Tried a homemade mosquito repellent

[Sunny]

I watched several videos and decided to give the recipe an Argie girl swears by because it was cheap and easy to make: boil a pinch of cloves with a piece of cinnamon for 5 minutes, let cool, drain, add some 90% alcohol, fill a spray bottle and off you go. Well, I got bit once, near my ankle - normally I get several bites on hands and feet when I use OFF green. So maybe this thing actually works. I'll give you an update tomorrow night.

 

[amanda8]

How did your homemade repellent work out? Did it work? I found a super easy recipe that I will try today, just two ingredients: half a cup of water and 5 teaspoons of vanilla essence, the one we use for cakes haha then I will tell you how it went

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7320393896947682566

 

[Flamingo]

I watched several videos and decided to give the recipe an Argie girl swears by because it was cheap and easy to make: boil a pinch of cloves with a piece of cinnamon for 5 minutes, let cool, drain, add some 90% alcohol, fill a spray bottle and off you go. Well, I got bit once, near my ankle - normally I get several bites on hands and feet when I use OFF green. So maybe this thing actually works. I'll give you an update tomorrow night.

Interesting. Are you seeing the mosquito sprays in stores yet? I went to a few but still don't see them. I wondered about these homemade recipes out there. Report back @Sunny and if it works I will try it!

How did your homemade repellent work out? Did it work? I found a super easy recipe that I will try today, just two ingredients: half a cup of water and 5 teaspoons of vanilla essence, the one we use for cakes haha then I will tell you how it went

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7320393896947682566

This sounds like it would attract mosquitos! Let me know how that works out. I have been getting eaten alive this year.

 

[Jenn]

My decision to delay my trip makes me happier and happier by the day. Thank you all for your reports on the ground. It is helpful.

 

[Wally]

Off works the best with me. I tried some of those homemade potions that my wife tried but they didn't work at all for me. Hopefully the imports will all flood in soon.

 

[Bill]

Off works the best with me. I tried some of those homemade potions that my wife tried but they didn't work at all for me. Hopefully the imports will all flood in soon.

Same as me. Give me LOTS of DEET. It's the only thing that works.

 

[Sunny]

I tried to edit my post to update but found no Edit button. Anyway, here's my update:

We just got home after a busy day going places. Los of walking, too. This recipe WORKS! We saw mosquitos around us but they did not bite us. I still can't believe it. The same girl that showed this recipe also made the one with vanilla, she said that this works better, that's why I tried it.

It's very easy:
Half a liter water
A heaping teaspoon of cloves
A piece of cinnamon, about two inches
About 50 ml alcohol (she used 90% but I used the one I have at home, which is 70%)

Boil the cloves and cinnamon together for 5 minutes. Set aside. When it has reached room temperature, mix in the alcohol and pour it into a spray bottle. It smells a bit funny but not worse than OFF. I wouldn't spray it on white clothes because the infusion is brown and might discolor white fabric.

 

[Sunny]

How did your homemade repellent work out? Did it work? I found a super easy recipe that I will try today, just two ingredients: half a cup of water and 5 teaspoons of vanilla essence, the one we use for cakes haha then I will tell you how it went

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7320393896947682566

Amanda, scroll up to find the update to my post and the recipe. (I tried editing my post but couldn't - I will have to proofread more thoroughly before posting! 🤭)

 

[Wally]

I tried to edit my post to update but found no Edit button. Anyway, here's my update:

We just got home after a busy day going places. Los of walking, too. This recipe WORKS! We saw mosquitos around us but they did not bite us. I still can't believe it. The same girl that showed this recipe also made the one with vanilla, she said that this works better, that's why I tried it.

It's very easy:
Half a liter water
A heaping teaspoon of cloves
A piece of cinnamon, about two inches
About 50 ml alcohol (she used 90% but I used the one I have at home, which is 70%)

Boil the cloves and cinnamon together for 5 minutes. Set aside. When it has reached room temperature, mix in the alcohol and pour it into a spray bottle. It smells a bit funny but not worse than OFF. I wouldn't spray it on white clothes because the infusion is brown and might discolor white fabric.

Wow that sounds great! Thanks for posting the recipe. I will try it. Can't hurt. I just figured without the DEET it wouldn't work. I will check it out.

 

[Sunny]

Wow that sounds great! Thanks for posting the recipe. I will try it. Can't hurt. I just figured without the DEET it wouldn't work. I will check it out.

I hope it works for you too. I am a mosquito magnet, that's why I still can't believe this homemade thing works so well.

 

[Avocado]

I tried to edit my post to update but found no Edit button. Anyway, here's my update:

We just got home after a busy day going places. Los of walking, too. This recipe WORKS! We saw mosquitos around us but they did not bite us. I still can't believe it. The same girl that showed this recipe also made the one with vanilla, she said that this works better, that's why I tried it.

It's very easy:
Half a liter water
A heaping teaspoon of cloves
A piece of cinnamon, about two inches
About 50 ml alcohol (she used 90% but I used the one I have at home, which is 70%)

Boil the cloves and cinnamon together for 5 minutes. Set aside. When it has reached room temperature, mix in the alcohol and pour it into a spray bottle. It smells a bit funny but not worse than OFF. I wouldn't spray it on white clothes because the infusion is brown and might discolor white fabric.

Thanks to you for recipe. I am desperate and they say it will be easier to find repellant but still with problem and expensive. Maybe with global warming this new normal for Argentina with dengue. I will try you recipe @Sunny!

 

[Vince]

I hope it works for you too. I am a mosquito magnet, that's why I still can't believe this homemade thing works so well.

Bravo @Sunny for sharing this with us. My wife isn't crazy about using so much Deet with my kids. Will try this.

 

[Sunny]

Bravo @Sunny for sharing this with us. My wife isn't crazy about using so much Deet with my kids. Will try this.

I dislike it too, the smell is very strong and it feels sticky. The clove & cinnamon solution doesn't smell very nice to me either, but it dissipates after a while (or maybe I just get used to it, since it isn't as strong as OFF) and it doesn't feel sticky. And OFF is not very effective. A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to get a couple of cans of OFF green. I stepped out the pharmacy and started spraying myself and right in front of my face there was a mosquito trying to bite me and I stunk of OFF! 😳 That really made me wonder. Back in the States, when we went on hikes, we'd get OFF Deep Woods, which really kept the skeeters at bay but, oh, the stench.

 

[Sunny]

Thanks to you for recipe. I am desperate and they say it will be easier to find repellant but still with problem and expensive. Maybe with global warming this new normal for Argentina with dengue. I will try you recipe @Sunny!

You are welcome! I read that mosquitos are widening their range globally, unfortunately. We spent a few weeks in New Mexico a year ago and the mosquito variety that bites feet and ankles made our time there miserable.

There is too much water in the atmosphere since Mauna Loa volcano erupted in 2022 plus El Niño plus who knows what else... We will have to learn to cope with all these changes.

 

[Betsy Ross]

You are welcome! I read that mosquitos are widening their range globally, unfortunately. We spent a few weeks in New Mexico a year ago and the mosquito variety that bites feet and ankles made our time there miserable.

There is too much water in the atmosphere since Mauna Loa volcano erupted in 2022 plus El Niño plus who knows what else... We will have to learn to cope with all these changes.

I tried your recipe @Sunny and you are right so far it seems like it is working. But I hope you are wrong that this is the new normal. That would be miserable! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

 

[Sunny]

I tried your recipe @Sunny and you are right so far it seems like it is working. But I hope you are wrong that this is the new normal. That would be miserable! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

You are very welcome! The lower temperatures we are enjoying now will help too.