9 Safe Home Remedies For Mosquitoes (Prevent Bites)
A married couple, David and Sara, try to spend as much time as they can outdoors in the backyard. However, their time together is always cut short by pesky mosquitoes. They asked if I know of any home remedies for mosquitoes.
So what are the home remedies for mosquitoes? The most common home remedies for mosquitoes are dry ice, tea tree oil, pinion wood, and coffee grounds. However, I’ve found you have to be more creative if you want to prevent mosquito bites. Below you’ll find our 9 best ways to prevent bites ranging from burning sage to bug-proofing your clothes.
Do you spend a lot of time outdoors? Are you tired of spraying chemicals all over the place too and are looking for safe alternatives? If so, you probably have thought about using all-natural products and techniques to repel mosquitoes. Instead of using bug spray.
You’re not alone.
One of the major concerns of our readers is how to deal with mosquitoes naturally. More specifically we get plenty of folks asking how to prevent mosquito bites without using bug spray.
I have several ideas and knowledge of a few methods that have worked for me in the past. You can read about what I know below. I also researched a few others to give you a more comprehensive list. Yes, I tried these out and added them to the list too.
9 Home Remedies For Mosquitoes
#1 – Grow Mosquito Repelling Plants In Your Yard or Garden
I spend a lot of time in the backyard relaxing and entertaining guests when the weather permits. My house sits on the border against a wildlife preserve that has plenty of standing water, which attracts mosquitoes like crazy.
When I moved into the neighborhood, the guy a few houses down (now a good friend), turned me on to the idea of planting plants that will repel mosquitos.
7 of the best mosquito repelling plants for the home garden or yard are…
- Marigolds
- Catnip
- Lavender
- Scented Geraniums
- Citronella Grass
- Basil
- Rosemary
#2 – Use a Natural Repellent
Natural repellents are my go-to solution to prevent mosquito bites. What I like most about repellents is they don’t actually kill the insect, they just make you and your home less attractive to the mosquito.
Most of the commercial repellent you can buy contain the chemicals DEET or picaridin which they say are safe for adults and children over the age of 2 months. I, however, like my skin and try to protect it at all costs.
Therefore, I always look for more natural repellents.
I’ve found that essential oils are some of the best natural mosquito repellents. A few of my favorites are.
- Catnip Oil
- Citronella Oil
- Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
Never put these oils directly on the skin, instead spray them on your outer garments. It’s very easy to prepare natural repellent with essential oils. Just mix the essential oil with a carrier oil such as almond or coconut. I’ve found the perfect mix to be 3 to 5 drops of essential oil mixed in 1 ounce of carrier oil works best.
#3 – Stay Indoors During Peak Biting Hours
If you don’t want to get bitten by mosquitoes I recommend you stay indoors just before dusk and dawn.
Here’s why.
You are more likely to be bitten during periods of high activity. Therefore, it’s a good idea to know when mosquitoes are most active.
So when can you expect mosquitoes to be active and bite you the most?
Anytime that temperatures climb above 50°F regularly you can expect mosquitoes to be out on the prowl. Although they can bite any time of day, the peak biting periods are at dawn and dusk.
#4 – Pour Out Any Standing Water Near Your Home
Insects like mosquitoes are attracted to standing and stagnant water sources. So if you have anything like this around your house that captures or contains water you need to get it fixed.
Water can easily be collected in your rain gutters if they are backed up, so check these often. Also, water can collect in old tires, children’s toys, lidless garbage cans and buckets, and anything else that can hold water.
Just walk around your house and do a visual inspection looking for anything that can hold water. Pour out any standing water that you find.
This will go a long way toward preventing those pesky insects that love to bite you.
#5 – Burn Some Sage or Thyme
Did you know burning herbs is a great way to drive away mosquitoes?
I read in the Malaria Journal that burning thyme was found to be 85 to 95% effective at repelling mosquitoes. Sage was less effective at 40 percent but both herbs work to repel mosquitoes.
So the next time you light up the barbecue grill or throw some wood in your fire pit be sure to add in a handful of sage or thyme too.
#6 – Bug Proof Your Clothing
When I was in the military, we treated our uniforms with a chemical called permethrin. We had no problems with mosquitoes, despite the fact, that we stayed in environments that were ideal for the insect.
I don’t recommend permethrin since this is about home remedies for mosquitoes. I want to keep things as natural as possible.
That said, just spray your clothes with the natural essential oil repellants I talked about earlier.
See home remedy #2.
#7 – You Can Use Fans To Repel Bugs That Fly
Did you know any wind above one mile per hour makes it difficult for bugs to fly? I read an interesting fact that mosquitoes can’t fly at speeds above 20 mph.
Let’s use this little piece of knowledge to deal with our unwelcome friend the mosquito. Set a few fans outside then you can get some much-needed relief and don’t have to worry about mosquito bites.
This insect flies low to the ground, around the halfway point of your body. So aim the fans at this location. In case you’re wondering, I tried this out, and it really works.
#8 – Burn Pinion Wood In Your Outdoor Fire Pit
Another one of the best ways to scare away mosquitoes is to burn pinion wood. The pine scent and smoke that’s produced from burning pinion wood repels mosquitoes like crazy.
An added plus is that this wood has a strong and fragrant smell that most people like. But don’t burn too much pinion wood or you might get repelled too.
#9 – Create a Screen Porch With Mosquito Netting
If all else fails, then creating a screened-in porch using mosquito nets is your final option. You should be able to find some lightweight netting that is easy to see through and doesn’t restrict airflow.
This type of netting would provide a perfect barrier between you and the mosquitoes. You’d probably be so comfortable outside that you would want to fall asleep their staring at the stars.
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Related Questions
Why do mosquito bites itch more after you scratch them? A mosquito bite causes inflammation. So when you scratch the inflamed area it causes even more inflammation making the bite area even itchier, swollen, and puffed up.
What should you do if you get bitten by a mosquito? If you are bitten, you have a few options. You could rub the bite site with apple cider vinegar or after washing the bite site with soap and water you can cover the affected area with calamine lotion. Both of these options would help stop the itching.
Why do mosquitoes always bite me and not others? You are more likely to be bitten if your blood type is (O), you’re a pregnant woman, are overweight or obese. Regarding blood type, mosquitoes prefer type (O) over (A or B) blood types. Since pregnant women and overweight or obese people have high resting metabolic rates, they are very attractive targets to mosquitoes. Other factors like physical exertion and drinking alcohol can also raise your metabolic rate make you a bite risk.
How do you treat mosquito bites? Our favorite way to treat mosquito bites at home is to rub apple cider vinegar at the bite site. You can also apply calamine lotion to the affected area, this helps with itching. Also, you could rub on anti-itching cream which you can buy at any local drugstore or pharmacy.