| 20+ Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Jun 14th 2012, 08:00 Few people warm to the thought of a mosquito or more buzzing around their room at night. A pest in many parts of the world, the mosquito spreads disease and even when it is disease-free, imparts itchy discomfort to those it bites. Getting rid of mosquitoes, both through repelling them and removing sources of them in a small area is something every individual inflicted with mosquito visitors can do. In this article, you'll find a range of ways to assist you in your battle against the mosquito in your environment. Manual repellents for the individual For the lone mosquito buzzing you at night, here are some simple and generally effective ways to remove the mosquito. - Kill the mosquito by grabbing it out of the air. Unless you practice this a great deal, you will find it hard to accomplish and the air of your moving hand gives the mosquito plenty of warning, and can even blow it out of your grasp.
- Kill the mosquito with a mosquito swatter. The swatter, usually made of a thicker metal or plastic, is mounted on the end of a springy wire, dramatically increasing your chances of hitting a stationary mosquito by increasing the momentum of the swat. You can also use your hand in a similar flipping motion.
- Mosquito swatters can come in many shapes and sizes. Any item that will make your arm longer, and therefore your swing faster, will suffice including rolled up magazines.
- Kill the flying mosquito with a double-handed clap. Using two hands is more effective than one, as the air coming from each hand will blow the mosquito into the opposing palm.
- Try squashing it! If the mosquito lands on your arm, tightening your arm muscles may cause the mosquito become stuck. At this point you can just slap at the mosquito, or clench your muscles even more. This sometimes causes the mosquito to fill up with too much blood and explode.
- If none of these techniques works, you may want to give it another try by catching the mosquito with a transparent cup. Slowly place a cup (preferably a hard material) over the mosquito and then slide some paper underneath this cup. This gives you control over the mosquito and you can set it loose outdoors if this is your preference.
Chemical repellents for the body - Wear mosquito repellent known to be effective. Use insect repellent on uncovered skin surfaces when outdoors, especially during the day. When using sunscreen, apply it before insect repellent.
- Repellents containing 30% to 50% DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are recommended for adults and children over 2 months of age and are effective for several hours. Repellents with lower amounts of DEET offer shorter-term protection and must be applied more often.[1]
- Repellents containing up to 15% picaridin, which must be applied often, are available in the US. Repellents with higher concentrations of picaridin may be available in some regions outside the US.[1]
- Protect infants less than 2 months of age by using a carrier draped with mosquito netting with an elastic edge for a tight fit rather using a repllent.[1]
- If you're concerned about DEET in the insecticide, do some research before purchasing such a repellent. While there are claims online such as "University studies are coming out daily proving that many repellents cause cancer, tumors and more", note that many of these claims are based on studies where rats (or other laboratory mammals) have been exposed to exceptionally large quantities of repellent (usually 100% DEET) in unrealistic mg/Kg ratios of body mass, for an extended period of time. For the average consumer, 10-30% of DEET will be effective and should not pose a health risk. All directions will inherently have significant safety margins built in.
- New polymerized 30% DEET cream formulations provide excellent protection not significantly exceeded by higher DEET concentrations.
- Alternatively, try something without DEET in it if you remain unconvinced of the its safety. In April of 2005, the CDC began recommending two new active ingredients as safe, effective repellents. The first, marketed as Cutter Advanced, is Picaridin. Picaridin is odorless, has a pleasant feel, and doesn't plasticize like DEET. Studies have shown it to be as fully repellent to mosquitoes as DEET and can also be applied on infants as young as 2 months. The 15% Picaridin formulation, Cutter Advanced Sport, is also an effective repellent for ticks. Another option is to use IR3535 (Avon Bug Guard Plus Expedition). Note that both these alternatives do not last as long as DEET products.
- Ask your pharmacist or doctor for more advice.
