Make Your Own Pepper Spray

     After having a talk with my niece last night, I got to thinking about a few tricks I have learned in life.  She read the post about force multipliers and stun guns and was a little amazed that living here in Florida, nearly everyone has wasp and hornet spray, but they don't think of it as a self defense weapon.  

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     Wasp and hornet spray comes out of the can at high speed and sprays up to twenty feet.  The idea is that you don't want to stand too close to the nest when you are p***ing them off, so stand back and spray.  It also contains poison that kills bugs.  I told her I don't keep the spray as a self defense weapon, I keep it to kill bugs, specifically wasps and hornets.  However, if a situation comes up, I willingly submit to the laws of this state.  Your state, however is your problem.  Read your defensive spray laws.  

     However, since pepper spray is legal, I thought, I am a crafty person, why have I never tried to make my own pepper spray before?  So, I looked it up and funny, I have ALL the ingredients.  

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Free cowhorn pepper seeds

Very hot chili peppers are available at the grocery store on the Spanish foods and spice aisle.  It comes powdered, ground and ready to use.
Other sources for peppers are found in the condiment aisle.  The larger the store the more variety of pepper hot sauces available.  You may be familiar with the cayenne based Tabasco sauce, but, look for Ghost or Scorpion peppers.  They are a hotter pepper.  And, what is growing in your garden?  I have some peppers that are really just for looks, they are small and very powerful.  

     I am going to make a strong infusion with my pepper powder, and sauce combination using Everclear, as I would make any extract.  After I am confident my mix is dense and dangerous, I will filter the mix and take off the lid to let it evaporate some to take away about twenty percent of the liquid.   I understand you can refill a deodorant can and recharge it with butane, but, that seems like scary work.  You know, the kind that could blow up in your face and be illegal.  So, I am going to use a small spray bottle.  The travel sizes are too small to make an impression but a small cleaning solution bottle had several advantages.

     A small bottle can be carried in my big purse, or kept in the car within reach but still out of sight.  A small cleaning bottle also has a standard size screw on/off sprayer.  I have two alternatives to use, one; a spray nozzle from a foaming cleaner I use often or, two; a battery powered nozzle with continuous spray that lets me choose spray or mist.  I would use the spray setting.  These battery operated nozzles are available in the cleaning product aisles, I got mine at a Publix.  I use it for big shower areas so as to not have to keep pumping and pumping.  It has a normal spray range of about six to ten feet depending on the angle it is held.  

This experiment in self defense will take about a month to six weeks to extract the oils and make a good mix.  I will look up the laws pertaining to pepper spray and feral cats, raccoons and relatives........

        I'll get back to you, after the test!

If, however, I am harmed during the making of the infusion......handling carefully is a must.....I will buy pepper spray and decorate the container wik Contact paper, glitter, stickers and I'll claim I made it!!!!   or...if you are not crafty at all:

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