As mentioned earlier, Bounce is a good option for some scented dryer sheets, though they're a bit on the pricier side. When needing a repellent, all you need to do is grab the dryer sheet and keep it on you, preferably in your pocket. 3 The scent should act as a sort of aura around you.
Other university studies demonstrate the effectiveness of dryer sheets to repel certain insects, including mites, food-infesting beetles, German cockroaches and weevils. These studies, however, do not show any significant impact as a mosquito repellent.
A few publications claimed that keeping Bounce on your body or near you could repel mosquitoes, however, there's little research that supports this claim. Studies find that some dryer sheets do have characteristics that repel insects.
While this group of scientists never tested the dryer sheet's abilities with repelling mosquitoes, some speculate the technique could be applied to repelling certain mites, food-infesting beetles, weevils and German cockroaches. When it comes to mosquitoes, using dryer sheets to repel them is merely a possibility.
Mosquitoes hate peppermint much like wasps and other common pests. Lavender – Lavender is not only an effective mosquito repellent, it's also touted as a powerful ointment to relieve itchy mosquito bites. This oil has a pleasant floral scent and is the safest choice for children.
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Some people have sworn by the power of Bounce dryer sheets—and specifically Bounce, too—to keep mosquitoes away from them, and gnats out of their garden.
Vinegar: Mosquitoes tend to dislike the intense scent and bitter taste of white vinegar. An easy DIY way to repel mosquitoes is to mix 2 parts water to one part vinegar and treatment around your yard.
The repellants that worked were DEET and, in a bit of good news for those of us who prefer a more natural approach, oil of lemon eucalyptus sprays, which comes from the gum eucalyptus tree, reduced mosquito attraction by 60 percent.
To reduce the possibility of a mosquito biting you, you could consider wearing white, green or blue. Lighter colors are less interesting to mosquitos than darker shades like navy and black, red or orange.
It is also an insect repellant and kills fleas," says Jose. "This is the major substance in Vicks, aside from Vicks use in upper respiratory infections, that can be used to repel mosquitoes and even fleas."
The bugs that are theoretically most likely to shy away from the dryer sheets are certain mites, food-infesting beetles, and weevils, German cockroaches, and, according to one study, fungus gnats.
DEET: Potent, But Safe. One of the most effective mosquito repellents is one of the oldest around. DEET was first developed for use by the U.S. Army in 1946, and it became available to the public in 1957.
Also, if you decide to buy dryer sheets for repelling, get scented ones, such as Bounce's scented sheets. The strong(ish) scent of a dryer sheet increases the chance of repelling mosquitoes, but that's only in theory.
The mothballs are effective at repelling mosquitoes, but they have a minor impact on them. Insects, mice, and pests benefit greatly from the use of mothballs. Despite the fact that they can repel a wide variety of insects, they are unable to eliminate mosquitoes.
It's a modern old-wives tale: put a Bounce dryer sheet in your pocket while gardening and it'll keep away the mosquitoes or gnats. This may seem a bit far-fetched to those of us who have never tried it, but researchers have now found that there could be some truth in it, when it comes to gnats, anyway.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a natural insecticide and a mosquito repellent, according to the American College of Healthcare Sciences, based in Portland, Oregon. You can mix this oil with other scents, like lemon, and rub them onto your skin for a minty scent.
“Covering up as much as possible during the summer is really important, and applying an EPA-registered insect repellent, with ingredients such as DEET and picaridin,” McMeniman said. For people who prefer botanical products, he recommends oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Dish soap is so effective that only one milliliter is needed to treat a gallon of water. If you have standing water outside, a squirt of liquid soap will keep it mosquito-free until it evaporates. It is a good idea to always use environmental-friendly dish soaps like Dawn.
Light candles or lanterns.
Help keep mosquitoes away from your patio and porch by lighting candles or lanterns that contain one or more essential oils known to repel mosquitoes. These oils include: Citronella. Clove.
"This effective DIY repellent has three ingredients—rosemary oil, apple cider vinegar, and water," says Harlow-Ellis. Combine 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water, and 40 drops of rosemary oil in a spray bottle and shake well.
Acetic acid makes vinegar an excellent tool for pest control, repelling some of the most common backyard nuisances and even killing weaker insects. It's most effective against ants, spiders, and mosquitos.
Unscented deodorant will be more effective at keeping them away, and some recent studies have shown that the deodorant compound isopropyl tetradecanoate reduces the number of mosquito attacks.