Everyone looks forward to summer, schools are out, long sunny days, vacations, and barbecues with friends and family, but one thing no one looks forward to is the mosquitoes. Relentless in their nature, mosquito repellants will try to outsmart you every time, which is why learning alternative ways to repel mosquitoes could be one of the best things you do to enjoy your summer.
Alternative Mosquito Repellants
Your typical off-the-shelf spray mosquito repellent will work just fine, but if you're not into all the chemicals (especially DEET), bad smells, and/or just do not have any around you, then learning alternative ways to repel mosquitoes can save you a lot of headaches and frustration. Other preventatives you can do yourself to lessen your chances of getting bit are to try and wear long-sleeved clothing when bearable and to avoid dawn and dusk because this is when the mosquitoes will be biting the most.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are a popular alternative to chemical-filled mosquito repellents. Making natural mosquito spray through oils is also less expensive than buying some from the store. Some essential oils include:
- Lemon Grass oil
- Citronella oil
- Peppermint oil
- Lavender oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Lemon oil
- Basil oil
These oils will work just as well as repellents that contain DEET but will just have to be applied more frequently. In a spray bottle, the oils can be added in any combination or you can use some of these combinations
Listerine
Listerine mouthwash also works as a mosquito repellent in a way similar to essential oils. Listerine has ingredients that come from eucalyptus oil, one of the listed essential oils, which will repel mosquitoes.
Just pour the Listerine into a spray bottle and spray around the outside area that you will be hanging out in.
Garlic
The smell of garlic will have mosquitoes flying in the other direction. Now they say that using garlic as a mosquito repellent would be most effective if it were made into a paste or jelly and then applied directly to the skin. Sadly, I think if you were to do this, you would be repelling a lot more than just mosquitoes.
So another easier option is to simply consume more garlic. You don't have to start eating garlic cloves by hand full, just introduce more into your diet through cooking. I personally add garlic to a lot of the foods that I cook and in general, when outside, I get a bit less often than the people I am around.
Dryer Sheets
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Using dryer sheets is my favorite little secret to keeping the mosquito's away. All you have to do is put one or two dryer sheets in your pocket and/or put some in your shoes. There is really no certain place you have to put them but I would try to keep them near your legs, since they tend to bite around there more often than not. More benefits from using dryer sheets are that they will also keep the gnats away and leave you smelling like fresh laundry.
Check out these related articles:
- Homemade Mosquito Trap Instructions | Summer-Ready Your Preps
- The Hidden Power of Garlic
- 3 Homemade Mosquito Repellents
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 27, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
I can personally vouch for the Listerine, works well, can even be sprayed around the area to keep bugs away. I like the commercial lemon/eucalyptus spray, but I may look at making my own…
I live in SE Texas ON the COASTAL PLAIN [NO “natural” trees, only those that man has planted!]AND I’m HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE “SKEETERS” SWARM THE ENTIRE BODY, NOT JUST THE LEGS!!!!!
We NOW have several varieties of skeeters and ALL of ’em are vicious, and attack so ravenously that even HIGH DEET content deterrents do not stop them from landing at such a high speed that one can actually FEEL THE STRIKE! HOWEVER, once they contact the Deet covered skin, they do quickly depart, usually without “biting,” but it doesn’t prevent them from striking; kind of puts me to mind of Rattle Snake, Copperhead, and Water Moccasin strike technique.
I read recently read about the DRYER SHEET repellant technique and tried it with TWO sheets: one in a hip pocket, and one in my shirt pocket.
I hate to have to report that the sheets did NOT even slow ’em down!!!!!
They swarmed all around my head, face, ears, AND the rest of my body, AND DID LAND land on ANY exposed skin, AND BIT me, EVEN THROUGH any thin shirt material!!!!!