5 Natural Ways to Keep Mosquitoes Away from Your Home

If mosquitoes make your summer nights unbearable, don’t just settle with applying commercial mosquito repellent creams on your face or body.

Even if those repellents guarantee long-lasting protection against mosquitoes, they are not safe for continual use. Mosquito repellent creams actually block the skin pores and do not allow the skin to breathe. Spray repellents are even more harmful as they can get into your eyes, nose and mouth.

So before you grab that DEET-based mosquito repellent, consider using these 5 natural ways to keep mosquitoes away from your home. DEET or diethyl-meta-toluamide, is the toxic ingredient in mosquito repellents that leaves more than a bad odor. Reports from the Duke University say that with continued use, it can have harmful interactions with certain medications, can cause behavioral changes, and can even damage brain cells.

There are no permanent solutions to get rid of mosquitoes. But you can still provide complete protection for your family against them by using natural and scientifically proven ways that won’t do any harm to your health.

Here are 5 natural ways to keep mosquitoes away from your home:

1. Natural Mosquito Repelling Plants

Your garden is your first and strongest defense against mosquito bites and the diseases that go along with it. There are easy-to-grow plants that are readily available in your regular supermarket which you can use not only to enhance the beauty of your surroundings but also to repel mosquitoes. These include plants like: Basil, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Marigold, Horsemint, Marigold and Catnip.

2. Citronella Candles

If growing herbs and plants is impossible in your house, use citronella candles instead. As one of the most efficient and natural mosquito repellent in the world, Citronella oil is a chemical-free option not only to keep mosquitoes away but also to soothe your senses.

You can use store-bought citronella candles or make your own. Either way, its amazing fragrance is horribly awful for mosquitoes but wonderfully refreshing to your olfactory nerves. Added benefit: It can also relieve you of anxiety, muscle pain and digestive problems.

3. Lavender Body Oil

One of the easiest ways to get rid of mosquitoes naturally is by using lavender body oil. Its gentle formula makes it ideal to use as body wash and lotion for the whole body. It will leave your skin fresh, clean and moisturized. The best part is that it will keep you protected from mosquito bites all day long.

4. Neem Oil

Extracted from the Neem Tree which is also known as the Tree of Life, the neem oil is widely-used in many organic cosmetic products but its scent drives mosquitoes away in an instant.

Based on the study by the US National Research Council, neem oil is much more powerful than DEET in combating mosquitoes and the harmful diseases it brings. This report is confirmed even by the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association as well as the Malaria Institute in India

5. Garlic

The strong smell of garlic overwhelms the smell of mosquitoes, preventing them from making a prey out of anyone who smells of it. Of course, we don’t find the smell of garlic in our body particularly attractive but when it comes to avoiding mosquito bites, it is the best way to arm yourself against it.

Here are some other great tips to protect yourself:

• When outdoors, wear protective clothing.
• Always get rid of stagnant water around the house.
• Avoid jogging or camping in areas near swamps, marshes or lakes where mosquitoes abound.
• Invest in an outdoor screened gazebo.
• If you plan spending a lot of time outdoors, set up a fan to push mosquitoes away.
• Put up plenty of bird houses because they love eating insects, even mosquitoes as their regular meal.

Here is a guide to some natural mosquito repellents.