Effective home remedies against mosquitoes – fight mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are annoying little pests. They buzz around their victims until they find a place to sit and stab. The bad thing is that these stings itch tremendously and can also become infected. No one needs mosquitoes, but they do exist. In some years there is a real plague of mosquitoes. If the conditions for the insects are good, they multiply en masse and attack their victims. Then good advice is expensive.

The most important point – prevention

There are around 50 species of mosquito in Germany. Most of them feed on animal blood. Very few specialize in people. There are differences in human sacrifice. Some are hardly ever stung, while others are regularly stung. Why is that? Why are there these differences. The explanation is very simple. Certain odorous substances that humans emit are more or less attractive to insects. These include sweat, lactic acid bacteria, amino acids, butyric acid and the Co2 content of the air we breathe.A wide variety of means are used against mosquitoes. Some are supposed to have a preventive effect, others if you have been stung. You have to know that there is no ultimate protection against mosquitoes or a product that helps 100%. However, there are numerous insect repellant substances that can protect. You have to find something that suits you. This remedy can be completely ineffective for someone else.

This is also the case with home remedies that are supposed to help against mosquitoes. With one person this remedy helps, with the other it. In any case, only trying it out will help. However, we do not assume any guarantees or liability for its effectiveness. As already mentioned, you have to find your special remedy and that can take time.

If you don’t want to be bitten by mosquitoes, you have to do something about it. Very few people are not pricked even without protection, they are among the lucky ones who cannot smell mosquitoes. Unfortunately, many of the remedies that are offered against mosquitoes do not keep their promises at all. But you have to differentiate here. Some remedies don’t help anyone, they don’t work at all, which usually has a simple explanation. You can’t work at all. Then there are the remedies that only work for every fifth or tenth. If you belong to it, you have been lucky, if not, bad luck. The only way to do this is to try it out.

Prevention in the home

  • Fly screens effectively protect your four walls from the intrusion of pests, provided they are installed correctly. At least you are safe at home, and, above all, you can sleep peacefully and undisturbed.
  • If you have no way of attaching the bars, you can protect your bed with a so-called mosquito net.
  • Electric vaporizers with pyrethroid plates can be used in rooms. The small devices are plugged into the socket. They are not suitable for children’s rooms as they can cause skin irritation! According to Stiftung Warentest, long-term use is not recommended. According to Stiftung Warentest, the best devices are Paral Mücken-Mobil and Nexalotte mosquito plugs.
  • Spread essential oils (lemon, bergamot, sandalwood, mint, cinnamon, camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, anise and catnip) on the pillow, bed linen, clothing and lightbulb.
  • Place bowls filled with vinegar, lavender or lemon essence.

Outdoor prevention

  • Wear loose clothing outdoors! Mosquitoes can penetrate tight clothing, even jeans.
  • Light-colored clothing protects better than dark-colored ones. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark things.
  • Avoid sweet perfumes!
  • Anti mosquito sprays help, but you have to try which one you can get along well with. Many have an unpleasant odor, others are not tolerated by the skin.
  • You should try Insectfree Anti Mosquito Spray. The active ingredient hydroxisopropyl lasts about 8 hours.
  • A good mosquito repellent for being outdoors is still Autan. The lotion or spray are applied to the skin and the agent works reliably as long as you don’t leave any spots. The active ingredient is icaridin, the agent works for up to eight hours. The effect is reduced by wind, sweat and water. However, irritation of the mucous membranes can occur.
  • In 2010 the Stiftung Warentest tested anti mosquito agents. The test winner was ANTI BRUMM FORTE. Advantages are the long effectiveness (up to 8 hours), the broad spectrum of action (against gnats, flies, fleas, horseflies, ticks, lice and mites) and the suitability for children from three years. However, the remedy contains 30 percent DEET, a very effective active ingredient against mosquitoes, but unfortunately not without controversy.
  • Mosquito coils help in the open air. You light them up at the end and then they burn for a few hours. The coils are inexpensive and you can use a lot of them at the same time. The smoke drives away the mosquitoes quite reliably, but also annoys some people.

