DIY fly repellent

I got hold of the below recipes somehow, can't remember where they came from, I swear by the citronella one and I add other things, lavender oil, tea tree .....

Recipe 1 - Horses with sensitive skin (citronella free):

• 1 Cup- Water
• 1 Cup- Skin So Soft Bath Oil (Woodland Fresh, Avon Product)
• 2 Cups-Vinegar
• 1 Table Spoon- Eucalyptus Oil (found in health food stores / chemists)

Shake spray bottle well before spraying on horse.


Recipe 2 – Original Formula Makes Up to 4 litres of fly spray

• 4 Tea Bags
• 30ml Pure Citronella (Chemist bought) - NB: NOT Citronella Oil (used for candles only!!!)
• 25ml Tea Tree Oil (Chemist bought)
• Malt Vinegar (half a mug)
• Boiling Water (1 litre of water)
• A container or spray bottle

Fill and boil kettle and pour approx 1 litre of water in with 4 tea bags into suitable container and leave to cool.
Once cooled remove tea bags and add half a mug of malt vinegar,
Then mix and add 25ml of T Tree oil,
Mix again and add 30ml of Citronella,
Mix and dilute to make approximately 4 Litres of fly spray

Pour fly spray into suitable container (liquid tight) - that you can either spray or apply with sponge if your horse doesn’t like sprays.

You will be able to make this recipe your own by trial- stronger concentrate obviously lasts longer on application; the above is suitable to be effective if applied twice a day.


Other tips & hints to help you through a fly free summer:

1. White wine vinegar, water and any combination of citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, sandalwood or tea tree oils
Mix a few drops of each essential oil into a little washing-up liquid and add to the vinegar and water. Put the resultant mixture into a spray bottle and shake well before using. Variations include the addition of strong, cold tea instead of water, crushed garlic (although this can clogs the 'spray' mechanism of the bottle), meths, and Dettol.
2. Take a large lemon with a thick rind and slice thinly. Place in a bowl with a few sprigs of rosemary and cover both in boiling water. Allow to steep overnight and strain the mixture the following morning. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake before applying. A similar response seems to be had by doing the same with leaves, stems and flowers from Elder bushes. (Slipping flowering elder twigs through your horse’s brow band can also act as a fly repellent.)
3. Mix one part crushed garlic to five parts water. Shake the mixture and leave overnight. Strain and pour liquid into a spray bottle.
4. An internal fly repellent. The addition of garlic to a horse's feed causes the skin to secrete garlic-scented oils that deter flies. Garlic powder can be bought from most saddleries and feed merchants.
5. Adding a little vinegar or cider vinegar to a horse’s water raises the pH of the horse’s blood sufficiently to put flies off from biting.
6. Avon’s ‘Skin-So-Soft’ bath oil product is sworn by as a fly deterrent. The above recipes can also be used on humans.
 
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