Home / Natural mosquito repellents

Natural mosquito repellents

Every year, when summer arrives and we most want to enjoy our patios and gardens, mosquitoes also put in an appearance. With them come an astronomical number of solutions, some more effective than others.

Electric plugs, repellent bracelets, lemon grass sprays, insecticide sprays… it’s difficult to choose and to know which ones are really effective.

Furthermore, very often all these miracle products have limited effectiveness in time and space and they are not always eco-friendly. Worse still, they can be toxic to vulnerable people (children, pregnant women, the elderly, etc.), those with sensitivities and pets.

Some commercially available products can be toxic to users.

Many people are now turning to totally natural and eco-friendly mosquito solutions that pose neither a health nor an environmental risk. Though often effective, these solutions nevertheless have a limited action in time and quite a short range.

Lemon grass is very often cited as being an excellent natural mosquito repellent, but you can also ring the changes and grow other insect repellent plants on your patios such as lavender, scented geranium, jasmine, marigolds, etc.

MOSQUITO REPELLENT PLANTS

Though their range is relatively short (a few dozen inches around each pot), mosquito repellent plants are quite effective. They can be useful in vegetable gardens or on window sills to help keep insects out.

To combine comfort and gastronomy, you can also plant some aromatic herbs which are also known to repel mosquitoes, such as lemon basil, lemon balm, peppermint, lemon verbena, garlic, rosemary, thyme, etc.

Many aromatic herbs are excellent repellents but are only effective at very short range.

Also consider tomatoes whose leaves are said to be more mosquito repellent than the DEET contained in commercial repellents.

If you have enough space, you can opt for eucalyptus or Persian lilac which will repel insects from around their leaves.

MOSQUITO REPELLENT ESSENTIAL OILS

Used alone or in combination, essential oils can be effective against mosquitoes.

They should be handled with care and used diluted in lotions. Some essential oils can be useful to repel mosquitoes in the immediate vicinity and to sooth bites.

The only problem is that they are only effective for a few minutes and are not totally harmless. Indeed, not all essential oils are suitable for everyone. Some can cause irritations or allergies and others can be dangerous. Make sure you follow the safety instructions. They are not recommended for use on children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

We already know about the repellent properties of lemon grass and basil, but bourbon geranium, clove, lemon eucalyptus and lavender essential oils are also useful in lotions to sooth bites.

Java citronella grass essential oil is mainly effective when diffused inside a room.

Peppermint essential oil is less repellent than the others but nevertheless prevents bites by lowering the CO2 released by the body, making it harder for insects to detect your presence. It also soothes mosquito bites.

TRADITIONAL TIPS AGAINST MOSQUITOES

The use of repellents in diffusers and on the skin has only a limited effectiveness in time and space.

There will always be mosquitoes around to bite you when your lotion is no longer potent enough or when you move away from your aromatic plants. A few simple tips can help limit mosquito bites.

Indoors, install mosquito nets in your bedroom and your children’s bedrooms to keep mosquitoes away from you. You can also use a fan in the rooms you want to protect. The flow of air generated by the device destabilises insect flight.

Outdoors, firstly, remember to remove all stagnant water from your balconies, patios and gardens. A single saucer under a flowerpot can be enough to allow the females to lay their eggs and give birth to hundreds of new mosquitoes in just a few days. Next, you can build a natural trap quite simply using everyday items.

Traditional tips, a valuable aid against mosquitoes

Both indoors and outdoors, a few basic rules apply to discourage insects from biting you.

Limit stagnant water
Empty watering cans and other containers, put sand in your flowerpot saucers, regularly change your pets’ drinking water, etc.
Wear covering and light coloured clothes
Long clothes leave less skin accessible to bites and light coloured clothes absorb less of the heat that mosquitoes love so much.

Eliminate scents and perfume
Some smells are very attractive to mosquitoes and they can detect them from a distance. To discourage them, chose a scent that is as neutral as possible.
Limit alcohol intake
People who have consumed alcohol produce more CO₂ and are therefore more attractive to mosquitoes than those who have not.

THE LARGE-SCALE NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

For a natural, large-scale solution to mosquitoes, discover Qista:

88% fewer bites
A natural technique
0 toxicity for people, animals and nature
Fine selectivity (it only captures female mosquitoes and no other insects)

The Qista mosquito solution is patented and its effectiveness has been proven in independent studies. It operates outdoors as a genuine mosquito barrier acting at up to 60m around the trap.

Totally environmentally friendly, it is harmless to people and pets. Its effectiveness is long-lasting and reduces mosquito populations around the installation.