How and Why to Repel Insects Naturally

Mother Nature Knows Best

If you visit the island of Puerto Rico, you’ll want to experience the magnificent El Yunque Rainforest, a biodiverse paradise with waterfalls and lush trails through a unique ecosystem. It’s the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. 

You’ll want to use an insect repellent. Because El Yunque management’s first obligation is to preserve and protect this precious habitat, they sell Herbaria Citronella Mist at the El Portal shop in the Visitor Center. They have been selling it for years. 

Herbaria’s relationship with our National Parks began over twenty years ago when we were approached to create an insect-repellent soap for campers. They trusted us to make a product that would be all-natural, safe for people and the environment. 

Your First Line of Defense: Camper’s Choice Soap

Our answer was the bar now known as Camper’s Choice. The soap contains eight selected plant essential oils with natural compounds known to repel mosquitoes, flies, and ticks. 

Essential oils contain plant chemicals, or phytochemicals, with technical names such as citronellal, geraniol, citronellol, limonene, to mention a few. These amazing biological chemicals evolved over hundreds of millions of years to protect plants from insect pests. 

Citronella Mist: An All-Natural Bug Spray

Camper’s Choice soap’s success led us to make a spray with the same potent essential oils. We named it Citronella Mist, because citronella is so widely known—registered as an insect repellent since 1948. 

Shower with Camper’s Choice (try the Camper’s Choice Luffa), then spray Citronella Mist as often as you like throughout the day. Mosquitoes are attracted to your expelled CO2 and other body odors. The pleasant scent of these essential oils helps make you invisible to the buggers. 

Essential Oils in Camper’s Choice and Citronella Mist

• Lemon eucalyptus essential oil is distilled from the tree, Corymbia citriodora (formerly Eucalyptus citriodora). It’s especially effective against mosquitoes. Used in perfumery, it smells lemony, as the species epithet implies. This essential oil is not to be confused with synthetic "oil of lemon eucalyptus," a.k.a. para-menthane-3,8-diol, used in many commercial repellents.
• Catnip Nepeta cataria essential oil contains the compound nepetalactone, which is considered 10 times stronger than DEET, according to an Iowa State University study.
• Citronella Cymbopogon nardus essential oil is steam-distilled from a tropical grass in the same genus as lemongrass. It has been registered as an insect repellent in the United States since 1948. The United States Environmental Protection Agency considers citronella oil a biopesticide with a non-toxic mode of action. 
• Lemongrass Cymbopogon flexuosus and thyme Thymus sp. essential oils are active ingredients in Minimum Risk Pesticides as classified by FIFR. (The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act is a U.S. federal law, overseen by the EPA.)
• Lavender Lavandula sp., basil Ocimum basilicum, and patchouli Pogostemon cablin essential oils are said to repel insects. They contribute to the tantalizing scent of Citronella Mist. (Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised to avoid basil essential oil, though the amount of this oil in Citronella Mist is negligible.)

Safe and Healthy Choice

Citronella Mist smells lemony fresh and is safe around food. Don't you hate it when, at a picnic or barbecue, someone sprays those noxious, stinky, toxic DEET-based repellents, like Off! or Cutter's? Please, no! 

Non-Greasy Feel On Skin

Many commercial bug repellents claim hours of protection. Do you really want those oily, potentially toxic chemicals on your dear, porous skin for any amount of time? We don't brag about how many hours of protection you get with one application. You can safely mist as often as you like, to suit your biochemistry or surroundings. 

Cooling Mist

In summer's heat, you'll appreciate the light, cooling spray from Citronella Mist. It's free of greasy oils and drying alcohol. Citronella Mist ingredients include only essential oils and distilled water. Without added emulsifiers to combine the oil and water, the bottle needs a good shake before use.

Can I Use Citronella Mist on the Dog?

When mosquitoes are biting, we spray our dog’s coat before going outdoors. Additionally, we use heartworm, flea, and tick control from the veterinarian.

Don’t Be Fooled By Imitations

Note that synthetic citronella, often found in candles labeled as "citronella fragrance oil," is a lab-created scent intended to mimic natural citronella essential oil. Unlike pure citronella, synthetic versions often lack insect-repelling properties and serve only as a fragrance.

Additional Protection

It helps to turn on a fan to disrupt mosquitoes' flight.  They're not good flyers, and a breeze helps keep them away. 

Ticks are problematic, carrying several nasty ailments and causing dreaded alpha-gal syndrome. Read our suggestions on how to repel ticks here under the heading Additional Protection. 

Natural Insect Repellent For Ants In Your Home

We prefer non-toxic solutions for eliminating insect pests in our homes, as well. We don’t appreciate ants invading our kitchen, so we have an all-natural answer for that—Ant Away.  

Ants communicate through pheromones, laying scent tracks to signal their fellow ants. Jam those signals naturally with Herbaria Ant Away, and they will soon move on. It works with its essential oils, notably strong-scented ones such as cinnamon, cassia, and clove. 

The most common ant you'll find in your kitchen is the odorous house ant, a.k.a. the coconut ant. Doesn't necessarily mean your kitchen is dirty. The ants are drawn even to clean kitchens seeking moisture, warmth, and food particles.  

You Needn’t Kill Ants

You can simply encourage them to leave your premises. Ant Away meets the “minimum risk pesticide” requirements exempted from FIFRA regulations (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) under the United States Environmental Protection Agency. We're not happy that our Ant Away must be classified as a pesticide. "Cide" implies killing, and you're only sending them merrily on their way.

Visit Us Online or in St. Louis

There are testers in the shop for you to smell these products. Too bad you can't smell how good they smell online. All Herbaria goods are “satisfaction guaranteed.”

Enjoy the outdoors and your toxic-free home!