When I shared with friends at school that we would be venturing to the Amazon for spring break I received lots of advice. One being to make and bring our own bug spray for a couple reasons: 1. Amazon bugs are supernatural and may not be phased by your normal store bought spray. 2. Its better to take natural spray because sprays containing high levels of deet and other chemicals are not only harmful to you, but to the environment. After sending several people to several different stores, we finally found what we needed and decided to get together after school one day to throw together a giant spray of bug repellent. Luckily, there were three science teachers so we had access to lab and other helpful tools.
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| Grinding up camphor tablets |
- 250 mL alcohol
- 250 mL "menticol"
- 6 camphor tablets
- 1 oz. 10% "Eurax"
- 2 Tbsp citronella essence
- 3 Tbsp Johnson's baby oil
- Nopikex soap
The process was fairly simple; after crushing the Nopikex soap and camphor tablets (which I learned is the science-y name for moth balls) with a mortar and pestle we combined all the ingredients together and stirred. A lot. The website with the recipe said to use a blender, but we certainly weren't going to use the same one we use for food and purchasing one for the occasion wasn't exactly ideal. Hence, the excessive stirring.
What we got were concoctions in various shades of yellowish-green that smelled, well, like bug spray. After testing it for a week in the Amazon, I would say the stuff works pretty well. It doesn't last as long as I would like, so repeated applications are necessary, but when I did have it on, I wasn't bothered by the mosquitoes or other biting insects. So I'd say that in This Stuff vs Amazonian Insects, this stuff wins. Next time you head to the Amazon, or any other insect infested areas, give it a try.
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