8 Natural Ways to Repel Mosquitoes

Last night, after a really long day, I tried to have some rest but mosquitoes won’t let me be. At that point, I didn’t want to use an insecticide because of its choking smell but luckily for me I still had my mosquito repellant lotion from boots. 

At first, I applied it on my arms and I felt undisturbed for a while but before I knew it, the mosquitoes went past my pyjamas and were busy feeding on my legs. I remember saying to myself….no worries, I have your antidote. So I applied the lotion on my legs and voila, I had a good night sleep. Even though this lotion did a great job in repelling mosquitoes, I can’t help but wonder if there are any side effects of using it. I carried out a little research on ‘natural ways to repel mosquitoes’ and I decided to share it here.

1.  Stagnant water is a no–no. It aids in the breeding of mosquitoes therefore ensure that your surroundings are always clean.



Citronella

2. Mosquito-proof your house. How? Make sure that your window nets are in good condition and avoid leaving your doors opened in the evening/night. 
3. Cultivate mosquito repelling plants around your home. Plants such as Lemongrass contain citronella which helps keep mosquitoes away. Other mosquito repelling plants include catnip, marigold, lavender, peppermint, rosemary etc.



Mosquito Repellant Wristband

4. In order to avoid using messy repellant lotions or sprays, you can wear a mosquito repellant wristband. This wristband mostly contains citronella with no chemicals. The product is available on Amazon.
5. Homemade citronella candles will do justice to those mosquitoes. Learn how to make it here.
6. Wear clothes with dark colours to bed as mosquitoes are less likely to be attracted to them. 
7. Apply natural oils (such as neem oil, eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil and rosemary oil) on your body.

   

   Garlic

8. Eat garlic! Yes, I know you can’t stand the smell and taste of garlic but this will do you a lot of good because the garlic oil released from your skin pore acts like a barrier between your skin and mosquitoes. Alternatively you can plant garlic around your home.

So before you use that insecticide, you might want to consider these alternative natural ways.

Source: Eartheasy, Sustainablog