Essential oils for bug repellent?

Mosquitoes are fairly easy to repel (compared to some other insect pests). Use Cedarwood, Citronella, Eucalyptus citriadora, Lavender, Patchouli, Peppermint or Sandalwood.

Use a spray bottle with one cup of water, 10-15 drops of essential oil and 1/2 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Shake before using & spray clothing, the room or your skin.

Pennyroyal also works extremely well. However, it is potentially toxic so use with caution and not around pregnant women or babies. Use only on clothing. I know people who use it to repel biting flies around a horse barn.

Cedar and sulfur are the ingredients in Skin-so-Soft original bath oil that helped it to get a reputation as a bug repellent. The oiliness helps too, especially against crawling bugs like chiggers and ticks.

Citronella oil. It's so easy and very effective. You can buy a small bottle of essential oil from a health store and dilute it with a carrier oil such as apricot kernel oil.

Taking a vitamin B complex is said to repel mosquitoes. I was doubtful that it would work but I took it in Thailand where there are MANY mosquitoes. I noticed that I was still bitten a few times but when I ran out of tablets the insects attacked noticeably much more.

Citronella oil. Just like the citronella candles that keep mosquitoes away. Another thing that works real well is the SSS bath oil from Avon. For some strange reason, mosquitoes hate the smell and will not get near you. I've been using this for years now. It smells good, keeps bugs away, and it softens your skin.

I've used the Mint (peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint) family to prevent bugs

I've used Lavender, Clary Sage.

http://www.herbalremedies.com/herinrepwlem.html

its Bert's and bee's herbal insect repellent. It works SOOO GOOD!! I recommend to everyone! Its not even to expensive. they sell it in basically every store. Target, walmart, drugstores, natural stores. Try it please, and one of the best things about it is that the smell is refreshing, it doesn't stink like every other bug repellent! (and all ingrediants are natural :)

most essential oils, coming from plants, will attract the little pests. But you might try marigold if that is the route you wish to try. I use fabric softener sheets, the kind you put in the dryer? I find tucking one or two of those in my pockets keeps me fairly free of biting pests.

there is a oil called purification and it is from young living, it works great! I put it on the logs before a bon fire, and no bugs! :)

Eucalyptus Oil is good.

Citronella & cinnamon

eucalyptus, mint, and lemon mix