How to Keep Mosquitoes Away

Here are some tips to keep mosquitoes away and enjoy the outdoors without suffering the inconveniences.

First, you should know that only female mosquitoes bite humans. Indeed, our delicate blood is essential to the reproduction of the species. It provides them with the proteins necessary to develop the eggs until laying.

You don’t want to be bitten by mosquitoes every night either? Here are our 9 effective tips to prevent this from happening.

1. Use plants

Surround your patio with plants that mosquitoes don’t like. The lemony smell generally keeps them away; opt for lemongrass, lemon thyme, lemon balm and small-leaved basil. Other plants also repel mosquitoes: try scented geranium, Neptune plant, lavender and tomato plants. With this new landscaping, you should deter many!

the use of plants can help you repel mosquitoes but certainly not eliminate them completely. It is therefore essential not to use plants as the sole means of mosquito control.

Lemongrass against mosquitoes

There are different types of lemon plants and for more efficiency, the ideal is to combine them. Mosquitoes won’t resist! For example, you can plant lemongrass, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, lemon balm. These plants can be placed among your flower beds but also in pots on the window sill, a very effective trick to repel mosquitoes at night.

Garlic (Allium sativum)

If the smell of garlic repels “vampires”, the sulfur it contains repels mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies. If you are sensitive to insect bites, do not forget to plant garlic in the garden or in the flower beds as well as in the vegetable patch. Garlic is planted from October until spring depending on the variety and is harvested in July. And can be kept for several months indoors in a cool place.

Lavender

If lavender attracts butterflies, bees and bumblebees, it is on the other hand an effective shield against mosquitoes. Its intoxicating smell and beautiful colors also make it a superb ornamental plant.

Peppermint

Another formidable weapon against mosquitoes (but also wasps, ants, spiders and flies), peppermint. This aromatic plant tends to spread out, it is better to leave it in a pot if you do not want to find your garden overgrown. In addition to its virtues as a natural insect repellent, mint is obviously wonderful in herbal tea or in cocktails.

Rosemary, effective as a repellent

Rosemary is an aromatic herb with a wonderful smell. If it is a treat in the kitchen, mosquitoes do not support it. A little rosemary in a pot or planted in your beds will ensure a mosquito-free summer.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is an ornamental tree with silver-gray foliage. Planted in the middle of the lawn, it brings grace to the garden and its leaves naturally repel mosquitoes and unwanted insects. Is it possible to grow it in France?

Basilic

Same as rosemary. In addition to enhancing your dishes or sauces, basil, full of essential oil, is a great mosquito repellent plant. And for even greater efficiency, opt for lemon basil.

Geranium (Geranium crispum)

Geraniums have a reputation for repelling mosquitoes when hung in windows. But there is a small detail to remember because the real geranium that keeps mosquitoes away is the one whose foliage is very lemony, the scented geranium. It is part of the frost-susceptible pelargoniums which must be brought in before the frosts. Inside, it will continue to smell of lemongrass. Ideal for a veranda heated or not.

2. Eliminate the problem at the source

First, you have to go around the entire property or the terrace and eliminate stagnant bodies of water, such as empty containers that have accumulated rainwater, for example. In the different bodies of water (fountain, drinking trough, etc.), it is possible to place Mosquitos Dunks briquettes, which eliminate larvae and young mosquitoes before they start to bite. Effective for a month on a body of water of about 30 square meters, they do not affect other forms of marine, human or animal life. It really is a winning solution!

3. Install mosquito traps

There are mosquito traps of all kinds and at all prices; you just have to choose the one that suits you best.

On the terrace, balcony or patio, you can use a trap that plugs into a wall outlet. This type of trap attracts mosquitoes thanks to its titanium dioxide lamp.

Read also: Blood in a 46 Million Year Old Mosquito

When camping, opt instead for a trap that is easily transported and does not require electricity. The mosquito repellent lamp Off, with an odor pad, attracts and kills them. Other lamps work with solar energy; a blue light attracts insects and a live metal grid eliminates them.

Indoors, insecticide pads are very effective in eliminating unwanted insects that have managed to infiltrate through a poorly closed door or window. However, they should be kept away from children and pets.

4. Keep them away

Burning coils are inexpensive and keep mosquitoes away every time. Each of them lasts about five hours, which is enough for a nice evening out!

Citronella candles work more or less well, depending on how voracious the mosquitoes are. To ensure increased efficiency, opt for geraniol candles instead. However, they are difficult to find in Quebec. However, you will find candles with a mixture of citronella and geraniol.

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Garden torches provide a nice ambiance and should keep mosquitoes out of the party. However, it is necessary to have several of them to obtain a certain peace of mind.

Some essential oils also help get rid of mosquitoes. They hardly appreciate, among other things, the smell of lemony eucalyptus; this type of oil is on sale in natural product shops.

The repellent, previously used mainly by hunters and fishermen, is probably the most effective way to keep mosquitoes away. There are now different formats, prettier than the original. It functions as a shield that provides protection for approximately 4 meters. It is sold with 3 insect repellent pads and 1 butane cartridge. Each wafer lasts up to 4 hours and the cartridge lasts up to 12 hours. And it really does work!

The mosquito net: and finally, last tip and not least, the mosquito net. It is often forgotten and we do not always think about it, but it is THE most effective anti-mosquito solution. It is possible to place it above your bed or by equipping your windows and doors.

Sources: PinterPandai, This Old House, Treehugger, Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Photo credit: Elionas via Pixabay