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Natural Insect Repellent: Nontoxic Options for Insect Control

ByJessica Knowles Reading Time: 4 minutes

Natural repellents that work on a wide array of insects in a variety of situations. Also included are great natural “after bite” solutions.

A list of natural repellents that work on a wide array of insects in a variety of situations. Also included are great natural "after bite" solutions.

Mainers joke all the time that the mosquito should be the state’s bird.  Well let me tell you this, if you put our state bird (which happens to be the chickadee) in a fighting ring against our average mosquito, the mosquito would most likely come out on top.  These things are huge, their numbers are startling and due to the mild summers, the darn things seem to live on forever.

Lets just say, I take my mosquito repellents very seriously.

Natural Insect Repellents for Skin

Homemade Insect Spray Recipe by DIY Natural

Bug Repellent Oil Recipe by Primally Inspired  <– Super Easy!

Water-Based and Oil-Based Spray Solutions by Living the Nourished Life

‘Squito Away Spray by Spring Mountain Living

5 Homemade Mosquito Repellents by Survival at Home

Organic Pest Control by Homestead Chronicles

*Natural Bug Spray for Body, Room & Ants from SimpleLifeMom $6.50

Bite-Me-Not Lotion Bar Recipe by The Soap Queen

Natural Insect Repellents for the Yard & Garden

The best pest control I can think of is nature’s repellents. In this case, I’m talking about bugs. Yes, bringing good bugs in to get get bad bugs out. Learn more about beneficial insects.

Natural Bug Repellents by the Untrained Housewife

Cinnamon for Plants by Feathers in the Woods

All-Purpose Insect Spray by Organic Gardening

How to Get Rid of Fire Ants for FREE by Survival at Home

20 Insect Repelling Plants by Simple Life Mom

Banana Peels to Act as Fertilizer & Control Aphids by The Frugal Chicken

Natural Insect Repellents for the Home

We have ants from time to time. Get to know your enemy so you know how to fight him. I’ll show you how in What to Do When Ants Take Over {Naturally}.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap by Apartment Therapy

Natural Born Pest Killers by Planet Natural

DIY Designer Bug Trap by Simple Live Mom

Natural Insect Repellents for the Barn/Coop

We use a wide variety of essential oils and herbs to keep our chickens and our coops pest-free. You can find out which ones we use here.

* Spruce the Coop Herbal Fusion by The Chicken Chick $5.99

Keep Your Coop Fresh by Timber Creek Farm

How to Rid Your Coop of Flies by ImaginAcres

Keeping Chicken Coop Bugs Under Control by Front Yard Coop

Chicken Coop Fly Control by HenCam

Pet-Safe Natural Repellents

My dog has very sensitive skin, so we need to be very careful to assure that she doesn’t get bites from fleas, ticks, or mosquitos. Since I can’t stand the smell of those commercial collars and drops, I made my own dog collar that uses essential oils. You can find it here.

Flea Remedies That Really Work by the Untrained Housewife

Lemons for Pups by Ottawa Valley Dog Whisperer

Homemade Livestock Fly Spray by Prairie Homestead

Natural “After Bite” Solutions

A list of natural repellents that work on a wide array of insects in a variety of situations. Also included are great natural "after bite" solutions.
My littlest guy is very sensitive to bug bites.

In case those pesky pests still get past your defenses, here are some great natural products that will relieve the itch:

  • Apply a lemon slice to the bite
  • Form a paste from crushed aspirin and water
  • Rub on some apple cider vinegar
  • Dab on toothpaste
  • Dampen the skin and rub on table salt
  • Rub the inside of a banana peel on the bite
  • Form a paste of baking soda and water
  • Make an oil rub from lavender and tea tree essential oils

Make sure you give each home remedy a chance before moving on to another. You don’t want to increase skin irritation by mixing different remedies. I personally find toothpaste to be the most effective. It’s just another uncommon use we have for toothpaste in our house (see the others here).

Do you have a great insect-repellent recipe or technique? Share it in the comments below.

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A list of natural repellents that work on a wide array of insects in a variety of situations. Also included are great natural "after bite" solutions.

Owner, Writer at The 104 Homesteader

A gifted writer and long-time Maine homesteader, Jessica is here to share her knowledge and expertise. Jessica can help you homestead successfully on your piece of land. You can rely on her advice and tips since she has been engaged in small-scale farming and self-sufficiency for over a decade. In her downtime, Jessica loves to take her boys on hikes or spend time with her quail coveys, named after the four Hogwarts Houses. She also loves caring for her goats and garden. Jessica will show you how it's done so you can thrive on your homestead.

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8 Comments

  1. Niko Goettsche says:

    Hello Jessica, thank you for being so helpfull!!! I live in Italy and an “anti-mosquito secret” of my neapolitan mother is actually very simple but little known and you probably mentioned it already: put a piece of copper (electric wires or small coins) in all your garden under vases or wherever water accumulates, this trick will prevent mosquito eggs and larvae from growing. Mosquitos usually live all their (short) life whithin meters-so this should be taken as an implementation of an anti-mosquito organic weaponry. Be aware that copper oxide is a poison, do not to let animal or babies free to get in contact with it. Cheers, have a nice summer! Niko (Milan, Italy)

    Reply

  2. NO article on Mosquitos should be without BT – Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis otherwise known as Mosquito Dunks. To be used anywhere you have water hanging around. 25 years ago I started using this on my extremely wet property and put them in the Spring. It took a few years but I can often sit outside without bug protection because of my dedication to using these. ps I have been organic for 25 years.

    Reply

  3. sting relief:
    as soon as convenient after the sting, crush plantain leaves – chew them, use mortar and pestle, scrub them against concrete, anything – until you obtain the juice. apply the juice to the sting.
    everyone reacts differently to stings, but this works wonderfully for me! the pain stops instantly, the itch rarely develops, there’s no heat in the sting, and the swelling is very minimal, and recovery from the whole thing is over in less than 20% of the time.

    Reply
  4. Angi @ SchneiderPeeps says:

    I need to look into these…and soon. We’ve had so much rain here that we are already about to surpass what we’ve had for each of the last 3 years, and it’s only April. The mosquitoes are out in force and I had to resort to OFF to work in the garden yesterday. uhg!!

    Reply
    1. Jessica Lane says:

      I know what you mean. You hate saying “I’m going to slather on some chemicals so I can work in my organic garden.” But those bugs! I hope you find a recipe that meets your needs.

      Reply

  5. Thank you for sharing these great links on the HomeAcre Hop, hope to see you again tomorrow!
    -Nancy The Home Acre Hop

    Reply
  6. Mike @ Gentleman Homestead says:

    I’m amazed at the many almost miraculous uses of comfrey. I’m putting in as many starts as I can thanks to a friend hooking me up and will propagate it all over our property.

    One such miracle use is to crush one of its leaves and apply it to mosquito bites. Also bee stings, ant bites, etc. Works wonders!

    Also, I’m building a few bat houses to help out with mosquito control. Luckily we always see a ton flying over us at dusk, and I think that is the number one reason we don’t have a huge bug problem at our place.

    Reply

    1. Comfry is another great herb going in my big ol spiral. You’ve just given me another reason to use this fabulous herb.

      Reply