How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes at Home
Though mosquitoes are small and tiny creatures, they are a real nuisance. Not only can these insects cause several dangerous and fatal diseases like malaria, dengue, and yellow fever, mosquito bites are itchy and painful. The market is flooded with several chemical-laden mosquito repellents. These products can help you make your surroundings mosquito-free, but at the same time, they have negative effects on the environment. If you are wondering how to get rid of mosquitoes, then we've got you covered. Our home remedies for mosquitoes will not only keep mosquitoes away but will kill them and stop them biting. Try them out!
Home Remedies for Mosquitoes
1. Dry Ice
The carbon dioxide that we exhale attracts mosquitoes. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide which evaporates into gas as it melts.
So, place dry ice in a wide container and keep it at a distance. When all the mosquitoes are attracted towards that container place a cloth over it, trapping them in and killing them.
While this can be a little time-consuming, but it is an effective method to drive away mosquitoes (, 2).
2. Coffee Grounds
One simple home remedy to repel mosquitoes is coffee grounds. All you need to do is just sprinkle coffee grounds wherever you find stagnant water near your house.
The mosquito eggs present in the water will be forced to come to the surface of the water due to the coffee grounds.
As they come to the surface, they will be deprived of oxygen. This will kill them before they hatch and will prevent mosquitoes from breeding (3).
3. Mosquito Traps
You can buy a mosquito trap from the market or can easily make it at home.
For preparing homemade mosquito trap, you need a plastic bottle.
Cut the bottle in half and add some brown sugar to hot water.
When it cools down, pour the solution into the bottom half of the bottle.
Now, add yeast. Take the top half of the bottle and place it upside down into the bottom half. The bottle opening should not be submerged in the sugar solution but sitting just above.
Use some tape to hold the pieces together, leaving the top uncovered. Place it in a mosquito-prone area.
The mosquitos will fly down through the bottle top into the sugar solution and drown. Change the solution in the bottle after every 2 weeks (4).
This method of mosquito trapping is known as sugar yeast fermentation method. This is a convenient and cheap way to get rid of mosquitoes as materials used for trapping are easily available (5).
4. Camphor
Camphor is another home remedy to get rid of mosquitoes in an environment-friendly manner (6).
Just close all the doors and windows of the room. Then light camphor and leave it for about half an hour. When you return, you will not find any mosquitoes.
You can also use camphor balls and Neem oil as a natural mosquito repellent.
All you need is 3-4 Camphor balls, 1 cup Neem oil and 1 emptied refill bottle. Fill the bottle with the given ingredients and then fix the bottle to the machine. Now you can use this as a natural mosquito repellent device.
Alternatively, you can make a mixture of 1-ounce oil of citronella, 1-ounce spirits of camphor and 1-ounce oil of cedar. Spray few drops of this mixture on the bath towel and lay it over your bed.
This will repel the house mosquitoes (7). Citronella oil provides complete protection from mosquitoes (8).
5. Garlic
Extract of garlic has mosquito larvicidal properties (9). Crush a few cloves of garlic and boil the crushed garlic in water.
Then pour this homemade mosquito repellent in a spray bottle and squirt it around the room. This remedy will kill the mosquitoes.
Eat garlic daily to avoid mosquito bites. You can also rub a garlic clove directly on the skin (10).
Herbal Remedies for Mosquitoes
6. Indian Lilac Oil and Coconut Oil
Indian lilac is a mosquito repellent and it is also used as a natural pesticide (11).
Mix Indian lilac oil and pure coconut oil in the ratio 1:1 and apply it all over your body.
The strong smell of the mixture will keep the mosquitoes away from you for at least eight hours.
Field studies were done to prove the mosquito repellent efficacy of coconut oil. This vegetable oil showed repellent properties however, the results were not as pronounced as neem oil (12, 13).
7. Lemon eucalyptus
Lemon eucalyptus also known as Corymbia Citriodora, is a tall tree widely grown in Australia.
Oil from the leaves of this tree has excellent mosquito repellent properties (14, 15, 16). You can apply this oil to your skin to protect yourself from mosquito bites (17).
8. Holy Basil
Holy basil leaves are known to kill the mosquito larvae and so check the breeding of mosquitoes.
