If you live in a mosquito-heavy area, then you know how annoying it can be to have them buzzing around you. Mosquitoes are annoying and dangerous, especially if they carry diseases. To stop mosquitoes from attacking your home or yard, follow these tips:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| – Keep mosquitoes away by removing standing water around your home. |
| – Use mosquito repellents that contain DEET or other effective chemicals for maximum protection. |
| – Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors to minimize skin exposure to mosquitoes. |
| – Take advantage of natural mosquito repellents such as essential oils and mosquito-repelling plants. |
| – Create a mosquito-free environment in your home by ensuring that all doors and windows are properly sealed. |
Wear Long Sleeves And Pants
Wear long sleeves and pants. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and closed-toe shoes will help keep mosquitoes at bay.
If you’re able to, wear light-colored clothes instead of dark ones they’ll be less irresistible to the biting bugs.
If you have a hat or an umbrella with you outside (either one is great for keeping away the sun), it can also protect your head from mosquito bites when they fly around looking for their next meal.
Are you tired of constantly swatting at pesky mosquitoes? Our easy-to-follow guide on how to get rid of mosquitoes will provide you with proven methods to keep those bloodsuckers away!
Make Yourself Less Appealing To Mosquitoes
Wear long sleeves and pants. Mosquitoes are more likely to bite people who have exposed skin, so it’s especially important to keep your arms covered when outdoors.
Avoid perfumes and colognes. These may smell nice for you, but these fragrances actually attract mosquitoes!
Keep your skin dry. When it’s hot out, wear breathable clothing that allows sweat to evaporate from your body instead of trapping the moisture against your skin where mosquitoes can find it easily.
Avoid bright colors like red or black as they tend to attract more mosquitos than pastels or neutral tones do (which blend into their surroundings better).
You might also consider wearing light colors like white or gray if you’re going out in a wooded area where mosquitoes tend to be more common; this will help camouflage yourself from any hungry insects lurking nearby!
| Ways to Make Yourself Less Appealing to Mosquitoes |
|---|
| Wear light-colored clothing |
| Avoid wearing floral prints |
| Avoid wearing scented lotions and perfumes |
| Avoid consuming alcohol |
| Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet |
| Avoid exercising during peak mosquito hours |
| Use mosquito repellents with at least 20% DEET |
| Cover your feet and ankles with socks and shoes |
| Stay indoors during dawn and dusk hours |
Spray Your Exposed Skin With DEET
DEET is the most effective mosquito repellent. It can be found in many different forms, including sprays, lotions, wipes and sticks. DEET is also a chemical that can be toxic in large quantities.
If you are going to use DEET to repel mosquitoes from your exposed skin, first test it on a small area of your skin before applying it all over your body.
This will help you make sure that DEET does not cause irritation or other adverse side effects for you personally.
Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your outdoor fun! Discover an easy and effective way to repel mosquitoes with our natural repellent recipe using essential oils.
Use An Essential Oil Blend
There are lots of ways to use essential oils for mosquito repellant. Here are a few:
- You can put a few drops of each essential oil in a diffuser, which will release the scent into the air.
- If you have an essential oil burner, you can place some water and a few drops of essential oils in it and light it up! The heat from the flame will evaporate the water and release the scents.
- An easy way to apply them directly is to use rollerballs containing an equal amount of carrier oil (such as almond or jojoba) and your chosen blend of oils—just roll them on your skin and go outside!
- The easiest way I’ve found so far is mixing equal parts peppermint oil and lavender with water, placing it in a spray bottle and spraying my entire body wherever mosquitoes like biting me (ankles, hands).
Spray Your Clothes With Permethrin
Permethrin is a synthetic chemical that kills insects. It’s effective against mosquitoes and ticks, but safe for humans.
Permethrin is sprayed on clothing to deter mosquitoes from biting you, so it’s not something that you’d want to spray on yourself directly (especially if you have sensitive skin).
Permethrin can be toxic to fish if used near water sources or stored incorrectly, so keep it away from bodies of water when using this repellent method.
Stay Indoors At Dawn And Dusk
While mosquitoes can bite you any time of day, they are most active at dawn and dusk. This is because these are the times when there is no direct sunlight, which helps keep mosquitoes away from their target. If a mosquito can’t see its prey, it will not be able to catch it.
Mosquitoes also prefer to bite people over other animals because humans sweat more than animals do, which makes us easier targets for blood-sucking insects.
In addition to being active at different times of day than humans, mosquitoes like different temperatures than humans do as well!
While we prefer warmer weather that’s around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), mosquitoes like temperatures between 80-85 degrees F (26-29 C). They tend to avoid cooler areas so staying indoors during these times may help reduce your chances of getting bitten by a mosquito!
Looking for natural and safe ways to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home? Our guide on how to keep mosquitoes away naturally provides you with a range of plants that naturally repel mosquitoes and other tips to keep them away
Open Your Windows If Possible
To keep mosquitoes away, we recommend opening your windows in the evening and closing them at dawn. If you have air conditioning, it’s best to keep windows closed when using it. However, if you can’t open your windows for whatever reason, there are still some things you can do:
If you’re not using air conditioning, try putting a fan outside on low speed and let it blow through the house. Mosquitoes don’t like wind it disrupts their flight patterns so this will help keep them from entering your home in large numbers.
