Natural Homemade Bug Sprays That Work

Winter is gone and we can finally enjoy the warm weather and the flowers and trees blossom. Well, there’s also a negative side of this time of the year – the pesky bugs come out, looking for food and a comfortable place to live.  In this article, we will share some natural bug sprays that you can easily and quickly make at home. We’ve tested all of them and can assure you that they are efficient and will keep the bugs away from your home and off of your skin. If you are dealing with ants, carpet beetles, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or wasps, you can try the following recipes recommended by the Fantastic pest control specialists.

If you’re interested in natural bug sprays, you may also be interested in these homemade natural cleaning wipes which are both cheap to make and chemical free.

Natural sprays against ants

• Strongly scented sprays best repel ants: You can create a vinegar spray – 1:1 white vinegar to water and spray it onto their trails;

• Essential oil spray – mix 25 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil and a cup of water; use it to spray where you see ants as well as near entry points to the house. Re-spray once the scent starts to fade away which is usually in a day or two.

• Dishsoap and water: Extremely simple, easy and efficient solution. You can use empty liquid dishwashing bottles. Mix equal parts of water with dish soap. We recommend not to shake the solution because it will result in foam. Instead, you can stir it. Pour or spritz on ants to immediately halt them in their tracks. Wipe the massacre away with a paper towel and toss.

These solutions work miracles because they interfere with the chemical signals ants use to communicate. Ants use special pheromones to trail their way to food so when they pass through a sprayed area, their trails get disrupted. Moreover, passing ants get covered with the spray solution and bring it to their colony which, in result, confuses all of the remaining ants as well. This way you can keep them at bay.

Natural sprays against carpet beetles

• Rubbing alcohol- Treating carpet beetles can be a real nightmare. These nasty vermins can be resistant to different strong insecticides. Anyway, rubbing alcohol is amongst the most efficient ingredient for any spray against carpet beetles. Alcohol can also control infestation as it kills the insects by freezing their cells. You can mix it with water and spray your bedding, furniture or around the window sills. You can be sure that carpet beetles won’t crawl or lay eggs on surfaces that have been sprayed with the solution.

• Neem oil: Any stage of their lifecycle will be destroyed with the help of the neem oil. It works when you are battling carpet beetles because the substance will weaken the functioning of their hormonal system. The insects stop feeding, reproducing, laying eggs and even flying. Also, the laid eggs will fail to hatch and the population of carpet beetles will be eradicated. For the best results, you can mix neem oil with alcohol and apply directly on the bugs.

• Essential oils: Many essential oils are proven to work against insects such as carpet beetles. For example, eucalyptus oil can kill them in no time. Carpet beetles consider the acid scent of eucalyptus oil as hazardous and avoid it. You can apply it on clothes, on your skin and as well as on pets. The eucalyptus oil is safe and can be used as a medicine when treating skin ulcers.

Natural sprays against flies

• Eucalyptus essential oil spray: To make the spray you need to mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 30 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 2 tbsp dish soap. Flies, like carpet beetles, cannot stand the aroma and keep a distance from the sprayed areas. You can also apply the solution on your skin. If you have any allergies, please consult with a medical representative.

• Wine-mango spray: Combine ½ coffee cup with wine with freshly pressed mango juice, mix them with water. The flies cannot bear the strong aroma of the wine and the solution acts as a powerful repellent against insects.

• Lemongrass oil-based spray – mix half a cup of hot water with approx. 25 drops of lemongrass essential oil in a spray bottle. You can spray it around the windows, doors and other areas where flies live. Lemongrass is a strong insect repellent and flies will avoid it. Another way to apply the solution is by soaking cotton pads and place them around your house. Be careful with the excessive use of the oils on your skin as they can irritate it.

Natural sprays against mosquitoes

• Garlic spray: Make a mixture of 5-6 garlic cloves, 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of lime juice and 1 tbsp of mineral oil. The allicin compound and the powerful scent of the garlic work perfectly against the mosquitoes and keep them away. Also, the bitter nature of the lemon enhances the repelling properties of garlic.

• Cloves with lime spray:  You will need 10-12 cloves, 1 lemon. Mix them with water, leave it overnight so that the cloves can soak well. Clove is a herb that is quite efficient in confronting mosquitoes and other insects. It contains a compound called eugenol which provides a powerful odour that mosquitoes cannot stand.

• Catnip oil spray: Nepeta parnassica, also known as a “greek catmint” is a member of the mint family related to catnip, and is amongst the most efficient mosquito repellents that will keep the insects away for two to three hours. What you have to do is to boil water and put several leaves from the herb, stir it for a while, wait for it to cool down and pour it into a spray bottle. You can apply it around the house or in the garden, especially when you spend time there during the warmer days.

Natural sprays against ticks and fleas

• Tea tree oil spray: You need to mix water, vinegar and several drops of tea tree oil. Pour the solution into a spray bottle. For the best results, spray it over your carpet where fleas usually hide. Make sure no survivors are left by applying the solution on your couch, your bed, or furniture, as well.

• Vinegar and water spray: What can be more simple and powerful homemade spray than diluting equal parts vinegar with water? You can also experiment with a different formula for the best repelling results. Apply the solution on carpets, beds, furniture and anywhere you found fleas.

• Coconut oil solution: The lauric acid ingredient which is contained in the coconut oil is another fantastic strong flea repellent. This solution can be sprayed on your pet’s coat. But before trying this homemade spray, consult with a professional vet. It’s considered to be harmless but still, there’s a potential risk your pet to have to an allergic reaction.

Natural sprays against wasps

• Spray with spices: Mix water, mint with ⅛ of tbsp of cinnamon or cayenne pepper. It works perfectly against hornets, that cannot stand the aroma of these spices. If you’re dealing with a lot of wasps at once, make a more concentrated solution of the spices.

• Peppermint and baby shampoo spray: Another rapid wasps repellent is 1 tbsp. of peppermint extract and 1 tbsp. of baby shampoo, add water to the rest of the spray bottle. You can apply it on old nests which will prevent the stinging insects from returning.

• Hairspray: If the above-mentioned homemade sprays don’t work for you, just buy a hairspray. It will freeze the wasps but be careful and protect yourself from the harmful fumes by wearing a mask.

Of course, there are many other natural insect repellents. The ones we’ve mentioned are tried and tested and worked perfectly against the spring/summer bugs. Anyway, before applying any of the recommendations, you should try them on a smaller area. You, your family or beloved pets might be allergic to any of the ingredients so it’s best to take care.

Have you tried any natural pest sprays or repellents? Let us know in the comments section below.