Bugs hate the smells associated with repellency, such as lavender, citronella, vinegar, peppermint, and geranium. These oils are considered a natural way of driving away bugs from your home without harming you, your family, and other animals.
Essential Oils: Oils like peppermint, lavender, and citronella can deter bugs. Consider using a diffuser or making a spray with water and a few drops of essential oil. Herbs: Planting herbs like basil, mint, or rosemary near windows can help repel insects.
Some plants, like lavender, marigold, citronella grass, rosemary, and basil, naturally repel bugs. Lavender is particularly popular as a natural, people-and-pet-safe pest control plant. The aroma of lavender is too strong for small insects and discourages them from flying near the area.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.
3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion
Another top-selling mosquito repellent lotion is Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion from 3M. This lotion contains about 34% DEET to repel not only mosquitoes, but biting flies, chiggers, deer flies, ticks, gnats, and fleas.
To make a peppermint oil spray, you need pure peppermint oil, water, and dish detergent. Mix two teaspoons of peppermint essential oil with 1 cup of water and add 3 to 5 drops of detergent. Shake the bottle to mix the solution.
Peppermint
If you would rather have a fresh and minty aroma in your bug spray than an aggressive chemical smell, peppermint is the perfect choice. Peppermint is a natural insecticide that kills and repels mosquitoes. In one study, M. ×piperita showed repellent action when applied to exposed body parts.
Dawn, a commonly used dish soap, contains surfactants that disrupt the exoskeleton of insects, leading to their dehydration and eventual death. This property makes it an effective bug repellent, as it can deter a wide range of insects, including flies, ants, and mosquitoes.
Another easy way to keep bugs away when you are outdoors is to spray the outside of your tent or lodging with vinegar. Many insects find this smell overpowering.
Essential oils such as rose geranium, tea tree, eucalyptus, patchouli, citronella, lavender, catnip, lemongrass, palmarosa, and peppermint are all excellent at warding off insects. Vanilla extract diluted in water (equal parts) is hands down my favorite.
Blood Types Mosquitoes Love Most
Type B: Type B placed second in popularity. Type A: Type A Blood Type apparently tastes the worst to mosquitoes. The study found that those with Blood Type A are 50% less likely to receive a mosquito bite than those with Type O.
Cover skin with clothing . Use insect repellent on exposed skin. Sleep under insecticide (permethrin) treated mosquito nets or in air-conditioned rooms.
More recently, a 2005 study showed there was no evidence it influenced the attraction of mosquitoes to human skin-derived chemicals from volunteers taking vitamin B supplements. There is simply no evidence taking vitamin B will offer any significant protection from mosquito bites.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus is the most potent natural mosquito repellent. A DEET-free alternative to commercial mosquito repellent, oil of lemon eucalyptus is the only natural insect repellent recommended by both the EPA and CDC.
For a "foolproof recipe" that banishes mosquitoes, combine 1/3 cup witch hazel and 1/3 cup water with 40 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. "Mosquitoes detest the strong aroma of eucalyptus, so this easy homemade mosquito repellent is sure to be a winner," says Harlow-Ellis.
Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents, including citronella, peppermint, cedar, catnip, patchouli, lemongrass, lavender and more. You can add some of these plants to your landscaping to fend them off.
Does hydrogen peroxide keep mosquitoes away? Hydrogen peroxide is not an effective mosquito repellent. It is primarily used for disinfecting wounds and surfaces.