Seal Entry Points For Mosquitoes
If you live in an area that’s prone to mosquitoes, you probably know what a nuisance they can be. Not only do they make being outside on a beautiful day impossible, but they can also carry diseases that are dangerous for humans.
One of the best ways to keep them away is by keeping your home sealed up tight so that there aren’t any entry points for these pests. Here are some ways you can do this:
- Check window screens and doors for holes or tears. Fixing any holes will help keep mosquitoes out of your home!
- Seal cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weatherstripping tape (if you don’t have a screen). Even small gaps can allow mosquitoes through–so make sure everything is sealed up tight!
Remove Sources Of Standing Water From Your Yard
Removing standing water is the best way to keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so you should remove as much of it as you can from your yard. You don’t need to be a professional landscaper—you just have to follow a few simple steps:
Check for containers that hold even small amounts of water, like flower pots or buckets. If there are any, drain them out and fill them with stones or rocks instead. This will prevent any mosquito larvae from growing in the container.
Check for inefficient drainage systems on your property that may have accumulated stagnant water over time and create breeding sites for mosquitoes.
If you find any puddles on your property after rainfall or heavy dew, use a garden rake or shovel to pull up grass clippings and other debris around them so they can drain properly into the ground nearby.
Then add some gravel or sand if necessary until all puddles disappear completely (don’t worry—they’ll come back when you get another good rain!). Finally, sweep away any leaves, twigs, branches and other debris near where puddles used to be so they don’t become breeding grounds again later on down the road!
Mosquitoes can quickly turn your backyard into a nightmare. Check out our helpful guide on how to keep mosquitoes away from your yard to help you enjoy your outdoor space without being bothered by these bothersome insects.
Install A Fan On Your Patio Or Deck
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, which is more abundant near your body. A fan will help keep mosquitoes away by circulating the air and making it harder for them to find you.
Plus, a fan can be used to make your patio or deck more comfortable during warm weather months when mosquitoes are at their peak.
Install a Screened-in Patio or Deck
If you have a screened-in patio area with no doors, install screens over the entire structure so that it is completely enclosed and sealed off from insects like mosquitoes.
This will prevent them from entering into your home through any open areas in your screens or doorways. You can also use an automatic bug zapper outside on one side of the enclosure so that they don’t get inside either!
| Types of Fans for Your Patio or Deck |
|---|
| Ceiling fans |
| Wall-mounted fans |
| Floor fans |
| Table fans |
| Tower fans |
| Misting fans |
| Insect repellent fans |
| Solar-powered fans |
Keep Plants That Repel Mosquitoes Nearby When You’re Outside.
The right plant can keep mosquitoes away.
Mosquitoes avoid many common plants that produce fragrances, such as citronella, basil and catnip. These scents are toxic to the insects and can be used in a variety of ways to keep them off your property.
Plant Mosquito-Repelling Plants In Your Yard
There are a number of plants that help to repel mosquitoes, and some are even edible. Citronella is one of the most popular mosquito repelling plants.
It’s also easy to grow and will even attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds if you have them in your area. Catnip, basil and lavender are other great options for growing in your garden or on your patio as they can help keep mosquitoes away.
If insects aren’t really a problem where you live, but still want a more natural way to deter them from coming around, then why not try planting some insect-repelling plants?
Mosquitoes aren’t only a problem outdoors, they can also invade your home. Learn how to keep mosquitoes out of your house with our simple and effective tips to keep these pests out of your living space.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has given you some ways to keep mosquitoes at bay. It’s important to remember that the best defense against mosquitoes is still covering up when outside and keeping your skin covered with insect repellent.
If all else fails, invest in a good fan or air conditioner to keep them out of your home!
Further Reading
Kinds of Natural Mosquito Repellant – Healthline provides information on the types of natural mosquito repellants and advice on their usage.
How to Keep Mosquitoes Away – Taste of Home offers tips on how to keep mosquitoes away from your outdoor events and simple tricks that can help reduce the number of mosquitoes lurking in your yard.
A Guide to Mosquito Repellents from DEET to Gin and Tonic – NPR provides an in-depth guide to mosquito repellents and how they work.
FAQs
What are some natural ways to repel mosquitoes? Some natural ways to repel mosquitoes include using essential oils, such as citronella, peppermint, and lemon eucalyptus, planting mosquito-repelling plants, such as lavender and marigold, and using mosquito nets.
What is the most effective mosquito repellent? DEET is considered to be the most effective mosquito repellent by the CDC. However, other chemicals such as Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus are also effective.
Are mosquito repellent candles effective? Mosquito repellent candles can help reduce the number of mosquitoes in an area, but they are not as effective as other repellents, such as DEET.
Should I use mosquito repellent indoors? If you are in an area where mosquitoes are a problem, it is a good idea to use mosquito repellents indoors. Mosquitoes can enter homes through open windows and doors, and staying protected indoors is important.
What is the best time to apply mosquito repellent? The best time to apply mosquito repellent is about 30 minutes before going outside. This will give the repellent time to dry and provide maximum protection. It is also important to reapply mosquito repellent every few hours to maintain its effectiveness.
Hello! I’m Hellen James, and I write about how to keep pests from invading your home. For the last 10 years, I’ve been working in pest control and am excited to share my expertise with you!
