Even though mosquitoes are small creatures, but they can be a very disturbing and sometimes dangerous. Mosquitoes that are flying around are very annoying, especially if they start to bite. Mosquitoes can also cause some dangerous diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and many others. The simplest way on how to get rid of mosquitoes is definitely by using the mosquitoes repellent that we can find in various supermarket. However, we have to remember that those repellents are is the same class as pesticide that could harm pets and humans if it’s used in a long term. These repellents works for few hours before the it’s completely evaporate and mosquitoes fly inside the room again. Of course, we can’t find spray it over and over again as it would danger our health.
Protecting our family from mosquitoes can quite tricky especially if we have baby, kids or even pets as they are more sensitive to chemical products and a long-terms could give a fatal effect. Go all natural would be the best thing to do. Find the 10 ways on how to get rid of mosquitoes in natural and effective ways.
1. Check The Door Cracks and Screens
First thing first. This is actually the most basic way to get rid of mosquitoes, but many people tend to forget about it. To prevent mosquitoes from flying inside the house, make sure to check the gaps of the doors, windows and screens. Mosquitoes can fly in between the gaps easily, so it would be so helpful to seal the gaps. For doors, we can use the simple door strip we can find in the hardware store and for screen, we can use a patch kit. Not only that closing the gaps allows us to get rid of mosquitoes, but also get rid of mice and insects, but also help us to keep the hot and cold air inside.
Mosquitoes are usually very active at night. If we have cover all the gaps and cracks on the doors and windows, then we have to make sure to close them after sunset. For us who prefer open aired home interior, we might have a problem with this. However, we can always use bed net. The design of bed net might not fit for all bedroom interior design, but if ours match, then the easiest way is to choose rounded bed net. It’s very easy to apply because it only has one pin point and it fits all bed sizes.
2. Sprinkle Coffee Grounds
If we have mosquitoes problem in our house for awhile, then it would be effective to find the source of the mosquitoes. The simplest way is by using coffee grounds. All we need to do is sprinkle coffee ground on stagnant water in and around our house, especially if we have lawn or garden area.
Coffee grounds work effectively as coffee ground will go to the bottom of the container and force the mosquitoes eggs to move to the water surface. It will cause them oxygen deprivation that will kill them before they even hatch, prevent them from breeding.
If we don’t have stagnant water around us, but mosquitoes are still flying around, then it’s worth to try to burn the coffee ground. We just need to place the coffee ground on an aluminum foil or other containers other than paper or plastic, put a bit of oil on the grounds, then light it. The smoke from the coffee ground will get rid of mosquitoes, working as a natural repellent.
3. Camphor
Camphor is also known as Kapur. It can be found easily in many countries in Asia. It’s all natural because it derived from camphor trees. The essence of this substance is well- known in the traditional medical world as an effective cough and nasal congestions. Apart from the medical benefits, this natural extract is also known for its benefit to clean the air quality.
Many people doesn’t know that camphor is also an effective yet the best natural way to get rid of mosquitoes for awhile. It is an easy, safe and last longer than the chemical products in the market. There are some forms of camphor to find, from candles, balls to oil.
All we need to do is light the camphor or drop camphor essential oil, then seal the room by closing the windows and doors. Leave the room closed for about 20 minutes and when we come back, we won’t find any mosquitoes. If we want to use camphor balls, we will need 3 or 4 of them and mix it with a cup of Neem oil. Put the the mixture in an empty refill bottle and we can use it anytime as a natural repellent.
4. Plant Herbs
Some herbs have distinctive odors that could repel mosquitoes. It would work the best for us who have garden or backyard in our house. The plants in the garden can be a favorite place for mosquitoes, especially if there’s a stagnant water, which could be the place for mosquito eggs. Having specific herbs can help us to get rid of mosquitoes in the garden area or inside the house.
Tulsi is an Indian herbs that’s usually used in cooking, which is also known as the “holy basil” has been known as an effective way to get rid of mosquitoes and treat mosquitoes bites.Plat tulsi on our home area, special near our window. it will kill mosquitoes larvae and keep them away from entering our house.
Catnip is another option. This cat’s favorite plant is the member of mint family, which has the aroma that mosquitoes hate.
Rosemary gives us multiple benefits when it comes to household. Not only does the herb repels mosquitoes indoor and outdoor, but it’s also a perfect to- go mosquitoes repellent and of course a cooking herbs. We can always plant rosemary on our yard, but we have to remember that this herbs can’t stand cold weather. Therefore, during the winter, it would be better to put the rosemary in a pot and put it in the porch instead of planting it on the ground. For a to – go repellent, we just need to mix rosemary oil and olive oil in a spray bottle. Take it wherever we go and we are free from mosquitoes in all natural way.
