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How to properly make and use yarrow as a broad spectrum insect repelling herbal tincture (including ticks) which has a reputation for being stronger than DEET.
My family recently spent the day at a local beach on a large lake. The horseflies proved to be very annoying and painful, which was surprising given the strong, direct sunshine in the middle of the day.
I really wished I’d brought along a small spray bottle of homemade yarrow tincture as protection.
Yarrow Herb
Note that crushing yarrow leaves and stems and rubbing them on yourself does not really work very well (neither does citronella, by the way). The yarrow potency needs to be concentrated via tincture.
Herbalist extraordinaire Susun Weed of the Wise Woman Herbal series of books says that the United States Army studied yarrow and found a tincture of this herb outperforms DEET in repelling ticks and mosquitoes.
One thing is for sure. Avoiding DEET insect repellents no matter what is a wise parenting decision.
This stuff is so highly toxic – possibly worse than even spraying neighborhoods for mosquitoes. It isn’t worth it to ever use, in my opinion.
It has been known to cause seizures in young children even at low potency. In addition, a review of the scientific literature turns up 17 cases of DEET-induced toxic encephalopathy in children (1).
The one drawback is that yarrow tincture does not remain effective as long as DEET. So, it needs to be reapplied often. I was unable to find a source for this study, so you will have to try it and see if you agree.
Ms. Weed suggests spraying yourself with yarrow tincture every 20-30 minutes if the insects are heavy. If not, every couple of hours should be sufficient.
Yarrow works for repelling horseflies and other insects that are bothering your horse when you are riding too.
How to Make Yarrow Tincture
The best tinctures are made yourself at home with freshly picked plants.
Buying a commercially prepared tincture from the store made with dried plants is not as potent.
Fortunately, finding fresh yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is not that hard as it is a common plant that grows wild all around the world in temperate regions. Â
It has lovely, long-lasting flowers that may be white, yellow, red, or pink. Susun Weed suggests the white or pink yarrow varieties as the best ones to tincture. She recommends picking the flowers, flower buds, seeds, stalk and leaves from the top third of the plant.
Preparing the yarrow tincture is performed as follows:
- Discard any damaged yarrow plant material
- Do not wash any of the yarrow with the exception of the roots and only with water and if necessary.
- Coarsely chop the yarrow plant parts except for the flower and buds.
- Fill a jar to the top with the chopped yarrow. You don’t leave an inch like when you are fermenting food and drinks.
- Pour in 100-proof vodka or vinegar. I would suggest vodka as a better choice because a tincture made with a vinegar base will make you pretty smelly if you spray yourself with it. Tip: use potato vodka if there is a gluten sensitivity in your home.
- Cap the jar.
- Label the jar with the date and type of plant used (yarrow).
- The next day, top up the liquid. The level will go down slightly as the plant material absorbs the liquid.
- Leave in the home medicine cabinet or on the counter for a minimum of 6 weeks.
- Strain the tincture into a spray bottle. It is now ready to use.
DIY Method Using Dried Herbs
If you absolutely cannot source fresh yarrow to make this insect repellent tincture, you can use dried yarrow. Just know that it will not be as potent and you will most likely have to respray yourself more often to achieve satisfactory results.
Note that powdered yarrow is not suitable for tinctures. You can only use the dried yarrow root, as the dried flowers, buds, stems, and leaves will not retain enough potency after drying.
Place two ounces of the dried yarrow root in a pint jar. Â Add 10 ounces of 100-proof vodka.
Cap and label as described above.
Top up with more vodka over the next week as necessary.
Leave for 6 weeks and then strain it for use.
Prefer to Buy?
If you are planning outdoor activities soon and don’t have enough time to brew your own yarrow tincture, there are places to buy it that are reputable.
This yarrow tincture is local to my area and a good one to consider.
Whatever source you buy from, be sure to get tincture made from the yarrow plant and not the flower itself.