Just plant a holy basil plant in your garden and at the entry points of your home (). You can also spray basil oil to repel mosquitoes (19).
9. Citronella Oil
Citronella oil is the best essential oil when it comes to preventing mosquitoes (20, 21).
Apply citronella oil all over the body (22). You can also inject a few drops of this essential oil in a candle and light it up.
Or else, put it in a spray bottle and spray it in mosquito-prone areas.
10. Mint
The strong odor of mint, which most of us love, is loathed by mosquitoes.
You can take fresh mint, mint oil or mint extracts to keep mosquitoes away (24).
Mint oil can be used as a fumigator by pouring it into a spray bottle, or you can apply it on the exposed parts of your body. Alternatively, grow mint shrubs in your garden.
11. Lavender Oil
The smell of lavender oil can keep away mosquitoes as effectively as any commercial repellent.
The smell of the lavender flower and oil is very strong and mosquitoes can't tolerate it.
Therefore, spray lavender oil it in the room (25). Or you can also apply it to your face and other parts of the body which remain exposed.
- Alternatively, you can also spray lavender-scented room fresheners that are easily available in the market.
- You can also grow lavender plants around the house and garden to keep mosquitoes away.
12. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is one of the effective essential oils to get rid of insects (26). The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties work wonders when it comes to fighting off mosquitoes.
The strong odor of the tea tree oil keeps the mosquitoes at bay.
All you need to do is mix a few drops of tea tree oil with a few drops of water and apply this mixture on your face and other exposed parts of your body.
13. Red Cedar Mulch
Red cedar mulch not only makes the garden or the yard beautiful, but is also effectively keeps the mosquitoes away.
Boil red cedar chips in water. Next, put this liquid in the garden sprayer and sprinkle it everywhere.
This will keep mosquitoes away from your home.
This wood is also known as Juniperus virginiana. Its distinctive smell has insect repellent qualities (27).
14. Pinon Wood
Get hold of some pinon woods. Burn these woods outside your home. Try to keep the embers smoldering as long as possible as it is the smoke that repels the insects.
The pungent odor that the woods release on being burnt kills mosquitoes and prevents them from entering your house (28).
15. Rosemary
Rosemary is a natural insect repellent (29). It is closely related to mint and lavender and has similar insecticide properties.
Burn a few stalks of rosemary. The aroma that arises thereof will drive out the mosquitoes.
16. Mosquito Repellent Plants
Grow plants that repel mosquitoes such as catnip and feverfew in flower beds.
Or grow them in pots and strategically place them in mosquito-prone areas. (30).
17. Peppermint
It is a natural insecticide with a fresh and minty aroma. You can use it as a bug spray to repel mosquitoes (31).
Studies have proved that essential oils are most effective against mosquitoes, especially peppermint oil (32).
Note: This oil can irritate skin, so be cautious while spraying it (33).
18. Clove Oil
Many chemical repellents contain clove oil as their active ingredient because it has such good mosquito repellent properties (34).
This natural ingredient can be irritating to the skin so use it wisely (35).
19. Mustard Oil
Like coconut oil, this vegetable oil also showed mosquito repellent properties in many field studies (36, 37).
20. Vetiver
Vetiver, also known as Chrysopogon zizanioides is a bunchgrass, native to India.
Oil of vetiver has soothing aroma with exceptional insect repellent properties. Spray few drops of this oil to get rid of mosquitoes (38).
Do's
- When going to bed, make sure to hang a mosquito net. All the mosquito repellent coils or creams work for a few hours. Thereafter, the effect decreases. Hanging a mosquito net at night while sleeping will keep mosquitoes away (39).
- Keep all the doors and windows of your house closed to prevent the entry of mosquitoes. Use wire mash on doors and windows (40).
- Whenever you see mosquitoes flying around you, kill them immediately. This will make your atmosphere relatively mosquito-free.
- Mosquitoes get attracted by light. So use mosquito-repellent lights such as sodium lamps, yellow bug lights or LED lights in your house (41).
Don'ts
- Do not allow any water to stand near your house. Stagnant water is where mosquitoes breed and multiply (42).
How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes at Home
Source: https://www.homeremedyhacks.com/18-proven-home-remedies-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes/