Make Outdoor Gardening Easier With A Natural DIY Mosquito Spray

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

An afternoon in the garden should be relaxing. Just you, the fresh air, and your favorite plants. However, more often than not, buzzing mosquitoes end up in the picture, ruining an otherwise idyllic setting. These pests are attracted to standing water ... or perhaps a flowering plant that's inviting unwanted mosquitoes into your garden. At the end of the day, you're left with itchy welts on your body.

If you prefer avoiding chemicals, you may already be using essential oils for gardening. The next time you're working in your yard or enjoying the outdoors, try using sandalwood essential oil as a mosquito repellent. Sandalwood is a category of evergreen trees found throughout Asia and the Pacific Islands, with the most popular varieties in India and Australia. The smell of burning sandalwood leaves and bark — as well as incense sticks, sprays, and balms — can potentially repel mosquitoes. The oil also is used to ease anxiety and stress (an added bonus if you're using it as a mosquito deterrent) and as a fragrance for cosmetics and perfumes. Plus, sandalwood oil may have antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, among other benefits. 

To make a natural mosquito repellent, mix five drops of sandalwood essential oil (like Hiqili sandalwood essential oils) for every ¼ cup of water and store the solution in a dark glass spray bottle. Opt for glass, since some essential oils can break down plastic. A dark container will protect its contents from ultraviolet rays from sunlight, ensuring that the oil maintains its potency. Spray this onto your skin or douse cotton balls with the solution and place them around the yard while you're gardening.

Another DIY option is to create a repellent that you could roll or massage onto your skin. Start with a ¼ cup to a ½ cup of carrier oil (like olive, coconut, or jojoba) and add 10 drops of sandalwood oil. Make sure it's combined well before massaging it onto your skin. To amplify your efforts, try lighting sandalwood incense sticks or experimenting with this orange peel hack that could keep mosquitoes out of your yard. 

Research that has been done on essential oils — including sandalwood — as a mosquito deterrent has promising results. Although sandalwood was not the most effective of all the options tested, it was among the list of essential oils that proved to repel various species of mosquitoes for eight hours, according to a report published in Malaria Journal. (In case you want to try using other oils as a repellent, Ligusticum sinense extract, a plant commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, scored the highest in its effectiveness, followed by citronella, pine, peppermint, and a few others.) In addition, sandalwood oil is known to be generally safe for topical use, with a low percentage of people developing allergic reactions or skin irritation.