Natural Remedy for Mosquitos

Mosquitoes prefer heat and water. And most species also love your blood.

They are being attracted by the carbon dioxide you exhale. Also, sweat, dirty socks and dark colors attract them.

For the longest time, we believed that light attracts them. Serious doubts have been raised about this theory. While they use light for orientation what attracts them is odors.

The obvious "weapons" against mosquitoes are nets and installing fly screens. Mosquito nets are also available in small sized for cribs.

Perfume and deodorants can attract mosquitoes. But as mentioned before bad smells do too.

The little vampires do not like the odor of garlic or cabbage. Whole grain products, walnuts, legumes, salmon, potatoes, broccoli, and asparagus are good choices (as they contain vitamin B1).

But there is much more you can do. Keep in mind: When you poison them with chemicals you poison yourself too. Not a good idea - especially for households with pets and children.

There is no universal solution, different mosquitoes react to different odors. The tips below have been proven to be very effective - just try a few tricks if the first one does not work for your mosquitoes.

As not everyone enjoys sleeping under a mosquito net below please find a list of other natural ways to fight this plague.

Having herbs on your window still will come in handy for cooking as well.

These herbs are best to use for mosquito intruder prevention:

• basil
• chives
• lemon balm

Also, a tomato plant can be effective as mosquitoes do not care for the odor of the leaves.

Use with essential oil warmer or diffuser:

Most effective oils are:

• cinnamon
• rosemary
• tea tree
• cedar
• lemon
• bay
• citronella
• lavender
• lemon balm
• clove
• eucalyptus and especially
• neem oil

Try which one (or which mixture) is the best prevention for your unwanted visitors.

Be careful with citronella candles. Often they contain additives or too much citronella to be safe for indoor use.

More is not better. A few drops of oil will do. After a few hours, you should take a break. In your bedroom have an essential oil warmer/diffuser run for an hour before you go to sleep.

Add one essential oil (or a mixture which I do) from the list above to a carrier oil and use on arms, legs - maybe neck. Add 3-4 drops of essential oil to 1.5 oz carrier oil. I use a mixture from the list together with geranium oil (that some also consider effective against mosquitoes) creating a beautiful scent.

Use on a little spot first to make sure you do not show an allergic reaction like swelling or itching before using on large areas. Do not use on babies and infants.

The oils should be natural and of high quality.

Some people say that mosquitoes are attracted by yellow clothes while others say they prefer red.

The right clothing is the easiest way to prevent mosquito bites. Recommended are light colors (especially white) and a sturdy material. Linen is the best for both summer heat and mosquito defense.

It is imperative that you regularly empty rain barrels and anything else with sitting water like plant pots. Else before you know, you become a mosquito breeder.

An easy remedy to keep them from breeding in your rain barrel is to add a mixture of 1 tablespoon of high-quality oil and a 2 drops of cinnamon oil.

Dried sage leaves are very efficient. Mosquitos are opposed to the smell of sage. Mince the leaves before using and make sure you burn them in an incense burner.

Less mystical but as effective are incense sticks. As with the essential oils make sure you use a pure, natural quality.

So it happened. One or more of those annoying little vampires got you. It is already swollen, hurts or itches like nothing good.

1. Against swelling onions can work wonder. They also act as a disinfectant. Take a big slice and fixate it over the swollen bite. Last but not least onion helps against the skin irritation. Ideally, use calendula cream after the treatment.
2. Next is a booze wrapper. Soak some cloth with Schnapps and wrap it around (or fixate on) the swelling/bite. Especially when the mosquito has eaten grass that has been treated with pesticides the swelling can get severe. The alcohol pulls out the heat and calms the irritated skin. As alcohol dries out the skin, you should treat it with oil or calendula cream after the treatment.
3. Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata) can be used if the bite only itches (no swelling). If you have access to fresh plants (the leaves), just take a bunch, fixate over the bite and leave for about 2 hours.
4. Aloe vera. Once more this universal remedy made it to a list of helpful items. Use from the fresh plant if you can.

Personally I also use vinegar but as some experts have serious doubt, I do not officially recommend it. I feel it helps a great deal against the itching.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I wish you a pleasant, bite-free summer.