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Summer on a Nebraska farm is a beautiful thing. It’s also a buggy thing.
Mosquitoes at dusk. Gnats in your face while you’re trying to work the garden. Flies that won’t leave the dogs alone. And little ones who want to be outside from sunup to sundown — which is exactly where they should be.
The problem? Most of the bug sprays you reach for at the store come with a warning right on the label: not for use on young children. And honestly, when I flipped over a bottle of OFF and started reading the ingredient list, I put it right back down.
I needed something that actually worked — and something I could feel good about spraying on three kids’ arms and legs before they ran out the door.
Why I Started Making My Own Bug Repellent
A few summers ago, I found a store-bought natural bug spray I loved. It worked on everything — mosquitoes, flies, gnats, even those maddening no-see-ums. Safe for the whole family, and one bottle lasted us nearly a year.
Then, right in the peak of summer, it went out of stock.
I was almost completely out, it was July in Nebraska, and I was not about to let the bugs win. So I dug into DIY recipes and started experimenting.
What I landed on has become a permanent staple in our home. Simple ingredients, easy to make, and it works.
What We Use It For
We spray this on arms and legs every time the kids head outside. I’ll be honest — the proof was in the forgetting. The days one of them slipped out without it? They came back in with bites. The days we remembered? Nothing.
They actually started asking for it themselves. Kids requesting bug spray might be the best product review I’ve ever gotten.
Beyond the kids, this spray has been a staple for our dogs too. Our Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix — he was the one who started it all. Flies loved to burrow into his ears in the summer heat, and this spray kept them away without anything harsh near his eyes or skin. We used it on our heelers over the years for the same reason. These days it goes on our black lab’s ears and on the nose of our livestock guardian dog, who spends his days out in the field where the flies are relentless.
DIY Kid-Safe Bug Spray Recipe
This recipe makes about 4 oz — enough to keep in a basket by the back door all summer long. I use a glass spray bottle, which holds up better with the essential oils over time.
Ingredients
- 10 drops Purification essential oil blend
- 10 drops Peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops Citronella essential oil
- 10 drops Lemongrass essential oil
- 10 drops Eucalyptus Radiata essential oil
- 10 drops Thieves essential oil blend
- 4 oz witch hazel
- 4 oz distilled water
Instructions
- Add all essential oils to your glass spray bottle.
- Pour in the witch hazel.
- Top off with distilled water.
- Cap tightly and shake well.
- Shake before every use — the oils will separate between sprays.
That’s it. Five minutes, a handful of ingredients, and you’ve got a summer’s worth of protection.
A Few Notes on This Recipe
On the oils: I use Young Living for all the oils in this recipe — Purification and Thieves are both YL blends, and the quality matters when you’re putting something on your kids’ skin. You can grab them here through my affiliate link.
On the witch hazel: Look for an alcohol-based witch hazel (most standard brands work fine) — it helps the oils disperse and acts as a natural preservative.
On kids and pets: This has worked well for our family, including young children and our dogs. That said, always do a small patch test first, especially for little ones with sensitive skin, and avoid spraying near the face. For pets, I spray it on my hand and rub it onto their ears, nose, and any other problem spots rather than spraying directly.
Not a DIYer? No shame in that. You can find a similar pre-made kid-safe option here that I’ve also used and trusted.
The Bigger Picture
I love this recipe not just because it works, but because it’s one of those small ways I get to know exactly what’s going on my family’s skin. That matters to me. Especially out here, where we’re outside constantly — working the farm, playing in the yard, checking on the animals.
You don’t have to overhaul your whole medicine cabinet overnight. But swapping out one product at a time, starting with something you’re already reaching for every single day? That’s a good place to start.
Here’s to a summer full of bare feet, back porch evenings, and not a single bug bite.
Have you made a DIY bug spray before? Drop a comment and let me know what works for your family — I’d love to hear it.
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