Many rub-in agents contain the active ingredient diethyltoluamide (DEET). The remedy works well. However, after frequent use in high concentrations, damage to health has been demonstrated, for example skin irritation up to disorders of the nervous system. Bayrepel (hydroxyethyl isobutyl carboxylate) is also not without it and can cause skin irritation. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) can irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Allethrin has not yet been researched and should therefore be used with caution! Tranfluthrin can also cause irritation of the eyes, skin and airways in sensitive people. Piperonyl butoxide is even suspected of causing cancer, being teratogenic and mutagenic. Even with essential oils, skin irritation cannot be ruled out.

Prevent mosquitoes with home remedies.

vegetables and onions helps for mosquito

  • Press the dried cloves into freshly sliced ​​lemons and place them on the window frames to keep mosquitos out. You can also use the lemons outdoors, but just put a few more of them up!
  • A bottle of apple cider vinegar mixed with a tablespoon of honey, placed close to where you are, will help indoors and outdoors. In the open air you have to increase the effect with several bottles.
  • Scented oils and scented candles – you need a lot of them outdoors, around your place of residence, to have an effect. When used in rooms it can happen that allergy sufferers or asthmatics get breathing problems. Many of the special mosquito candles are generally only allowed to be used outdoors!
  • Essential oils mixed with neutral body solution can help, but can also cause skin irritation. Mix in a ratio of 1: 4. Lemon, bergamot, sandalwood, mint, cinnamon, camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, anise and catnip are suitable oils.
  • Not a home remedy, but a natural insect repellent is Chrysanth-Ex Mosquito Repellent
  • Tomato plants, catnip and scented geraniums keep flies at bay a little.
  • Clove oil also helps.
  • Light the grated sage leaves in an ovenproof bowl and let them smolder. The smoke and the spicy smell drive away the mosquitoes, but unfortunately not for long, unless you have loads of sage.
  • Smelly socks attract mosquitoes. So, change socks!

What helps if you’ve been stabbed?

If you have been stung, you must never itch or scratch! There are some good remedies that can help prevent inflammation, including home remedies.

  • Onion helps prevent inflammation. You cut an onion in the middle and press the cut onto the sting. This cools down, lowers the itchiness, and the sting doesn’t catch fire.
  • Black tea that has steeped for at least five minutes will also soothe the itchiness.
  • Ribwort, which has been really pulpy, is placed directly on the sting point when it has dried. The swelling usually goes back quickly.
  • If the sting is infected, light cortisone creams from the pharmacy can help.
  • Some home remedy experts recommend toothpaste, both to relieve itching and to disinfect.
  • You can’t go wrong with aloe vera gel. That cools and creates relief.
  • Apple cider vinegar poultices or acetic clay are often also cheap.

Tips against mosquitoes

mosquitoes spray

  • Window gauze is still most effective for interiors. A window like this may not look great, but here the effect is decisive and not the appearance.
  • Mosquito nets over the bed are also recommended. The air circulation in the network suffers, but the protection is reliable.
  • It is important to eliminate the mosquito breeding grounds, i.e. cover rain barrels, change the water in small wells, do not leave pots and coasters filled with rainwater!
  • Eliminate any mosquitoes that hibernate in the house. They are all females who want to lay eggs in spring.
  • Protect outdoors with practical, light-colored clothing and hats with a mosquito net. It looks like it takes getting used to, but whoever has to go out regularly, for example with the dog, will be grateful for this help.

Conclusion
Mosquito bites don’t have to be. You can protect yourself quite well from these pests. It is true that the stitches cannot always and not everywhere, but often. The right clothing is helpful. All uncovered areas of the body must be treated with means for rubbing or spraying. If you forget a spot, that’s a point where you are vulnerable to mosquitos. No mosquito repellants should be used permanently. All of them contain more or less substances that can be harmful to health. Natural products are of course excluded. Window gauze is the most effective protection in rooms. I don’t want to miss my fly screens. Since they are built in, we sleep and live more calmly.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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