Not a debate/How to get the Mosquitoes away

Lisa - posted on 08/03/2012

This is not a repellant but a happy fix. I am allergic very bad to Mosquitoes. after I get a bite I start burning up my veins and rashing and the bite swells super big. I have found a product by accident that help me so much, that I never run out of it. Dermoplast- It's a product that has been around for many years and used in hospitals too. You can get it a Walmart or a local drug store. It will be near the first aid supplies. Works awesome for sunburn too, ect. If your having trouble finding it ask your local drug store to get it for you. Most will do it.
I have proved this works and works time and again. Now here what you do. As soon as you get bit or can get to your Dermaplast, preferably in the 1st 15 to 30 minutes to ensure it will work, spray it on. You may need to repeat in a minute or so. That's ok it just helps it get in their and work and give relief awe! In about the time you will forget about your bite (30 min.), poof it's gone. It actually looks like you have never been bit most of thie time, wow. Now I'm not saying it will work for everyone but I have found it works for everyone I know. After they find out it works so good, they run to the store and usually bye 2 or 3 can of spray. Your kids will never let you run out of it. They will know what a mircle it is to them and treat it as gold. We do! Best wishes to all. This product will help you, I feel sure of it.

Mary - posted on 07/13/2011

Katherine, not sure what you've tried yet, but we too have been having a horrific time with mosquitoes this summer. I've been using a bug repellent spray from California Baby. It is a non-chemical, DEET-free spray that contains citronella, lemongrass and cedar oils. It has worked really well for BOTH of us. They carry it at both Target and Babies R Us; it is a little bit on the pricier side, but I really love ALL of their stuff (their lotions were great for Molly's eczema).

Elfrieda - posted on 07/12/2011

Yes, inhaling it. That's interesting about that study, because on the bottom of the candle there's a warning about breathing it in. Maybe that's the old way of making it. This was in the late 90s that I read it.

Desiree - posted on 07/04/2011

From the EPA website: "Based on laboratory animal studies, Oil of Citronella poses minimal or no risks to wildlife. Because of the low toxicity and limited uses of Oil of Citronella, it is not harmful to the environment. No adverse effects are expected for use around the home."

For more:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/biopesticide...

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_citronella_...

Adrienne - posted on 07/04/2011

I got an email from my dad a while ago saying that someone filled up a squirt bottle with plan ol Listerine mouth wash, sprayed it around the deck or area they were in, and didn't get bothered by mosquitoes ALL night! I haven't tried it yet, but worth a shot!

Katherine - posted on 07/04/2011

Really Elfrieda? Inhaling it?

Elfrieda - posted on 07/04/2011

Okay, I'm back with something to make you paranoid. :) I've read that those Citronella candles can affect your childbearing capabilities.

Desiree - posted on 07/04/2011

I live in south Africa where mozzies take the cake and drive me insane. We get little arm bands that contain citroela and you can also get a little sticker thing works like a bomb. Other wise anything with Citroela works. Bath her with a soap that has it in.

Nikki - posted on 07/03/2011

he he I just read Traceys! My father in law swears by mouthwash. With the spray that I make I spray it all around the trees and garden if we are outside.

Nikki - posted on 07/03/2011

I haven't read all the posts, so not sure if this has already been recommended. I make my own spray. 1/2 fill a spray bottle with water, then fill up to 3/4 full with mouthwash, 5 tablespoons of baby oil, 20 drops of teatree oil, 5 tablespoons of dettol and a few drops of lavender oil. Not sure if you guys have dettol though?

Cathy - posted on 07/03/2011

My favourite perfumes usually contain vanilla ... maybe this is the secret of my success!

Katherine - posted on 07/03/2011

Thanks Tracey, I will try that!

Sneaky - posted on 07/03/2011

The magazine article I have stuck to my fridge (waiting for the spring onslaught) recommends:

Mouth wash!!! Find a cheap generic bottle of it and a spray bottle and spritz it around were you are sitting/playing.

