Summer is synonymous with fun, beach, mountains, holidays, rest and the search for the best home remedies for mosquitoes.
Yes, we have all lived it. We reached that piece of paradise on earth, we wanted to enjoy it to the fullest and we found that great little companion: the mosquitoes!
Mosquitoes are not only annoying and fearless flyers, but they are also agents of disease transmission.
If you’re here, it’s because mosquito bites are bad for you, and they’re beginning to be an investment that drives you crazy too.
Then, you are in the right place, stay and learn the home remedies for mosquitoes, ideal to avoid the unpleasant buzz of their flight in all your activities.
Table of Contents
Classic home remedies to keep mosquitoes from biting
Below you will find the best home remedies to prevent mosquitoes from biting you, easy to make and with materials you have at home or can easily buy.
Lemon plus nails
Mosquitoes and mosquitoes have the ability to smell. Some smells, although it seems very strange, can be a real repellent to them.
For example, the combination of lemon and cloves can keep them flying away.
Simply pour the juice of half a lemon into a small container, add a few cloves (the kind you use in your kitchen, not steel nails) and you will get a concoction designed to prevent mosquito bites.
Place the container near your bed or sleeping area and keep mosquitoes away from your sleeping space.
Scents with candles, oils and incense
As we mentioned, mosquitoes are sensitive to some types of odors, so using candles, oil and incense are an ideal weapon to keep them away.
Let’s see some of the natural repellents you can make easily and quickly, which – besides keeping away the unwanted flyers – will leave an exquisite smell in the air.
Eucalyptus oil
Take several eucalyptus leaves and let them cook – with little water – in a small pot. When it boils, turn it off.
Let it cool down and you will have a rich essence of eucalyptus made by you.
This essence should be added to your moisturizer, shampoo or even sprayed on your clothes. This way, no mosquito will come near you, because you will “stink” of eucalyptus.
Citronella oil
Citronella is a great mosquito repellent. In the shops where they sell articles for the camping, you can find them in different presentations.
One of the most effective is citronella oil.
With just a few drops of oil in a diffuser and that’s it, you will have the whole space with a divine smell of citronella, which will send the mosquitoes flying to another place.
Catnip oil
You can find catnip oil in herbalists, also in some pharmacies.
One drop of this oil in an electric or candlelight diffuser will generate a pleasant aroma that has, according to the University of Iowa, up to ten times more power than frequently used chemical repellents.
You’d be eliminating the pesky pest without harming the environment.
Planting basil
Basil, besides elevating the flavor of your recipes -especially when they are Italian- is a natural repellent of great effectiveness against mosquitoes.
How can you use it?
So sow some basil and you will have a fresh ingredient for your meals, while keeping the mosquitoes away from your home or resting area.
The essential vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most beneficial natural ingredients for our daily life.
In view of the need to repel mosquitoes, vinegar also has to contribute.
You can mix a quarter cup of oil in a cup of water and place it, in a container, near the windows. The smell will keep mosquitoes from entering your home.
Another, more discreet, option is to put it in a sprinkler and about twice a day, you spread the mixture on the window frame. You will have an immediate effect.
Chamomile
If you’re looking for a natural repellent to put directly on your skin, chamomile is definitely an option with great results.
Boil about 250 grams of chamomile and place the resulting infusion in a spray bottle.
Every two hours, spray some of the solution on your skin and spread it out.
The smell will leave you with a pleasant aroma, but irresistible to mosquitoes, who would rather go and bite someone else.
Homemade Repellents
The repellents you buy in a supermarket, pharmacy or any other store are chemicals that generate side effects after use.
For example, those that are atomized can poison your plants, pets and create gases that cause the greenhouse effect.
But don’t worry, there are ways to have your own homemade repellent, which will prevent you from being visited by unwanted mosquitoes, without harming the environment.
Mint and Clove Repellent
Mint has a pleasant aroma, so much so that it is a favourite scent for companies marketing oral hygiene products and chewing gums.
But what if you put mint and cloves together? Result: a powerful 100% natural mosquito repellent.
Then, without waiting any longer, mix about 20 drops of mint oil with 10 drops of egg white essence, 5 drops of some citrus essence and that’s it.
The idea is that you combine it with your moisturizer and you will have a repellent with a pleasant aroma.
Almond repellent
Almond oil is another aroma that mosquitoes detest.
In any pharmacy or herbalist’s shop you can find almond oil.
In 100 millilitres of this essence, add 20 drops of basil essence and another 20 drops of geranium.
You will have an excellent moisturizer for your skin that will be a powerful mosquito repellent.
Do it, show off your skin and keep the mosquitoes away.
Garlic spray
Garlic is another foodstuff that contributes a lot to our lives, from its powerful antibiotic power to protection – in extreme cases – against vampire bites.
Well, against mosquitoes, garlic can also help.
Although its aroma is not as pleasant as the previous cases, the recommendation is to peel a garlic head and place some cloves in a bowl with water.
Let it macerate for about 12 hours. Put the resulting water in a bottle with atomizer.
Spray your whole house, especially the entrance areas, with that water and the mosquitoes will be scared off by the smell. Don’t worry, the smell will be imperceptible to you, that is, don’t have a house that smells of garlic.
Did you get stung? Here are some home remedies for mosquito bites
Despite the effectiveness of all home remedies for mosquitoes, there is a possibility that they may bite you, in which case the resulting stinging can be very annoying and you can calm it down.
The first thing you should do is wash the area with soap and water. Then, you should avoid scratching, which will prevent the release of histamine, which will aggravate the injury.
To reduce the symptoms caused by mosquito bites, we recommend the following home remedies:
- One of the most effective remedies against mosquito bites is green tea. Place a wet tea bag, used previously, over the bite and the symptoms will subside.
- Another option is to apply aloe vera gel. In a short time, the itching will stop.
- If you do not have tea or aloe vera available, you can place a cucumber slice on the area of the bite. Your skin will be refreshed and the pain left by the mosquito will disappear.
- In case you want something simpler you can use ice. Applied to the area of the bite, it will help calm the stinging.
Why do mosquitoes bite me?
Mosquitoes have a first-class sense of smell, but not good eyesight.
So, to guide themselves they use their smell and that is where we lose the battle.
Carbon dioxide, which we release when we breathe, marks a path – invisible, but effective – for the mosquito to know where we are, even when we are in a totally dark space.
The amount of carbon dioxide varies from person to person. It depends on factors such as: diet, health, sweating levels, among others.
For that reason, some people suffer more from mosquito bites than others. It has nothing to do with blood, as they say, but rather with the amount of carbon dioxide you emit when you breathe.