How to Use
Note that a properly made yarrow tincture is appropriate as a broad-spectrum insect repellent, but especially for mosquitoes, ticks, horse flies, and deer flies (this deer fly trap is great for prevention too).
Apply liberally to areas of the body you wish to protect.
Application to clothing and hair is also effective. Take care to avoid the eyes.
References
Wise Woman Herbal Series
Herbal Adventures with Susun Weed
Herbal Pharmacy: Making a Tincture
More Information
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Natural Fire Ant Killer that Works FAST
Fast and Effective Fly Repellent
Attracting and Using Ladybugs for Garden Pest Control
How to Resolve a Flea Infestation Naturally
Quick and Easy Homemade Fly Trap
Spider Repellent Guaranteed to Work
Fast Acting Mosquito Bite Remedy That’s Probably Already in Your Kitchen
Wow, I will be trying this! Now, not trying to be neg, Sarah, but I have done some research on Disney, and they are not the “good” guys they portend to be…everyone has to make their own decision, but it is good to let people know to do some research. Thanks for the good info!
I know Disney isn’t what it seems, but we love going there. We go several times a year (to different parks or just to hang out in Downtown Disney and shop/see a show etc) and have a great time every single time.
People!!! Please read the article, wow all the questions you are posting for poor Sarah when she has already explained all of them in the article. Try reading first and reading also all comments to see if somebody else had the same question answered by Sarah. Sarah you have too much patience!!! Bless you.
I know Susan Weed says that white or pink are more potent, but I only have yellow yarrow in my yard, and they haven’t flowered yet. Being in Colorado, we aren’t horribly buggy, but it would be great to have something around. Do you think the yellow would be effective as well?
Yes, it would still work. If that’s all you have fresh, then definitely make it.
Once the tincture is complete, how long is it potent for?
Many, many months. You will likely use it up long before it’s no longer good. You will know it’s lost its potency though, when it no longer keeps the bugs away 🙂
Actually, tinctures retain their potency for years.
Is there any fragrance from yarrow? I don’t ever remember one, but I was wondering as I don’t do well with even natural oil fragrances. If there is some, maybe the root powder recipe might be more neutral? Thank you. Sounds like a great alternative to toxic repellants. 🙂
Yes there is a fragrance. But, it is not unpleasant at least to me. Feel free once the tincture is prepared properly to add a drop or two of essential oils to add the fragrance you desire. I prefer as is. I don’t know if adding additional essential oils will affect potency, however. I don’t think it would.
Lavender would be good to add, as it too repels insects, and adds a refreshing fragrance.
Do you know how long the yarrow tincture will last? Thank you.
Unrefined virgin coconut oil with a few drops of lavender oil does the trick on the nasty mosquitos we have in the FL summer. Apply on skin and they won’t sting through.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Can you use dried herb and is it as effective?
Thanks for the recipe!
No… dried herb is not as effective and powdered yarrow won’t work at all. This is discussed above in the article if you need specifics.
This is great information!
One question: So no flowers or buds to go into the jar, just plant and root?
Thanks.
Flowers, buds, stems and leaves all go in the jar coarsely chopped (top third of the plant). They just can’t be used if dried … only fresh.
The article “recommends picking the flowers, flower buds, seeds, stalk, and leaves from the top third of the plant”, but then goes on to say in the instructions, “Do not wash any of the yarrow with the exception of the roots and only with water and if necessary.” So why wash the roots if they’re not even supposed to be picked as part of the recipe?
Also it says, “Coarsely chop the yarrow plant parts except the flower and buds”, but just above this comment you say, “Flowers, buds, stems and leaves all go in the jar coarsely chopped (top third of the plant).” So, which is it?
If you notice in the instructions, the roots are used ONLY if dried yarrow is being used.
Just wondering…..could the alcohol in the Vodka be too strong for some people’s skin? If it is like regular rubbing alcohol, I don’t think it would bother me.
I don’t think it would bother you at all … the alcohol would dry off very fast like with alcohol based hand sanitizers.