10ml lavender oil in 100ml baby oil . . .added bonus in that it leaves your skin baby soft!

Plant pyrethrum daisies around the house.

Vitamin B - said to leech out of the skin and deter mozzies. The specific one mentioned in this article is a Vitamin supplement called Baby Boost which is for kids not adults.

I haven't really tried any of these yet (must order some daisy seeds now that I think of it!!) but my bottle of moush wash is ready to go as soon as the little bastards show up again.

Note: My husband swears by 'mozzie bands', they are plastic bracelets (or you can put one around your ankle) that are infused with citronella oil. You can also get a kid friendly version in a mozzie repellent sticker that you can just stick to the back of your kids shirts. I'm not convinced that they are that fantastic, though I will certainly admit I get bitten LESS when I am wearing the kids stickers (of course, maybe that was the problem, I'm bigger than a kid and needed more stickers!!!). You can google them if you are interested.

Kate CP - posted on 07/02/2011

Huh. Interesting.

Rosie - posted on 07/02/2011

i have a natural repellent and vanilla is one of the ingredients. it seems to work alright.

Kate CP - posted on 07/02/2011

I would think that spraying yourself with vanilla would make them flock to you, personally. :/

Tracie - posted on 07/02/2011

I've also heard that mosquitoes dont like bright colours- love black clothes and swarm towards anybody with perfume on, or who are 'hot blooded' or extra warm... (ps, dont mix a little black skirt, perfume and a hot woman together... complete mosquito mania!!) sorry, had to joke...

Tracie - posted on 07/02/2011

I saw someone once post that MOUTH WASH, sprayed around where your sitting works?? (sounds a little expensive...) smells nicer though than most repellants

Good Day! - posted on 07/02/2011

My mom told me tonight that if you mix one part pure vanilla extract and water and spray it all over you it keeps the mosquitoes away. I can't testify if it works or not. If I try it, I'll let you girls know.

Elfrieda - posted on 07/02/2011

Another thing: My aunt lives in northern Ontario, where the mosquitoes are merciless, and she has a hat with a net on it that falls down and covers her head and neck. It looks silly, but it works. I wonder if you could get a kid-sized hat like that.

Elfrieda - posted on 07/02/2011

Stand next to somebody who has tastier blood than you! :) My dad, my sister and my husband are all way tastier to mosquitoes than I am, so I snuggle up to them whenever I can.

I've had some luck warding off black flies by peeling oranges and putting the peel on my hat and hanging out of my pocket. (I was desperate!) It worked for a while, until the peel got stale. Then I'd squish it, and it would work for a little longer. It might work for mosquitoes too.

My grandmother is convinced that Listerine will ward off mosquitoes. She splashes it on her lawnchair before sitting on it.

Lucy - posted on 07/02/2011

They eat my daughter alive too!! Hate 'em.
I understand mosquitoes are attracted to our carbon dioxed we exhale, well, we can't stop breathing!
Only help I can offer is make sure your not growing them around your house, standing water in pots, ditches, etc.
Plant Citronella around, I keep one growing on my porch in the summer. I also find the little candles do help some at night.
Wear repellent, and spray shoes and clothes well, you can do that before your kids get dressed and let it dry and that helps a bunch.

Georgia - posted on 07/01/2011

Yup, dark colours and some say people who eat bananas are more likely to get bitten, but that's falacy because I eat NO bananas (allergic to them) yet I'm ALWAYS bitten.

Garlic and onion won't help either. We eat those on a daily basis, so you'd think mozzies would hate us. Nope, just the opposite.

There's a great product out now from Raid for outdoor use. It's like the timed sprayer thing for indoors, but it's for outdoor use. I've tried it and it worked well within the perimeter stated. Of course the tried and true mosquito coils always work too.

Katherine - posted on 07/01/2011

I NEVER knew dark colors attract mosquitoes. I just learned a lot lol.

