Natural Mosquito Repellent & Other Ways to Not Get Bit

Learn how to naturally repel mosquitoes with plants, what you can do to keep biting bugs away, and how to make your own mosquito repellent.

Learn how to naturally repel mosquitoes with plants which repel mosquitoes and make your own mosquito repellent.

Summertime is here and what will ruin any fun day outside? The mosquito. They make us itch, irritate us, and can spread disease. There are ways to naturally repel mosquitoes, plants that repel mosquitos, and ways to avoid getting bit. 

Why should you bother with mosquito control?

From the Florida Department of Health – Mosquito-borne diseases found in Florida include West Nile virus disease, Eastern equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis. Many other mosquito-borne diseases are found in different parts of the world and can be brought back to Florida if infected people or animals are bitten by mosquitoes while in Florida. Some examples of these diseases include chikungunya fever, dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, and Rift Valley fever.

Mosquitos spread diseases in all states and in other countries. There are ways to naturally repel them and deter them from your yard so you can enjoy being outside during the warmer months.

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What Attracts Mosquitoes?

Only the female mosquito bites, because they need our blood to develop and lay eggs.  Males drink flower nectar.

Here are several different reasons why mosquitoes may bite you and not the person next to you:

  1. You talk too much – Mosquitoes are attracted to Carbon Dioxide, those who exhale (talk/breathe) more than others attract more mosquitoes.
  2. Blood type O – Those with type O blood attract more biting insects than those with A, B, or AB Blood.
  3. Dark Clothes –  Wearing dark clothes causes you to stand out against the horizon and mosquitoes like this.
  4. Sweating –People who sweat or with higher body temperatures send signals to mosquitoes to come and enjoy.
  5. Mosquitoes Love Their Beer – For some unknown reasons, mosquitoes will be attracted to those who like their beer.

I am a talker, have type O blood, and sweat a lot when I’m out in the summertime. That answers a lot of questions about why they seem to be attracted to me.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitos Naturally

There are several ways to help deter and keep the population down in your yard and surrounding areas. Just following these few steps will really make a difference.

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Removing and Treating Standing Water

Get rid of the standing water, and you get rid of the mosquito eggs. Water standing still for 4 or more days will help support the mosquito’s life cycle.

  • Treat water with mosquito dunks. Mosquito dunks slowly release BTI in water. BTI is toxic for mosquitoes but non-toxic to all other wildlife, pets, fish, and humans.
  • Remove any objects around your yard that may collect water, such as buckets or small pools or toys with openings that hold water
  • Use a rain barrel with screens over the holes where the water goes in. Read about how I set up my rain barrel.
  • Use a solar pump in your fountains to keep the water moving all the time. No electricity required and works really well in my fountain.
  • Replace any standing water in pools or birdbaths often.
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Provide Mosquito Eating Animals

Invite animals that eat mosquitoes to your yard to help control mosquitoes:

  • Bats
  • Frogs
  • Fish
  • Birds

Set up a Bat House in the backyard and watch them devour mosquitoes nightly. Fish in fish ponds love to eat mosquitoes and adding a few frog houses near the pond will help out too. My favorite way to control mosquitoes is with the Purple Martin. Set up a Martin home for them and you will love sitting out and listening to the very distinctive call they have. They don’t mind humans being around them and they aren’t messy. Since they are big bug eaters, you don’t have to worry about feeding them.

Use Natural Mosquito REPELLENT Spray

Use a DEET-free spray with natural ingredients or make your own spray from essential oils. After reading about some mosquito spray precautions with DEET, I would rather make my own or use a spray that DEET free.

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Homemade Bug Spray

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Place essential oils in a glass spray bottle. Add in alcohol and witch hazel. Shake well to combine.
  2. Add ½ tsp vegetable glycerin to help everything stay combined. Not required.
  3. Add water and shake again. Shake well before each use as the oils and water will naturally separate some over time.

Spray where needed when outdoors.

Following these simple steps will give you a much more pleasant day outside when it’s warm.

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21 Comments

  1. Mosquitos are such pesky little things. Maybe I talk too much because it seems they always bite me and never bite my husband. I have lots of Rosemary and mint growing in containers on my porch to repel those little pests. I need to make that homemade bug spray!

  2. The mosquitos are really bad in my area towards the start of summer. I have to give this recipe a try and keep a bottle on hand.

  3. Mosquitoes really seem to like me. Now I know why. Wonderful information much of which I wasn’t aware of. Bye bye mosquito.

  4. I am blood type O! UGH No wonder I get so many bites! LOL! I will be trying ANY and all repellants you mention here. I am sick of getting bit!

  5. It’s definitely important to make sure you have ways to protect yourself and your family against mosquito bites. I love that this is all natural! You know exactly what’s in it. No harmful chemicals included.

  6. I had no idea that mosquitos were more attracted to type O blood. That explains so much for me.

  7. wow this would be a great tips and must be shared .. thanks for this awareness very usefull specially this rainy season..

  8. this will so great and very helpful and i aware now for the plants that help as repellant.. thanks for this tips such a awesome ..

  9. I really like DIY products because they’re safer for us. I think this one is a keeper. Also, thanks for raising awareness on this. We have to protect ourselves from mosquitoes as they can be really harmful.

  10. I am a magnet for mosquitoes! I had no idea that Type O blood was more susceptible and sure enough, that’s my blood type. Also a talker lol. We actually have bats so our yard is pretty clear but I’m going to try your homemade repellent recipe.

  11. I can’t thank you enough for this post, it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. My granddaughter breaks out in welts if she gets stunk (she is allergic to everything) by mosquitos. I have to try other alternatives most of the time because she’s also allergic to many repellants.

    1. Hi Terri. I had to start making my own repellant because the one I bought in the store would break me out too. The homemade version works well for me.

  12. This would explain a lot for my girl ava too. She gets eaten almost instantly. Gotta feel sorry for her

  13. I had no idea different blood types attract mosquitos. I am on that highly attractive list and it absolutely makes sense, mosquitos love me. These are great tips!

  14. I’m the quiet one, I don’t drink beer, I’m a B- blood type. I get 15-20 bites a night when i one else gets any. I can’t stan it any more!!

  15. Mosquitoes are a menace all over the world. They are also dangerous as they spread dangerous diseases. It was very interesting to read about why mosquitoes bite certain persons more. Natural means are always best to fight the mosquito menace.

  16. I am so going to try making the homemade spray, I’m fed up with smelling of deet! I live in the country, and get bitten alive by these pesky mozzies. Thank you for sharing this, can’t wait to try it out

Comments are closed.