DIY Non-Toxic Bug Spray
Our town prohibits the use of pesticides (yey!) but we live in Eastern Canada and get BOMBARDED with mosquitoes every summer (boo). Chemical bug sprays freak me out. We do use them with any deep woods trekking (mostly because of ticks). But for everyday backyard play, I opt for something non-toxic. This concoction I found on Pinterest here. It works decently well. You have to apply it generously but to me it's worth avoiding daily doses of DEET (and other nasty chemicals). Bonus: the fragrance is lovely. I have yet to find another non-toxic spray that works better. So if you're looking for a light bug spray not laden with chemicals, this is a good place to start. Here's the recipe:
What You Need:
3 drops of Lavender essential oil
5 drops of Lemongrass essential oil
5 drops of Citronella essential oil
Distilled Witchhazel (I buy mine from Walmart)
Glass spray bottles (pure essential oils are too strong for plastic ones)
Directions:
Add all essential oils to a 4ox glass spray bottle.
Fill the rest of the bottle with Witchhazel.
Shake well before using.
That's it! In about a minute and a half you'll be all set with backyard bug protection.