You can mix a homemade yard treatment from essential oils, and it will help a little for a little while. The honest truth is that DIY blends are weaker and far shorter-lived than EPA-registered products — fine for a low-mosquito evening, not a fix for a real problem.
Key Takeaways
- DIY blends help modestly and briefly — expect to reapply often.
- Source reduction matters more than any spray you can mix.
- For real protection, use an EPA-registered product (DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus).
- The biggest win is free: dump standing water where mosquitoes breed. No product beats removing their nursery — see every way to get rid of mosquitoes.
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Repellent
Probably the most effective repellent after industrial strength repellents is Lemon Eucalyptus Oil. It is CDC approved and has a repelling compound called PMD in it.
Though less effective than DEET or Picaridin, it is still good at driving away bugs and is safe to use.
In its fully processed, and purified form, Lemon Eucalyptus oil has more PMD and so, is more potent. It also has citronellal which, too, has been shown to repel mosquitoes.
How To Make It?
To make this repellent, you will need the following ingredients in the specified quantities:
- Lemon Oil Eucalyptus Oil : 5 Drops
- Coconut Oil : 5 Drops
Mix the Lemon Eucalyptus oil and the coconut oil together in a bottle and shake well. Keep the mixture with you in a spray bottle and reapply as necessary throughout the day when outside.
What 3,515 verified buyers say
What buyers love
- Clean and fresh aroma
- Long lasting in a diffuser
- Great for aroma therapy
Common complaints
- Not 100% pure essential oil
- Scent is not always effective
“Clean and fresh aroma. One of my favorites. Also long lasting in my diffuser. I recommend this essential oil and the Artizen essential oil company.”— 5★, Verified Purchase
“This is my 3rd order. Bought it to help alleviate scalp itch from wearing braids…..It works wonders. Also used to put in corners of home to run spiders away, haven’t seen any in a while. You won’t be disappointed with this oil, will purchase again.”— 5★, Verified Purchase
Based on our analysis of verified customer reviews — how we research.
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Citronella Oil Repellent
This oil is one of the oldest ways to drive mosquitoes away. People even grow citronella plants in their gardens to drive off pests. It has a strong scent so it works by masking the attractive scent of our own body. It also has compounds like geraniol in it.
Geraniol is a repelling compound which is a primary component of rose, citronella and palmarosa oil and is found in small quantities in other oils like lemon and geranium. One use of citronella oil can offer as much as three hours of protection against mosquitoes.
How To Make It?
To make this repellent, you will need the following ingredients in the specified quantities:
- Citronella Oil : 5 Drops
- Distilled Water : 45 Drops
- Rubbing Alcohol : 5 Drops
Mix the Citronella oil, rubbing alcohol and the water together in a bottle and shake well. Keep the mixture with you in a spray bottle and reapply as necessary throughout the day when outside.
The point of alcohol in the recipe is to make the action of citronella oil more strong. Some compounds in the alcohol act as repellents too, augmenting the action of the oil. If you have problems with using rubbing alcohol however, you can omit it.
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Lavender Oil Repellent
Lavender oil has compounds like eucalyptol and limonene which have been shown to have insect repelling qualities.
It smells heavenly and is also known for its soothing and calming effect on the nerves so you can add extra relaxation to your mosquito free time!
How To Make It?
To make this repellent, you will need the following ingredients in the specified quantities:
Our take
Across 3,515 verified reviews (4.07★, 74% rated 4★+), buyers most often praise clean and fresh aroma and long lasting in a diffuser. The recurring complaint: not 100% pure essential oil, and scent is not always effective.
Mix the two ingredients together and shake them well. Pour them into a spray bottle and keep it with you. Apply as often as necessary when in areas with high mosquito activity.
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Combo Repellent Spray
If you want to pack more action into your repellent, you can mix multiple essential oils together. The apple cider vinegar in this recipe helps to maintain the pH balance of the skin and the witch hazel acts as a carrier oil. The rest of the essential oils all have repellent properties.
- Apple Cidar Vinegar
- Witch Hazel
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Lemon Grass Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Citronella Oil
- Rosemary Oil
Mix Apple Cidar Vinegar and Witch Hazel each 125 ML and rest all of the essential oils each 8 Drops.
Combine all the ingredients above in the specified quantities. Shake the mixture well and add some to a smaller spray bottle and store the rest. Keep the bottle with you and apply when necessary outside.
We hope the recipes above prove useful. Other repellent oils that can be used on their own with carriers or in conjunction with each other or the oils mentioned above are:
- Peppermint
- Mint
- Cypress
- Geranium
- Bergamot
- Lemon
Bear in mind, essential oils have a strong smell and the more of them you use, the stronger the smell will get. If you don’t mind that, then mix away different concoctions to have a bite free evening stroll.
Any doubts, feel free to share your opinion in the comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do homemade mosquito repellents for the yard actually work?
They help modestly and briefly. DIY essential-oil blends are weaker and far shorter-lived than EPA-registered products, so expect to reapply often. Removing standing water matters more than any spray you can mix.
What is a simple homemade mosquito yard spray recipe?
Common blends combine water with essential oils like citronella, lemon eucalyptus, or lavender plus a little dish soap as an emulsifier. Results are limited and short-lived; treat shaded resting areas and reapply frequently.
Are homemade repellents safe for plants and pets?
Not always. Some essential oils can damage sensitive plants and several (like tea tree and certain others) are toxic to cats and dogs. Test on a small area and keep pets away from treated zones.
What works better than a DIY yard spray?
Eliminating standing water, using an EPA-registered repellent on your skin, and area control like Thermacell on the patio. DIY sprays are a minor supplement at best.
The one step that matters most: dump the standing water
No spray, zapper, or candle outperforms removing where mosquitoes breed. Females lay eggs in standing water, and larvae mature to biting adults in about a week, so empty or refresh anything that holds water — buckets, plant saucers, gutters, birdbaths, tarps, toys — every few days (CDC: Mosquito Control at Home). Pair that with an EPA-registered repellent for yourself and targeted control for the yard. The full plan is in every way to get rid of mosquitoes.