Natural repellents for the body - Consider natural solutions if you don't like synthesized repellents. For some, the use of chemical deterrents manufactured by combining synthetic chemicals in the laboratory is asking them to place too much faith in chemical combinations that do have valid questions hanging over their long-term safety. If you'd rather implement precaution, there are many natural solutions, with the main proviso being that most of these need more frequent application or use than the chemical versions. As with any natural solution, their effectiveness depends on the situation, your own skin chemistry, and the exact type of mosquito you're dealing with.
- Try oil deterrents. Citronella oil, cinnamon oil and castor oil are reputed to scare off the mosquitoes. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is sold as a product called Repel®. Repel is a 40% formulation of naturally-derived eucalyptus and has a pleasant scent and feel without any plasticizing properties. It is also effective at repelling ticks.
- Tea tree oil may be another useful natural repellent. Look for commercial repellents that include it.
- Try Skin Armour Deep Woods Outdoor soap. A combined effort from the researchers in Australia and China who have worked extensively over the last decade to find a competent mosquito protection product resulted in this product. It's is a completely natural product made from a group of powerful natural oils and may help to you keep yours safe from the attack of mosquitoes while you're working or camping outdoors.
- Use citronella. As well as applying the oil as part of a commercially produced natural repellent, citronella might be helpful when used in the following ways:
- Burn a citronella candle or torch. The smoke in the air may help keep away some bugs. However, see Warnings below.
- Try a citronella plant in a pot on your porch to help.[2] To use, you can snap off a twig and rub it over your skin––the smell may discourage mosquitoes.
- Another approach would be citronella incense coils. Check for the other ingredients in these and don't sit in the line of the smoke from them, as any smoke inhalation is potentially unhealthy.
- Make your own natural mosquito repellent using a simple burner with a candle, some water and an essential oil like lemon eucalyptus, lavender or catnip (a mixture of few oil types is preferred). The heat of the candle will evaporate the oil into the air, and both the heat and the repellent oils will help to create a 2 to 3 meter radius of mosquito free zone. [3]
- Avoid wearing heavy, dark clothing in warm weather. Mosquitoes are attracted to warm bodies, so staying cool is an effective way to avoid bites. They also appear to like black, blue and red the most.[4] In addition, don't wear scent when outdoors during mosquito season. Mosquitoes are attracted to sweat, but the act of sweating can mask more effective attractors of mosquitoes, such as perfumes.
Barrier methods to stop mosquitoes - Use sleeping nets when sleeping in a mosquito infested area. This is the only really effective way to prevent their entry to bite you, especially if there are open windows, doors, etc.
- Check sleeping nets for holes regularly; even overly long toenails can tear a hole in them during sleep.
- Make sure you are not touching the net anywhere while you sleep.
- Kennels and other pet refuges should also be covered with mosquito nets when you are experiencing a mosquito infestation.
- Check all insect screens on your home. Repair any that have holes or tears in them that would let mosquitoes fly on in. Silicon caulk or screen patches work well.
- Weather stripping can be used for door gaps, especially under the doors.
- Wear loose, long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors. Covering your skin is often a key approach to repelling mosquitoes.
- Clothing may also be sprayed with repellent containing permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for greater protection. (Remember: don't use permethrin directly on your skin.)
- Do not waste your money on purchasing an electric hanging bug "zapper." These have been shown to kill many bugs very effectively but generally the bugs killed are––the non-harmful ones.[5] Plus, the noise they generate tends to be obnoxious. Mosquitoes can be more effectively killed by one of the dedicated machines that use heat and carbon dioxide to attract the mosquitoes and then entrap or kill them using nets, containers or chemicals.
- Use citronella plants and oil around your yard and outdoor eating areas. Citronella is an organic insect repellent that is available in various forms besides personal repellent, such as in candles, oil for lamps, etc.
- Use lighting that does not attract mosquitoes around doorways, windows and porches. Mosquitoes won't hang around if the light is sourced from LED lights, yellow bug lights and sodium lamps.[4]
- Place a suitable clear outdoor screen/plastic covering around your porch or outdoor area. A waterproof one will help to keep out the rain, the snow and all the bugs too!