Kim - posted on 07/01/2011

I don't know a way to keep them away...but lavender oil takes the itch out and it's great for stings and burns

Liz - posted on 06/14/2011

Don't wear sweet-smelling perfumes and lotions and dark colors (especially RED) which mosquitoes are attracted to.

I'm serious.

Georgia - posted on 06/13/2011

I'm also one that mozzies come after. I swear they can smell me from a mile away! Unfortunately, my boys are the same. We all get those nasty huge welts, so we are allergic to their bite.

Sadly, Yvette and Joy are right. Nothing is 100% effective. My husband can stand in a swarm of mozzies and nothing happens. Bastard! Some people are just more tasty I suppose.

The one thing that has worked (apart from Aeroguard and Off) is a product called eco-neem. It's an organic product for gardening, but it's perfectly safe to rub on. That is directly from the guy who owns the company and created the product. The active ingredient is the oil from the kernel of the neem tree, which is different to other neem products that use just the oil from the tree (which doesn't work). That is the only natural product I've found to work. If I'm going into malarial country, I use Bushman's with 80% DEET, because that's just how badly I get attacked.

Wearing the proper clothing usually works too. Long sleeves and long pants in light colours (and don't forget closed shoes to keep toes from being eaten). The best prevention, don't go outside at dawn or dusk.

Joy - posted on 06/13/2011

I also wanted to add that, although I've never tried it, my aunt swears by Skin So Soft by Avon (like someone else already suggested). She puts it on her cat because her cat is allergic to mosquito bites and she says it helps. ???

Joy - posted on 06/13/2011

As a Florida native, I've tried each one of the remedies mentioned here (except for the garlic...never heard of that one until now) and there is no way to totally prevent mosquitoes. Sorry Katherine! Dryer sheets, myth. Tea tree oil, works temporarily but if you're anywhere that is hot enough for you to sweat, then it won't last long. You can lessen the infestations by using sprays, having your town spray the air, using aerosols, treating your lawn, etc. They have sprays that are safe for children and pets so unless you're totally anti-chemical on the skin for EVERYTHING, that's about all I can advise. Where there is water, there will be mosquitoes (flies too). So avoiding having standing water in your yard is a good thing. I don't recommend doing the "fill the bag with water" trick. Before we moved, my neighbor in Florida went on vacation and it rained quite a bit while she was gone. She had a planter that filled with water and the mosquitoes swarmed her yard and mine. I actually jumped the fence when I saw what the problem was, so that I could dump the planter and within about half an hour they were gone. They love my blood and if there are any around, I always get bitten. The ONLY time I've noticed any semi-long term relief from the little pesties is to burn citronella torches (the tiki kind that are on long poles you stick in the ground), candles, etc. There are also lotions that have citronella in them. In our back yard in Florida, we had 6 of the torches and we'd keep them full of citronella oil and arrange them per wind direction when we were outside at night. Sitting downwind, directly in the flow of the burning oil, was the only time I would not get bitten. Of course, I was also doused in Deet lol

Teresa - posted on 06/13/2011

Skin so soft? Have you tried that? Or vanilla?

Kate CP - posted on 06/13/2011

Although, after working out in my huge rosemary bush I've noticed I don't get eaten by bugs. So I guess rosemary oil is a good one, too.

Kate CP - posted on 06/13/2011

The bags of water thing is for flies and it doesn't work.

Cathy - posted on 06/13/2011

Nope never been bitten by a mozzie and I've been to some fairly hot places with everyone else getting bitten half to death. They just don't fancy trying my blood for some reason...

Had a nasty horsefly bite once that got infected if that makes you feel better!

Lacye - posted on 06/13/2011

I'm back again. Try Avon Skin So Soft. My mother swears by it. She says that it will help keep them away. I don't like Avon so I can't really say if it works or not.

