DIY Peppermint Bug Spray for Gardeners: A Natural, Skin-Safe Pest Control

 

Repel mosquitoes, ticks, and more without harsh chemicals or synthetic additives

If you’ve ever stepped outside and felt like a walking buffet for bugs, you’re not alone. Many gardeners and outdoor advocates turn to homemade sprays for protection but not all recipes are created equal. Some include dish soap or chemical additives that aren’t meant for prolonged skin contact.

This post offers a gentle, effective alternative: a peppermint-based spray that’s safe for skin, clothing, and conscience.

 

 The Safer DIY Recipe

This version skips the dish soap and uses witch hazel or vodka to help disperse the essential oils. It’s gentle enough for daily use and smells refreshingly minty.

Ingredients:

• 20 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 cups distilled water
• 1 tablespoon witch hazel or vodka
• Optional: 5 drops lavender or eucalyptus oil for added repellent power

Instructions:

1.    Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle.

2.    Shake well before each use.

3.    Spray on clothing, exposed skin, and gear before heading outdoors.

 

What Bugs Does It Repel?

Peppermint oil is a proven natural repellent against a wide range of pests. When used in a properly diluted spray, it helps deter ants, spiders, mosquitoes, roaches, moths, gnats, ticks, and flies including black flies, which are notoriously persistent. It’s also known to discourage mice from nesting or lingering in treated areas, thanks to its strong scent. This makes peppermint spray especially useful for gardeners, hikers, and outdoor advocates who want protection without resorting to harsh chemicals. Whether you're tending raised beds, walking wooded trails, or hosting a backyard gathering, this gentle blend offers a layer of defense that respects both your skin and your surroundings.

 

A Note on Dish Soap

While some DIY recipes include dish soap to help emulsify oils, it’s not designed for skin contact. Dawn and similar soaps contain surfactants that can strip your skin’s natural oils, leading to dryness, irritation, or allergic reactions. If you’re spraying your body or clothing, skip the soap.

⚠️ Pet Safety Warning: Peppermint oil is toxic to cats and may cause adverse reactions in dogs. Do not spray this mixture directly on pets or their bedding. Keep animals away from freshly treated areas until the scent has dissipated. Always consult your veterinarian before using essential oils around pets.

 

 Seasonal Note on Oak Mites

As fall approaches, many regions especially in the Midwest see a rise in oak tree mite activity. These microscopic pests (Pyemotes herfsi) often drop from infested oak trees and bite humans during outdoor tasks like leaf raking or yard cleanup. While peppermint oil may help deter certain insects and mites, it is not proven to prevent oak mite bites, especially when mites are airborne or already present on clothing. For best protection, wear long sleeves, avoid standing under infested trees, and shower promptly after outdoor exposure. This spray is intended as a general repellent, not a guaranteed barrier against oak mites.

 

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Source Links

For those who want to dig deeper into the science behind peppermint oil’s pest-repelling power, here are a few verified resources:

• The Science Behind Peppermint as a Pest Deterrent – Pesky Little Critters
• Is Peppermint Oil the Secret to a Bug-Free Home? – The Spruce
• The Buzz on Peppermint Oil: Does it Really Repel Bugs? – Kitchen Journal

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Author Disclaimer

This post reflects my personal experience and research as a wildlife advocate and past estate gardener. All recipes and recommendations are intended for educational purposes only. Always patch-test any spray before full use, and consult a healthcare provider if you have known sensitivities or allergies

Gardening to Relieve Stress: Great Therapy

In my desire to rid my body of stress, I put on my gardening gloves and went outdoors to do some hand-pulling of weeds in the flower garden.  Being outdoors and being productive is a good way to cleanse your body of any negative energy and anxiousness.

While I was gardening I could watch the birds at the ground feeder and in the distance I saw a groundhog posing on the river rock.   The garden was alive with wildlife and biting bugs which I found took away from the good feelings I was getting from the garden.

My garden after a day of removing weeds

Whenever I perspire it seems the gnats go for my eyes and they are aggravating.  I sprayed myself with deep woods off before going outdoors but I do not spray my face.  So I went and got the protective glasses that I wear when I am painting or doing other home improvement projects.  The glasses worked but then my ankle felt itchy and sure enough there was a tick crawling on me.

The bugs in the garden were going against my stress-free therapy so I went to the shed to look for the natural pest control that I got at amazon.com and found that the mosquito and other biting insects barrier was empty so I went inside and put some diatomaceous earth food grade in a powder sugar shaker and then went back to the garden to dust the gardens with the natural pest control.

Diatomaceous earth food grade safely rids garden of biting bugs

 

Normally it takes 20 minutes for the DE food grade to kill any ticks, fleas, chiggers, mites, and ants that may be lurking in the garden.   By tomorrow morning the garden pest will be gone and I can resume my gardening therapy to get rid of stress.

I really love gardening especially when I need to overcome stress or feeling of anxiousness but hate when the bugs bite me and make me feel itchy.

Preventing Bug Bites While Gardening

If I was ever going to enjoy the garden again I knew I would have to take steps to prevent the bugs from biting me.  This year the biting bugs; mosquitoes, chiggers, ticks, and fleas have taken the fun out of gardening. Two days ago while doing a hand pull in my hosta garden I was bitten by, several bugs.

I was so itchy that I stopped what I was doing and ran inside to take a hot shower with Yardley of London antibacterial hand soap, flowering English lavender herbal scent.  The hot soapy shower killed the germs and safely removed the roaming chiggers from my skin and lessened itchy mosquito and other bug bites.

Normally I spray myself before going out to the garden with deep woods off but I know that with the wildlife; deer, raccoon, skunk, wild turkey, groundhog, coyote, and bobcat coming into my yard that there are probably other biting bugs lurking.

I decided to address the bugs in my yard and garden by treating my entire yard with a concentrated garlic formula that will safely kill and repel mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, chiggers, and some wildlife from my yard. I found an all-natural product at amazon.com MOSQUITO BARRIER – LIQUID SPRAY REPELLENT -1 GALLON.  I read the reviews and they were favorable plus I liked that it was natural 100% garlic and would not harm my family or my pets.

Granted this organic pest control costs more but I will tell you it is worth it.  There is a garlic smell and it is potent but the smell is what repels and kills the biting bugs and you get used to it.