Gathered fresh yarrow leaves, chopped them, put them in jar and poured vodka over them. I will let them macerate (soak) for at least two weeks, then I will strain and press the mixture, put it in a spray bottle and use it for mosquito spray. This is supposed to be as effective as DEET. I will let you know!
Also made tick repellent using lavender and rosemary essential oils and put that in a little roll-on bottle. Will experiment with this mix and make a few more different blends to find out which is most effective against local ticks. Now if I can just remember to use it!