What Keeps Mosquitoes Away

Spending time outside is often meant by the realization that you will likely run into mosquitoes. There are things you can do outside your home, inside your home, and on yourself to help keep mosquitoes away.

We will go over what you can do outside your home to keep mosquitoes away. Then we will cover what keeps mosquitoes away inside your home. Then we will talk about what keeps mosquitoes away from you as a person. Finally, we will cover some tips on how to relieve yourself from the pain and itch of mosquito bites. Continue reading this guide to learn what keeps mosquitoes away, where you can enjoy your time inside or outside of your home.

What keeps mosquitoes away when outside?

It is common knowledge that mosquitoes breed in stagnant, or standing, water. What you may not know is that mosquitoes can lay their eggs in a very small amount of water. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in water little enough to fill a bottle cap.Find out more about how to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard here

Mosquitoes also love to seek refuge in any debris you have in your yard. Wind is bothersome to mosquitoes and this is why they seek places to hide from it. This can include anything from a pile of branches to grass that is getting tall.

Water tanks

Ensure that they are completely sealed. Be sure to check the lids, inlet pipes, and covers for any gaps that the mosquitoes can use to get inside and breed. You may also consider fitting removable mesh screens for the overflow pipes outlets and to all of the inlets.

Check your gutters

This one is easily overlooked but gutters are the perfect home for mosquitos. It allows them to escape the wind by hiding among the leaves and twigs gathered there. It also typically gives them water to lay their eggs in.

Pet watering bowls

Forgotten pet bowls can have standing water. Ensure to flip your dog’s dish over after it is done drinking, where mosquitos cannot sit up camp in it.

Bird baths

Similar to dog’s bowls, bird baths typically set out in the sun, like a free calling card for mosquitoes. There are a few things you can do with bird baths to make them unfriendly for mosquitoes.

Aves photo created by wirestock

These are battery-operated devices that create small ripples on the water. Not only is this appealing to birds, it also creates surface disruption, which prevents mosquitoes.

You could also add a slowly dripping hose to your bird bath. This will create a disruption on the surface of the water.

These are pretty to look at and attractive to birds. Likewise, they disrupt the water, making it less than ideal for mosquitoes.

These are little circles you can add to standing water. They continue BTI, which is bacteria that is only toxic to mosquito larvae. These are safe for birds and other wildlife. Each dunk can last 30 days and treats up to 100 square feet of surface water. You can use them in bird baths, ponds, or anywhere that water is stagnant.

What keeps mosquitoes away from water or from reproducing? It takes anywhere from 7 to 10 days for a mosquito to go from egg to adult in the life cycle. Therefore, you can change the bird bath water at least every five days to put a stop to the life cycle. A bonus point to this is that fresh water is also healthier for birds.

Other common places for standing water

Standing water is an open invitation for mosquitoes to frequent your home. Eliminating the standing water altogether is an easy fix. Alternatively, you can dump the water every 5 days. You may want to check the following for standing water: trash cans, flower pots, tires, grill covers, and buckets.

Mosquito net tents

One sure fire way to enjoy the outdoors without worrying about pesky mosquitos are mosquito net tents. You can get them in different sizes to accommodate your needs. Do you want to enjoy dinner outside on your picnic table? Now you can with a mosquito net tent covering your picnic table.

Yard debris

Yard debris is something often overlooked but mosquitoes love it. Yard debris shelters them from the wind. It also often allows them to have a moist, dark area to procreate in. Common culprits for yard debris are grass clippings, thick vegetation, raked leaves, and compost piles. Do yourself a favor and remedy your yard of yard debris and, by extension, mosquitoes.

What keeps mosquitoes away when inside?

We’ve covered how you can limit the breeding grounds and natural shelters available to mosquitoes. But what keeps mosquitoes away from you inside your home? There are some things you can do at home to make your home mosquito-free.

Screens/fine mesh

One way to ensure mosquitoes cannot get inside your house is to have screens installed on all your windows. You should also check screen doors regularly for damage, as sometimes cats or dogs can be overzealous. It is also important to maintain appropriate fly screens on all doors, vents, and chimneys. These screens will greatly lessen the number of mosquitoes that are able to get inside.

Use a diffuser for essential oils

Some strong-smelling essential oils make it difficult for mosquitoes to find food. Rather than settling with just the plant, a diffuser will cover more ground inside your house. Some good essential oils to use for this are citronella, mint, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

Photo by Chris F

Use a fan at key points

Mosquitoes cannot fly with strong currents, so fans are a huge deterrent for them. Having one (or even two) fans pointing towards doors or on patios will not only help you cool but it will also deter mosquitoes.

Ensure that doors are closed

Especially for those with young children, you may think all your doors are closed, but it is best to check. Screen doors are so lightweight that some people may not notice that it didn’t latch

Keep your lights off

Mosquitoes are attracted to light. As most mosquitoes will come in through open doors, especially if you are following this list, keeping your porch light on is an open invitation for them to come on in as you go in or out and if somehow mosquitoes find a way into your home, Buzz B gone, the mosquito killer lamp will finish them all.

