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Few insects can be more annoying than the mosquito. Besides itchy bites, mosquitoes can also bring you a serious illness, for example dengue or Zika fever. But there are other forms of annoying insects as well. If you want to avoid visits from unwelcome guests, you have two options: either use a conventional repellent product, which is full of chemicals that neither your skin nor the environment will thank you for, or you can use a gentle natural preparation that won’t harm your skin and, moreover, costs only a fraction of the price. If you have decided to go healthier, the natural way, continue reading to find out which plants are best suited for your purposes.
Repellent plants you can grow at home
- Basil: thanks to its strong scent it works as a repellent for flies and mosquitoes, and you can also use it to season meats and sauces.
- Chrysanthemum: This popular ornamental flower repels cockroaches, fleas and bedbugs.
- Citronella: acts as a repellent, particularly effective against dengue mosquitoes.
- Peppermint – in the garden it acts as an ant repellent. Mosquitoes also dislike its strong scent.
DIY effective homemade repellent suitable even for children
To prepare a homemade natural repellent we will need half a liter of alcohol, two teaspoons of cloves, 100 ml of almond oil, a one-liter bottle and a spray bottle. The preparation is simple: pour the alcohol into a glass bottle and add two teaspoons of cloves. Let it steep for four to eight days. It is necessary to shake the contents several times a day so that all the essential substances are released from the cloves. After four to eight days remove the pieces of clove from the infusion and add the almond oil. Stir thoroughly and pour into the spray bottle. Spray a generous layer onto bare skin and clothing; you can safely use this solution on children’s delicate skin as well. For guaranteed protection against insects, repeat the application every six hours.
