homemade mosquitoefly sprays

[keithr@nocdc.bc.ca (Ann Hatfield)]

I've used something similar to that and found it mildly successful. I was
forced to find an alternative to commercial fly spray when our pony became
quite alergic to most commercial concoctions.

 I use water, some mineral oil, citronella, peppermint oil and then, for
the others, add commercial fly/mosquitoe spray, and for all eventually
lots of DEET when the bugs get really bad.  I'm sorry, i don't remember the
proportions other than that I begin with about 1 quart  water and about 1/2
cup of mineral oil and about 1 oz of each of the other oils.  As this mix
becomes less effective, as the darn mosquitoes get worse, I add a few more
drops and a few more of the oils until the mix smells quite strongly of
citronella.  Then I add commercial fly spray until it is about 1/3 of the
mixture.  Finally I add about 1 oz of Deep Woods Off or some other nasty,
poisonous, carcinogenic junk because the homemade just isn't effective here
at the height of the mosquitoe season.  As the bugs taper off I reduce the
DEET until I'm back to just the oils and water.  Unfortunately the flys are
far less effected by my homemade than the mosquitoes, so the addition of
the comercial fly stuff.   I think you will find that with the mix
containing the Skin So Soft, too, and that the mosquitoes are not much put
off by it , either.

Ann