What can I do to keep mosquitoes from biting me?

So we’ve covered how to keep mosquitoes away from indoors and outdoors, but what about how to keep them from biting you in particular? Nothing ruins time outside like being bit by these little insects.

Mosquitoes bite humans for a variety of reasons, but it boils down to female mosquitoes needing protein in our blood. For this reason, individuals with O type blood are more likely to be bitten, followed by B type blood, and then finally A type blood. Humans also emit carbon dioxide and mosquitoes seek out carbon dioxide when they are hunting for their next meal.

Mosquito Repellant

The most effective way of keeping mosquitoes from biting you is to use a mosquito repellant. Ones containing DEET are the most affective. Since 1957 DEET has been a common additive to commercial bug sprays. It has been discovered that mosquitoes have an adverse reaction to the scent of DEET, making this one of the most effective products on the market.

Wear light-colored clothing

Mosquitoes have been proven to be able to orient themselves to darker marks. Wearing light-colored clothing outside will benefit you two-fold: First, you won’t feel as hot in the sunshine and, second, mosquitoes won’t be as attracted to you.

Avoid sweet (fruit-like or flower-like) scents

Mosquitoes fee don more than just blood. Like bees and butterflies, mosquitoes enjoy flower nectar. Wearing something that is scented can attract mosquitoes. This extends beyond just perfume. Mosquitoes could inadvertently be attracted to the scent of your laundry soap, shampoo, lotion, or deodorant.

Loose, long clothing

Mosquitoes can bite more easily through tight clothing. Likewise, covering up your skin makes it more difficult for mosquitoes to bite.

Reduce sweating

Mosquitoes are attracted to both moisture and body odor, which makes it difficult being outside. In hot months, it is impossible to avoid sweating altogether. Washing after an intense workout and changing into new clothes can help. You can also stick with moisture-wicking fabric.

Mosquito (Metofluthrin) Repellent Bracelets

These bracelets were once quite popular, but their popularity has fallen. Scientists have determined that these bracelets provide little to no protection against mosquitoes. If there is protection to be had, you need to remain till for it to work at all. These are not recommended to keep mosquitoes from biting you.

What can I do if I do get bit?

So, we have covered what keeps mosquitoes away, but what about if you get bit? Mosquito bites are bound to happen, no matter how you try to eliminate risk. Unfortunately, humans are allergic to the protein found in the mosquito’s saliva. Most people do not have a severe reaction, but there is generally inflammation and itching at the bite site. It is a good idea to be prepared for when you do get bit by mosquitoes.

Antihistamine Cream

It is never a bad idea to have this on hand. This cream is great at relieving the itchiness associated with mosquito bites. It is also useful for ant bites.

Rubbing Alcohol

The first time you feel the irritation and itch from a mosquito bite, you can apply a dab of rubbing alcohol. This feels cool on the skin as it quickly dries.

Baking soda paste

Combine water and baking soda to make a paste and then apply it to your bite. The alkaline in baking soda paste will neutralize your skin’s pH, which will relieve the itch response of your body.

Essential oils

Essential oils are easy to come by and you may even have some in your closet. Lavender will help reduce inflammation, since it is a calming oil. Tea tree oil is another choice because it is a natural antiseptic.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste contains menthol, which is a great home remedy for bug bites. Some people find menthol irritating, but it is something worthwhile to try.

Basil rub

Science suggests that the chemical compound eugenol in basil can relieve itchy skin. To make this rub, you will boil 2 cups of water and add ½ an ounce of dried basil leaves. Let the mixture steep until it cools down. Then dip and washcloth in and rub the washcloth on your skin.

Cold compresses or ice packs

You can hold an ice pack or cold compress against the bite, in order to reduce inflammation and the itchiness. You would apply it for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

Lemon juice and vinegar

If you haven’t already scratched your mosquito bite, you can try a mixture of lemon juice and vinegar. This will soothe your bite. If you already scratched it though, this mixture will likely sting due to its acidic nature.

Oatmeal

You can make a paste of oatmeal and water and apply this to your mosquito bites. This will help stop the itching and irritation associated with mosquito bites.

Honey

Honey is both a natural antiseptic and antibacterial ointment. This will help prevent your mosquito bites from becoming infected.

Aloe Vera

You may already have some on hand for sunburns, but aloe vera is a great idea for mosquito bites, too. It will soothe the itch from mosquito bites. You can also place it in the fridge to make it feel more soothing as you apply it when it is cool.

Conclusion

We have gone over where mosquitoes like to take shelter and breed. We’ve included what keeps mosquitoes away from these areas. We’ve also gone over how you can keep your home mosquito free. Finally, we covered what you can do to lessen your chance of getting bit and how to treat any bites you do get. You now know what keeps mosquitoes away from you and you can now enjoy time outside or indoors.

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