Are You Tired Of Mosquitos Attacking You

Is the fear of mosquito bites keeping you inside this season? Are you leery of slathering dangerous chemicals all over your body just for a few hours of protection against blood-thirsty creatures? Have you found so-called mosquito traps to be less effective than promised?

Most store-bought bug sprays contain N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, or DEET to combat mosquitoes. This chemical can irritate and cause skin reactions. Extremely rare cases of seizures and death have also been attributed to DEET. Clearly, there has got to be a better way to manage mosquitoes than to apply dangerous poisons to your body.

How to get rid of mosquitoes naturally

The first step of mosquito managemen is to make yourself as unattractive to them as possible. Mosquitoes are attracted to a few specific characteristics in a host.

Carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes hunt their prey through the CO2 that we all expel when breathing.

Body heat. Mosquitoes have sophisticated sensors that track body heat and gases.

Color. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

Moisture. Mosquitoes absolutely love anything wet. Moisture attracts them not only to food sources but also to breeding areas.

Mosquitoes prefer other traits, but these are the main attractions. The first step in mosquito control is to manage these items as well as you can.

Of course, we cannot stop breathing or control our body heat to eliminate mosquitoes. We can, however, trick them into seeking those traits elsewhere. A fire puts out carbon dioxide and heat. Even burning a candle can greatly assist the war against mosquito bites.

Color is probably the easiest to control. If you’re going into an area with mosquitoes, wear light clothing to make yourself unattractive. You should also wear long pants and long sleeves when the weather allows it. In particularly mosquito-filled areas, rely upon clothing that fits close to your skin to prevent mosquitoes from crawling up pant legs or through sleeves.

Moisture is the main concern in mosquito control. Not only the moisture that we expel when we breathe, which alerts them to a host but because they require it to reproduce successfully. Just like expelling gases and heat, we cannot control the moisture we expel with every breath. However, we can manage the moisture around our homes or farm buildings by cleaning up any stagnant water that might be attractive to a female mosquito looking for a place to lay her eggs.

Following the steps outlined above should severely limit mosquito populations, but mosquito-prone areas may require more aggressive actions.

A mosquito net keeps not only a mosquito but other flying insects out. The net can be placed over beds to protect while sleeping indoors or you can purchase a tent made of mosquito netting for camping. Mosquito nets have been used since prehistoric times to protect against various insects. The nets can be made from cotton, polyester, polyethylene, or nylon. They are generally very lightweight and provide excellent protection against mosquitoes. The use of flies traps will not greatly help in this regard.

A mosquito trap is another way to protect without harmful pesticides. These devices come in various sizes and prices, depending upon need. They are placed between the mosquito source and where people gather. Once the trap is set, it will release a combination of odors and/or lights to lure mosquitoes inside. The traps then capture the mosquito and force them into bags, basins, or sticky boards to die.

Another way to combat mosquitoes and get rid of flies is through the use of homemade mosquito repellent and organic fly control. Many people swear that Listerine is a great repellent. Although no scientific studies have confirmed or disproved their claims, Listerine features eucalyptol, a derivative of eucalyptus oil commonly used in insect repellents. The amount of eucalyptol in Listerine, however, is not very high. A better answer may be to make your own insect repellent at home. Following is a recipe that has been used since medieval times to protect against mosquitoes and other biting bugs.

Vinegar Insect Repellent:

1-quart bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp. Each of dried mint, lavender, rosemary, and thyme.

Quart-sized (or larger) glass jar with an airtight lid

Put the vinegar and dried herbs into a large glass jar.

Seal tightly and store on the counter. Shake well each day for 2-3 weeks.

After 2-3 weeks, strain the herbs out and store in spray bottles, preferably in the fridge.

To use on the skin, dilute to half with water in a spray bottle and use as needed.

You may wish to add fresh garlic to the mixture for extra-strong repellent.

As you can see, there’s no reason to call for an exterminator when you can attain easy, inexpensive mosquito management without the use of harsh chemicals or pesticides.