How to Repel Blood-Sucking Mosquitoes and Treat Bites

They're ba-aa-ck! Slapping and scratching yet? Get ready, the blood-sucking mosquitoes have returned this year with a vengeance - experts are saying that we may be in for the worst mosquito season in five years!


Want to avoid being eaten alive by these buzzing, biting, blood-sucking, itchy, irritating, disease-carrying pests this summer?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Read the Steps for specific items.

1. DEET Repellants. Buy and use spray or oil repellents that contain DEET. DEET is a chemical that blocks insects ability to detect the carbon dioxide we exhale. Because the mosquitoes cannot detect the carbon dioxide, they usually can’t detect us.

2. Eat garlic. Mosquitoes (and vampires) dislike the natural skin secretion caused by garlic. If you don’t mind like smelling like a Pizza Hut bread stick, a daily dose of 1,500 mg of fresh garlic or a 15 mg capsule will do the trick.

3. Take a daily B-Complex or a 100 mg B1 (Thiamin) vitamin. It omits an odor through your skin pores, not detectable to humans, which grosses-out mosquitoes.

4. Attract bats. Some say that one small, brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes per hour. Build or buy yourself a bat house.

5. Burn herbs. Throw some sage or rosemary on the coals in your grill whenever you’re grilling outside.

6. Mosquito repelling plants. Grow or buy the kinds of plants that mosquitoes don’t like, such as: Citronella Grass, Catnip, Rosemary, Marigolds, Horsemint, Basil, Ageratum, and Agastache Cana. Place the plants in, near and around all the areas you like to be outside, especially by doors and outside sitting areas.

7. Drink tonic water, with or without gin, vodka or other choices of spirits.

8. Burn Citronella candles. Everyone knows this.

9. Vanilla Extract. Dab Vanilla Extract on your pulse points.

10. Skin So Soft by Avon. Works great at repelling mosquitoes and makes your skin soft.

11. Listerine Mouthwash. Mix 50/50 with water or household vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray it on yourself, doorways, tables, chairs, etc…

12. Mosquito repelling wristband. You can buy these wristbands at most Walmarts and drugstores.

13. Essential oils. Spray, spritz or rub yourself with an essential oil (diluted in water or almond or olive oil) known for repelling insects, like: Citronella, Lemongrass, Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Cajeput, Geranium, Red Cedarwood, Mugwort, Clove Flower Buds, Spearmint, Turmeric Root, Black Walnut, Wormwood and Rosemary.

14. Bounce fabric sheets. Hang a fabric softner sheet from your belt or pocket.

15. Vinegar. If you don’t mind smelling like a pickle, rub vinegar on yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• Treat mosquito bites and prevent the itching and swelling by applying any of the following items to your bites: Cortizone 10 - Rubbing Alcohol - Ice - Baking soda and water - Calamine lotion - Benedryl anti-itch spray - Hydrocortisone cream - Topical anesthetics - Toothpaste - Liquid soap (don’t rub off) - Aspirin (moistened) - Vicks VaporRub - Witch Hazel - Milk - Crushed onion juice - Hot sauce - Deodorant/Antiperspirant.
• Avoid wearing dark-colored clothing.
• Avoid eating bananas and other high-potassium foods. Mosquitoes are attracted to the lactic acid your body gives off.
• Avoid wearing floral or fruity scents and fragrances.
• Avoid sweating. Mosquitoes are attracted to moist and sweaty armpits.
• Avoid and eliminate standing water. Dump out all containers, items and objects that collect water to keep mosquitoes from breeding.
• Avoid and weed-wack tall grass and weeds.
• Avoid bright lights. Mosquitoes are attracted to incandescent lights. Fluorescent lights are a great alternative.
• Avoid being outdoors from dusk till dawn - when mosquitoes are most active.
• Avoid stinky feet. Keep your feet clean and dry. Mosquitoes are attracted to the bacteria found on sweaty, smelly feet.
• Avoid spazzing-out. If you are in a swarm of mosquitoes, waving your arms around like an idiot actually attracts more mosquitoes.
• Avoid breathing. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide (CO2) you give off when you breathe.

Resources

• Mosquito Facts, Prevention and Bite Treatment

[vintage]

on 9/10/2009 great article and tips

[jkopinion]

on 8/1/2009 What a great read! Helpful and funny! 5*****

[likestowrite]

on 5/30/2009 this is good information. Thanks. 5*

[truck300lb]

on 10/9/2008 Avoid breathing?

[jamaclassics]

on 8/8/2008 I keep them off with a high velocity fan when I sit on the back deck. Mosquitos are such poor fliers that the fan blows them away. No fuss, no muss, no stuff on my skin, etc.