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Those sunbathing beauties in the photo? They’re vanilla beans, soaking up rays like retirees in Florida. My late mother-in-law was a professional chef who put extra vanilla into any baked good she ever made for us. It was deliciously addictive—like cookies with a criminal record!
We were already vanilla superfans—baked goods, air fresheners, perfumes. So when we heard it could repel mosquitoes, too? Well, that was just icing on the cupcake! Imagine our absolute delight when we recently learned that an old Appalachian remedy for “keepin’ them skeeters off you” is to mix vanilla with plain old water, then spray yourself with it. Wha-a-a-a-a-t? We decided to test this natural version of bug repellent. After all, what could be simpler than using vanilla directly from my kitchen cabinet? It’s considerably cheaper, too, since I always have an abundant supply of vanilla on hand.
I served as the guinea pig, since I’m the one that gets giant welts rather than ordinary bite bumps whenever mosquitos attack. We thoroughly scrubbed an old Windex bottle—because smelling like glass cleaner would ruin the whole ‘gourmet bug spray’ vibe. Next, we poured in about a quarter cup of vanilla. Finally, we filled the bottle to the brim with water, shook it really hard, and then sprayed my clothes and skin with the mixture. What followed was a bug-free few hours while sitting in the grass at a Friday night concert. I came home without a single bite, which is unheard of for me!
We did spend some time wondering if the whole thing might be coincidental. So, in the name of slightly-scented research, we grabbed the bug spray and hit the concert circuit again. It turned out that it wasn’t a fluke. Once again, I came home bite-free! And then there was a bonus. I smelled really nice!