- Stay indoors when mosquitoes prefer to be outside. This is usually dusk, dawn and in the dark. And when you do go out, wear more layers to protect your exposed skin.
- Try garlic. Be aware that eating garlic daily to repel mosquitoes has not been proven effective in scientific studies.[6] However, some people do believe it has some impact when used as a barrier. Since garlic is delicious, it can't hurt to grow it but don't rely on it as the only source of repelling the wee pests!
- Grow garlic. Plant garlic around your house to repel mosquitoes. It can be integrated around your house, on a balcony, etc.[7]
- Garlic powder from your local grocer sprinkled all through your yard may create a mosquito repellent. Sprinkle a little extra thickly around the patio and porch areas. This may protect pets from being bitten if they sleep in that area.[8]
Expelling mosquito breeding sources - Dump or flush out any stagnant water sources in your yard. Mosquitoes are often attracted to water, especially standing water. Examples of mosquito breeding grounds include old tires, driveway puddles, unfiltered fish ponds, empty flowerpots, and any item that can hold water for more than a few days at a time.
- Clean out roof guttering regularly to avoid creating stagnant pools of water.
- If you're inundated by mosquitoes/gnats due to standing water from street curbs, drainage ditches or other pools you can't really control, toss in a couple of toilet bowl tablets. This seems to work to kill them off. If the water source is the responsibility of a public authority, call them to explain that you believe the water has become a mosquito breeding source.
- Use a push broom to distribute the water for small puddles on hard surfaces.
- Use a siphon pump for larger puddles with a Wiffle Ball attached to the hose end going into the standing water. Once the the flow starts it will continue as long as the drainage end of the siphon hose is below the water level. The larger the diameter of the hose the faster the water will drain. Siphon pumps start at around USD$10.00.
- Keep grass mowed regularly and trim shrubs. Too much grass and shrubbery can create breeding and hiding grounds for mosquitoes (and also for that other pesky pest, the flea).
- Read How to reduce the risk of mosquito infestation around your residence for more detailed suggestions.
Avoid panic - Don't panic about mosquitoes. Not all mosquitoes carry disease and even though it may not seem like it given all the bad press, mosquitoes aren't a total scourge of the Earth. Indeed, mosquitoes have a role in pollinating plants and in serving as food for other creatures, especially their larvae (think of your outdoor fish pond––mosquitoes may try to lay their eggs there but the fish will have a feast).[4] Whenever you discover an outbreak of mosquitoes, work methodically to reduce the population but avoid panicking; you will be able to make a dent in the population provided you are consistent and careful. And, unless they're disease vectors (you'll know this dependent on the area you live in), learning to tolerate a few might actually be a better approach than freaking out.
- After spending time in mosquito-filled areas, many people discover that they are no longer bothered by the mosquitoes or are no longer bitten. You may consider waiting to see if this happens to you.
- If you live or travel in an area with particularly bad mosquitoes, consider purchasing mosquito netting.
- Hanging sealed-clear-plastic bags of water with a small entry and placed around the area you wish to keep insect free will only capture flies, not mosquitoes, bees, wasps, or crawlers.
- Dryer sheets (rubbed on or hanging) have been proven in multiple controlled studies to have no effect whatsoever on the number of mosquito bites received.
- Be careful of homeopathic remedies or high pitch sounds; don't rely on these sorts of remedies alone and watch carefully to see if they really are making a difference. In all likelihood, such remedies do not work.
- Try pouring vinegar down your sink drains. It is believed that vinegar can kill bugs living in those places.
Edit Warnings - Sometimes mosquitoes develop an immunity to a certain brand of bug spray.
- Things that won't work include:[4]
- Bug zappers
- Light, smell and sound machines
- Yard sprays or indoor insecticide bombs
- Citronella candles or oil in tiki torches may not actually work that differently from any other candle that emits heat, moisture and carbon dioxide which draws away the mosquitoes––test for yourself
- Vitamin B theories are interesting (and vitamin B can't harm most people if taken) but the theories of the vitamin's effectiveness against mosquitoes remains unproven.[9]
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