Jenn - posted on 06/13/2011

We tried mosquito barrier (garlic spray) and it was useless after a couple of days. By then the smell was gone but the mosquitos returned. It repels but doesn't kill them. I want them dead. No love for the mosquito. We live in a heavily treed area where they flourish. Now, I am looking for something more natural to fight them off of us when we are elsewhere. I don't like spraying our bodies with Deep Woods Off (however effective it may be!)...but I can't imagine spraying ourselves with garlic either :)

Krista - posted on 06/13/2011

Yeah, I'm not a big fan. Especially if there's a risk of kids/pets ingesting it.

For myself, if we're just horsing around the yard, I use Skin-So-Soft. But my job occasionally takes me out to various wetlands (which tend to have more than their fair share of mosquitoes), so for that, I use the Watkins mega-DEET stuff. I just put a dab on the back of my neck and another dab on my ankles. And I wash my hands afterwards, so there's no risk of me ingesting it.

Dana - posted on 06/13/2011

Ooh, I'd be more apt to use that. Pesticides geek me out.

Krista - posted on 06/13/2011

Garlic oil. Evidently if you spray your yard and house with it, the mosquitos (and ticks!) will stay the hell away. The smell dissipates quickly for humans, but those bugs can smell it for about a month or so. My husband's cousin tried it just on their deck, just to see, and said that they could actually see the mosquitoes flying toward them and then TURNING AROUND.

http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/

Jenn - posted on 06/13/2011

I'm all for organic with everything in our lives except those damn Texas mosquitos! I get our entire yard sprayed with whatever chemical the dude who sprays uses and it works exactly for 30 days! On the 31st day, if I haven't had the yard sprayed, they start emerging. My whole family would get eaten alive if we didn't go for the big guns against those nasty things!

Katherine - posted on 06/13/2011

And Cathy, you've NEVER been bitten???

Katherine - posted on 06/13/2011

Wow, lots of great ideas! Thanks!

Dana - posted on 06/13/2011

Cathy, we have 'skin so soft', made by Avon. I think it's the same thing that you're speaking of. It's used for the same thing. It's also great for keeping flies off you and off of any outside or barn animals.

Yvette - posted on 06/13/2011

You can't really prevent mozzie bites (we call them mozzies in Australia). You can try keep limbs covered (my son is 6 and still sleeps in a onsie because he doesn't stay under his blankets and will get bitten if theres a mozzie around). You can make sure that in your yard you don't have water pooled in places that aren't emptied regularly so that the larvae can't grow there. You can use plug in repellents in their bedrooms (non-chemical ones), but in the end, nature is nature. We live in the mozzies habitat, so they will do what comes naturally. So although prevention is better than cure, be ready with the cure. I don't know what you have available in the US, but if you go to your local pharmacy/chemist (whatever you call it there lol) and ask for an antiseptic cream with an anaesthetic in it like lignocaine or something similar, they should be able to help you. Germolene is the best I've found and I get that sent over from the UK.

Kimberly - posted on 06/12/2011

oh yeah citronella works great too i have to agree. we have candles with that scent and everything here in minnesota where its the state bird lol

Cathy - posted on 06/12/2011

Don't know if it's the same or available in the States but Soft and Fresh (or original) Dry Oil Body Spray from Avon. The fragrance contains citronella. Apparently it's very popular with the British troops for that purpose.

I've never been bitten so I have no personal experience on the matter.

Kimberly - posted on 06/12/2011

garlic and onions me and my whole family dont ever get bit that bad since we eat alot of garlic, chases those vampires away lol

Iris - posted on 06/12/2011

I've used tea tree oil. Just a drop and mix it with water, then either spray t on or apply it on the skin with cotton pads. It works for me.

Lady Heather - posted on 06/12/2011

omg. Maybe I should do all the things at once!

Dana - posted on 06/12/2011

I've also heard you can put a dryer sheet hanging out of your back pocket or front pocket...wherever I guess but, they'll stay away from them.

Lady Heather - posted on 06/12/2011

Hmm. That's a new one. I will try it. Might be weird to go to the park with ziploc bags of water, but I'll do it if it works. hehe.