5. Garlic
Another natural yet effective way to get rid of mosquitoes is by using garlic. Not only does garlic has the pungent smell that mosquitoes hates, but it also has larvicidal properties to help get them away.
Based on the research of Colorado State University Extension, garlic oil is effective to kill mosquitoes larva and garlic extract that contain sulfur could get rid of mosquitoes in the sprayed area. If we have a farm or garden, garlic might not be sufficient because it could also get rid of the beneficial insects that could help the growth or our plants and disturb the micro ecosystem.
If we prefer all natural mosquitoes repellent for the regular household, then garlic is definitely the answer. All we need to do is crush a few garlic cloves and boil them. Cool down the water and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the garlic water around the room to get rid of the insect.
6. Lavender
If we don’t like the smell of garlic or it takes extra effort to grow tulsi, then lavender might be the best option. Lavender has been known as an effective mosquitoes repellent for awhile. Even though lavender doesn’t have a strong smell for human and we tend to like it instead, it doesn’t work that way for mosquitoes and this insect can’t tolerate them. We can spray lavender oil or lavender freshener in the room to keep the mosquitoes away. We can also find lavender- scented candle in the market and leave the candle burn for awhile. If we like the smell, then we can also apply lavender oil to our skin. Compared to candles and fresheners, oil that’s applied to the skin works the best. Another note, not only that lavender repels mosquitoes, it also works perfectly as relaxant for a good sleep.
7. Tea Tree Oil
Another effective yet nice- smelling way on how to get rid of mosquitoes is by using tea tree oil. This oil does has hundreds of benefits and when it comes to getting rid of mosquitoes, tea tree oil’s strong odor works the magic. To use this, all we need to do is mixing a few drops of tea tree oil and water and simply apply it to our skin. It can be used on both body parts and face. Just like lavender, tea tree oil has a lovely smell and can be a good skin treatment, so don’t hesitate to always have it in the bag everywhere we go.
8. Peppermint
Peppermint is a natural insecticide. There are so many mosquitoes repellents in the market that use peppermint as the main ingredients. Just like garlic, mosquitoes don’t like the strong pungent odor of peppermint. We can use either coconut oil or the mixture of coconut oil and water. We can both spray it around the room or apply it to our skin.
The most effective way that can give us multiple benefit is definitely by mixing peppermint oil, extra virgin olive oil that we use for salad dressing and essential oil. With this mixture, we will get rid of mosquitoes and at the same time moisten our skin. The smell of peppermint and essential oil can be relaxing or energizing, depends on the essential oil scent that we choose. However, we have to remember that peppermint can cause skin irritation for those who have sensitive skin, so it would be better to do a little test first or applying it in a thin layer when necessary.
9. Ultrasonic Insect Repeller
Ultrasonic insect repeller can be the effective way on how to get rid of mosquitoes. This product has been around for some time and many people like it because unlike the spray repellent, it has zero chemical ingredients. The device works by releasing radio frequency that’s very unpleasant for mosquitoes, other insects and mice. Human and most pets are unable to pick up the frequency, so it’s very effective to get rid of insects that we don’t want to be in or around our house.
Nowadays, we can also find ultrasonic repellent on the app store, which mean we can have it on our mobile phone that we can use anytime and anywhere we want. Is it really working? Unfortunately, in most cases, the app doesn’t work so effectively. Instead of getting rid of the mosquitoes, it will only drain the phone battery.
10. Natural Mosquitoes Traps
We can buy mosquitoes traps from any supermarkets, but we can also make one. Take a used plastic bottle, cut it in a half and flip the bottleneck part upside down inside the bottom part of the bottle. For the bait, we need to make a caramel out of sugar, then pour it in the bottle. When we pour it, mix it with yeast. We can also use beer to replace the mix. When we are using this method, we have to make sure to replace the solution periodically.
The bait attract mosquitoes because this insect is following CO2, which produced by the bait. For mosquitoes, CO2 means fresh blood source. When the bait release CO2, mosquitoes will fly inside the bottle and land on the sticky sugar surface , stick there and die.
There are so many method of how to get rid of mosquitoes, but one thing we really need to consider is the basic treatments of our house. We have to make sure to keep the house clean, no damp area and no stagnant water. Clear the gutter in regular manner and make sure to pay attention to the water in pots if we have a garden. Poorly maintained pond or swimming pool can also be a favorite place for mosquitoes to grow, so an extra care would be so helpful to get rid of this unwanted insect.