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?
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.
Essential Oils – You can also use essential oils of the plants that repel mosquitoes, as well as tea tree oil, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, or clove oil to make a repelling spray. Add about 30 drops of your oil to a cup of water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
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.
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.
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.
Basically, to avoid being a mosquito-target you should stay as scent-free as possible, wear light clothes, avoid bogs and use an effective repellent (such as those containing DEET or icaridin).
As has been found in previous studies, more mosquitoes seemed to prefer people whose scent contained a blend of carboxylic acids, the oily secretions that hydrate and protect our skin. Two of those carboxylic acids are also found in Limburger cheese, McMeniman notes, a known lure for mosquitoes.
Bluegills, Goldfish, catfish, guppies, and mosquitofish eat mosquito larvae. However, the mosquitofish, also known as Gambusia affinis, remains the most effective species for Mosquito control.
Mosquitoes dislike the scent of certain liquids, such as vinegar, garlic water, or essential oils like citronella, eucalyptus, or lavender. Using these liquids can help repel mosquitoes.
The Truth About Scientific Evidence
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.
If you really want the mosquitoes to mind their own business, be sure to avoid using a moisturizing lotion before going outside. Many of these products contain lactic acid, which can attract mosquitoes, too.
Researchers say coconut-scented soaps were among the most effective at repelling mosquitoes.
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.
Sanitizer contains form of alcohol, ethyl alcohol to name one as active ingredient. And other main ingredients are also water, glycerin and fragrance. But disinfectant cannot be used as mosquito repellent. Almost 99% of disinfectant available in market has no effect on terminating or repelling mosquito problem.
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. However, clothing color alone is unlikely to keep mosquitos away for good.
“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.
Oils like lavender and peppermint are great for mosquito repellents, and many experts recommend them as they do not appear to cause any know human toxicity after dilution.
Your Feet Stink
The short answer as to why mosquitoes go after feet and ankles is that our feet often carry a strong odor.
Windex – Windex is one of the most common and most effective DIY household products for pest control. Windex is toxic to most pests, especially spiders. Spraying window cleaner directly onto small insects like ants or mosquitoes will kill them within a few moments.
There is no limit to the number of mosquito bites one of the insects can inflict. A female mosquito will continue to bite and feed on blood until she is full. After they have consumed enough blood, the mosquito will rest for a couple of days (usually between two to three days) before laying her eggs.