I caught wind of using vanilla extract as bug repellent a little while ago, and to be honest, I had a hard time believing it. Vanilla is arguably my favourite scent in existence, and considering it smells so sweet and lovely, I wouldn’t think it would be something that would be effective in keeping insects away. I decided to do a bit of research on the matter, and lo and behold, vanilla extract as bug spray is a thing, and furthermore, I’m going to share with all of you how to go about making some of your own. This information comes from hunker.com.
“How to Make an Insect Repellent With Vanilla Extract
“THINGS YOU’LL NEED
“1. Buy Pure Vanilla
“If you really want to repel insects, don’t just use any old bottle of vanilla extract that you have lying in the pantry. Make sure you’re using pure vanilla extract, which you can purchase online or at a health food store. Look for products that are pure vanilla extract with no additives, like sugar and alcohol. Sugar may actually attract insects, not repel them.
“2. Add Vanilla to Spray Bottle
“Add about 1 tablespoon of your pure vanilla extract to an empty spray bottle.
“3. Mix in Water
“Mix 1 tablespoon of pure water into the spray bottle with vanilla. Close the bottle and swish it around to thoroughly mix the solution. Optionally, you can add other natural insect repellants here. Peppermint oil, citronella oil, and lemongrass oil all work well.
“4. Spray the Repellent Where Needed
“Now that you have your vanilla extract solution mixed, feel free to spritz it throughout your house. You can even spray it on yourself, applying it to your wrists and ankles to ward off pests before you go outside. Vanilla extract is a great topical insect repellent because it’s safe to apply to your skin without irritation. It also won’t damage household surfaces,” the web page explains.
There ya have it, friends. I’ll be trying this one out myself.
ontheedgeofeverything 
add a tablspooon to what size spray bottle? There’s a big difference between a 2oz spray bpttlle and an 8 ounce
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Hi there, and thank you for reading. The size of the bottle won’t make a difference if you’re using what the recipe asks for in terms of ingredient quantity. 🙂
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so it’s basically a 1 to 1 ratio? If we have a large spray bottle, we’d use 4oz water with 4oz vanilla extract?
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Hi there! From what I can gather from the original site, yes, it’s a 1 to 1 ratio. 🙂 so you’re correct! Thank you for reading.
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