herbs: basil, lavender, lemongrass, mint, rosemary, bay leaf, lemon balm, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, cedar (Boe, Hirdler, & Howell, n.d.)
- Essential Oils: lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, or cedar
- Diatomaceous earth (Optional)
Directions:
- Grind the dried herbs to a fine powder in a mortar & pestle or by placing them in a coffee grinder. Place 1/4 cup of powdered herbs in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. If you are using the diatomaceous earth, add about 1/4 cup to the herb mixture and mix gently with a metal spoon. Add about 20 drops of each oil and mix gently.
To Use:
Sprinkle around the perimeter of your tent when camping to deter bugs from crossing over it and into your tent.
Here’s to fun family adventures, festive campfires, and cozy camping this fall!
Don’t forget to pin this post on Pinterest!
REFERENCES:
- Boe, E., Hirdler, L., & Howell, Z. (n.d.). Using plants as natural pest repellents. (Blog post). Retrieved from http://www.christiansonsnursery.com/using-plants-as-natural-pest-repellents/
-
Diatomaceous Earth for Bed Bugs and Insects. (n.d.). (Blog post). Retrieved from https://diatomaceous.org/diatomaceous-earth-for-bed-bugs-and-insects/
Ooh, wish I knew about this a few weeks ago. We went camping in earlier September, and stayed in a heavy wooded area for a week and couldn’t keep the mosquitoes away..
Oh bummer! Well hopefully it will help you out next time around!!
Nice recipe! What should the ratio of powdered herbs to diatomaceous earth be? Also, can you use this around plants in the garden or will it repel good insects as well as bad? Thanks so much! I just found your blog and I am really enjoying it and learning a lot.
Hi, Pamela. Thanks for your kind comments! I’m so glad to have you here! I would suggest adding equal parts herbs and diatomaceous earth (so 1/4 cup of herb mix to 1/4 cup of diatomaceous earth). I’ll update the post to reflect that. And yes, you can use it around the garden, but it can harm beneficial insects. I suppose it depends where you’re using it at.