Do you live in a place where there are a lot of insects when the weather gets warm? Whether you have to worry about mosquitos, ticks, or even flies, many of these insects will stay away when exposed to certain scents. Chemical bug repellents are effective, but the chemicals can be harsh on the body and irritate the skin. If you're interested in adopting a lifestyle of chemical free living, bug sprays are something that you can easily replace by making your own.

This recipe can help repel bugs such as mosquitoes, ticks, and black flies. However, keep in mind that you should always stay safe. Review your concerns about insect bites with you doctor. You'll also want to let your doctor know about the essential oils that you may be using.

Natural Bug Repellent Spray Recipe Ingredients:

Sterilized Spray Bottle (about 12 ounces)

1/2 cup witch hazel

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon vodka

1/2 cup witch hazel

20 drops geranium essential oil

20 drops eucalyptus essential oil

15 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops citronella essential oil

10 drops lemon essential oil

10 drops lemongrass essential oil

Instructions to Make Natural Bug Repellent Spray:

Pour the watch hazel, white vinegar, water, and vodka into the spray bottle. Cover it and shake it to distribute the ingredients.

Remove the cap to the bottle and add the geranium, eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, lemon, and lemongrass essential oils. Cover it again and shake well.

Let the mixture sit in a cool, dry place for at least one our before using it. Be sure to shake the bottle well just before using it.

You may have looked at the list of essential oils and gotten a tad overwhelmed. Sure, there are a lot of oils here, but there is a reason why I selected them. First of all, geranium is a well known tick repellent. The rest of the oils repel black flies and mosquitoes. If you can't find any of these oils, be sure that you understand which insects they are thought to repel before you omit or replace them with another essential oil.