Bugger Off: Botanical Insect Repellent Spray

Bugger Off Insect Repellent
Your plant-powered line against biting, buzzing pests who don't know when to quit.

Catnip carries this one, and not just because it's easy to grow — seventy catnip plugs are going into the border plantings specifically to keep this bottle stocked. Its active compound has actually outperformed DEET in lab studies for repelling mosquitoes, which is a strange thing to say about a plant most people only know from the pet aisle.

Spearmint backs it up, crisp and clean, a scent bugs have never much cared for. Rosemary sharpens the blend and carries an old folk reputation for keeping unwanted things at bay, sharp and herbal. Bay leaf brings centuries of Mediterranean tradition to the same job, and eucalyptus closes it out — camphorous, menthol-heavy, deeply unwelcome to anything with six legs.

Carried in sunflower oil, witch hazel, grain alcohol, and water, kept light and fast-drying so it doesn't sit heavy on skin in July.

How to use: Shake well. Spritz on exposed skin, clothing, and around shoes before heading out. Reapply every 60–90 minutes in heavy bug territory.

Ingredients: Catnip (Nepeta cataria), spearmint (Mentha spicata), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), bay leaf (Laurus nobilis), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), sunflower oil, witch hazel, grain alcohol, water.

Cautions: Do not spray on face, broken skin, or pets. External use only.

Grown here for exactly this reason.

Crafted at Elder Creek Farm · Scott County, Indiana.