Mosquitos in Florida are the number one irritant. They’re especially bad in the wet season and after a hurricane, they come out in full force.
There are many ways to stop yourself from being bitten and many ways to keep mosquitos out of your house.
9 Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes and Natural Repellants
The problem with spraying is that a lot of people don’t want to use chemicals anymore. The same goes for the lotions and mosquito repellants, as well as the misting systems. They’re all good and they work but there is a big trend towards natural products.
The jury is still out as to whether natural products work when there is a big mosquito outbreak. I have tried both and oddly, I use both. I go for the anti repellant lotions and mosquito traps, but I try very hard to use natural products too.
Cintronella
Citronella is brilliant. You can buy anti-mosquito lotions that contain citronella and are all natural. You can get citronella scented candles, wear a citronella scented bracelet and bathe in citronella bubble bath.
Use citronella soap and in some places you can even get a citronella coil. Or – get a citronella oil, mix with water, add it to an empty spray can and spray liberally.
Coffee Grounds
You may not want to use your expensive coffee for this but any ground coffee will work. Sprinkle coffee in any puddles or where you may find stagnant water. Water, especially stagnant, provides a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. The coffee forces them to come up for air and they die before they’re able to breed.
Make your own natural mosquito trap.
Of course, you can buy mosquito traps from the hardware store but they mostly use chemicals. Make your own trap.
Cut a plastic bottle in half. Add brown sugar to hot water and mix well then pour it into the plastic bottle. Add yeast. Add the other half of the plastic bottle into the bottle half, upside down, with the funnel part facing up.
Wrap together with masking tape. Place outside or wherever you get mosquitos. Change the solution every few days or weeks.
Dry Ice
Mosquitos like carbon dioxide. It is why they come to us when we sleep; we exhale C02. Put some dry ice in a container and place it in an area where you have mosquitos.
They’ll fly into the box and you will be delighted. Close the lid whenever you’re ready!
Camphor
Like citronella, camphor works well and is environmentally friendly. Close the door to your bedroom, and the windows, and light camphor. The mosquitos will disappear.
You can also mix camphor ball with neem oil and make your own natural mosquito repellant which you can rub on your skin or spray from a bottle. Add citronella for extra strength!
Basil
Plant as much of this in your garden as you possibly can. Also, pick some, tie a few sprigs together, and hang it from a kitchen window. You can do this with mint too, it really works and will keep flies away as well.
Keep a few pots of basil and/or mint and keep them near your kitchen windows. They won’t stop an outbreak but you will find you have fewer mosquitos in your house.
Lavender Oil / Indian Lilac and Coconut Oil / Tea tree Oil
Get some Lavender oil, Tee Tree Oil or Indian Lilac oil from your local health shop and mix with a good quality coconut oil. Equal ratios of each. Use it on your body.
It’s quite strong smelling but delicious smelling and will keep the mosquitos away from you for a good couple of hours. You can also mix with water and make a spray. Some say it’s also helpful to grow lavender although I have tons in my yard and can’t say this is especially helpful when there’s an outbreak after a good storm.
Garlic
Garlic is good for a cold but it’s also good to keep the mosquitos away from you. Your partner may not like it though! Rub a garlic clove directly on your skin and it’s unlikely you will get bitten at night. You can also boil it, crush it, mix it with water and then make a spray.
Red Cedar Mulch
This is quite a lot of work but it should keep mosquitos out of the yard and the benefits to your garden are huge. Boil red cedar chips in water and make it into a spray. Sprinkle liberally. Red cedar is a natural mosquito repellant plus it smells delicious!
Final Thoughts
There are tons of plants you can use as well. As above, herbs like mint and basil are excellent. Rosemary and peppermint are good too. Grow these herbs outside but also inside in pots. Also, make bouquets and string them around the house.
Mosquitos are attracted to light so keep your lighting dim. Use candles when you can, and if you use candles with citronella, it’s a real win-win situation.
There are plenty of health stores in Florida that specialize in herbal based anti-mosquito creams and lotions. Think about using them as they do not impact on the environment in any way.
And do the small things like ensuring you don’t have stagnant water, keep yourself covered, use a mosquito net and put flyscreens on your doors and windows. Any little bit helps. If things get really bad then look at mosquito misting machines or mosquito traps. It’s hard to do everything naturally especially when you’re getting bitten to death!
Mosquitos can be deadly. If you do get bitten and your bites are sore or infected, or if you are experiencing symptoms of ill health, see a doctor!