Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents: cinnamon, peppermint, cedar, citronella, lemongrass, patchouli, catnip, lavender, and more. Find a favorite, and use it when you want to spend time outside.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of lavender, citronella, clove, peppermint, basil, cedarwood, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass and rosemary. They also hate smells such as smoke, for further insight, see our exploration on, does smoke keep mosquitoes away?
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.
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.
Yes: DEET. A repellent with DEET tells mosquitos to buzz off loud and clear. You'll need one with at least 20% DEET to protect your skin for several hours at a time, although more than 50% doesn't work any better (kids should use 10%-30%).
Deter Insects
We may be fans of Vicks, but insects decidedly are not. Dab a bit on your arms, legs, neck, or other areas of exposed skin to keep bugs (including mosquitoes) at bay, however, it is not as effective at preventing bites as a commercial insect repellant.
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.
Lemongrass contains an oil called citronella, a common mosquito repellent. Swap your summer glass of lemonade for a chilled glass of lemongrass tea or carefully use lemongrass oil on your skin for a quick mosquito repellent.
I personally LOVE the smell of the original scent Pine-Sol. It smells so fresh and clean to me. Luckily, flies don't like the smell (mosquitoes don't either), which makes this a great DIY solution for getting rid of those bugs.
Catnip, peppermint, lavender, sage, rosemary, citrosum, lemon balm, and basil are all great at keeping mosquitoes away. And as an added bonus, their delightful scents are sure to spruce up your garden.
Gambusia Affinis
As far as natural predators go I think it can be said without hesitation that the mosquitofish is by far the most efficient natural predator of mosquitoes. Full-grown females can reach a length of up to 2.5 inches and males up to 1.5 inches.
Things like your blood type and how much lactic acid you have on your skin play a big role. In the past, popular wisdom suggested wearing perfume, eating salty snacks or foods with potassium, such as bananas, increased your risk of mosquito bites.
“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.
Since coffee grounds have such a pungent and intense smell, mosquitoes do not like to come near it. Mosquitoes are repulsed by all types of coffee, whether it is fresh, used, or burnt. The most effective way to use coffee grounds for mosquito control is by burning them, as it creates a stronger aroma.
There is evidence that drinking apple cider vinegar does help repel mosquitoes. It works by slightly altering the scent given off by the human body. This small change in smell is less enticing to mosquitoes, but it is not enough for other people to notice.
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.
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.
Apply repellents only to exposed skin and/or clothing. Do not use under clothing. Do not apply near eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around ears. When using sprays, do not spray directly into face; spray on hands first and then apply to face.
Mix two tablespoons of Dawn dish soap with a gallon of water to make bug spray with Dawn dish soap. Transfer the solution into a spray bottle & utilize it as a spray for repelling mosquitoes.
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.