As soon as the temperatures outside rise, the mosquitoes become active again. Thanks to these annoying pests, relaxing in the garden is often unthinkable. It gets even worse when those annoying bloodsuckers disturb your sleep. Numerous products promise a remedy, but cannot prove themselves in practice. The situation is different with some simple measures and natural remedies, which, especially in combination, ensure calm and significantly fewer bites. Anyone who suffers from allergies or is very sensitive to insect bites is therefore well advised to find out more about them below.
Table of Contents
fly screen
In any case, instead of driving mosquitoes out of the apartment, it is better not to let them in in the first place. Close-meshed fly screens or nets should therefore be installed in front of the windows as early as spring. Despite their name, these keep not only flies but also mosquitoes away and can thus save the night’s sleep.
To do this, however, they must be intact. The slender mosquitoes can gain access through the smallest cracks and holes. If there are more mosquitoes in the apartment, the protective devices should therefore be checked very carefully for damage or loose spots and folds in the frame. In addition, the nets become brittle and fragile over time due to exposure to sunlight and weather, so it is worth changing them regularly to keep the protection reliable.
Secure windows additionally
Even if the nets are intact, mosquitoes can still be found in the home. Be it because the fly screens were not attached tightly all around or because they came loose in places. Additional protection makes sense, especially if there are numerous windows that cannot or should not be constantly checked.
It is best to start outside the apartment so that the mosquitoes cannot even penetrate into the living rooms. Aromatic-scented plants, among others, are suitable for repelling the parasites, including:
- basil
- scented geraniums
- scented geranium
- Kampher
- catnip
- Knoblauch
- lavender
- peppermint
- tomatoes
- walnut
- incense
- lemon balm
On the window sill or in the immediate vicinity of the panes, these can deter the pests. However, they do not offer guaranteed and absolute protection.
If you don’t have the opportunity to increase the protection of the nets with plants, you can rely on scented oils. Applied directly to the mosquito screens or dripped onto cloths and hung around the windows, these make the entrance into the apartment less tempting. When it comes to scents, you can count on the following:
- Kampher
- lavender
- mint
- clove oil
- tea tree oil
- Vanilla
- lemon
The advantage of these smells is that people find them pleasant and fresh. In addition, they are usually not irritating – in contrast to many of the chemical products on the market that contain DEET, for example. However, their effect wears off more quickly, and the mosquitoes can get used to it over time or still bite in the case of a very large number and limited food sources.
alternatives
If neither plants nor essential oils are to be used, but the mosquitoes should still stay away, there are other alternatives available. Below:
- Fragrance vaporizer or plug
- Insect sprays
- Insect exterminator
- Special air fresheners
- ultrasonic devices
- Citronella Candles
These each have different advantages and disadvantages.
Scent vaporizers or plugs
Instead of essential oils and plants, special plugs and vaporizers can also be used to drive away mosquitoes. Biocides are commonly used here, but they can irritate sensitive, allergic or asthmatic people. In addition, the effect – depending on the plug – is usually limited to a few square meters. In addition, electricity is consumed continuously. In order to keep the mosquitoes away from the apartment for a whole season, relatively large expenses are also necessary in large apartments.
Insect
sprays Insect sprays are the classic mosquito control products. The advantage is that the mosquitoes are not just driven away, but killed. The disadvantage is that they often contain irritating substances and cannot be used constantly. In addition, precise aiming is required when using them. They are therefore hardly suitable for use against mosquitoes in the home. It would often be necessary to spray large areas and avoid the room for hours, which also does not exactly promote sleep. Allergy sufferers and asthmatics, families with pets, small children and breastfeeding women should completely avoid products with chemical agents.
Insect killers
Insect killers use light as a lure and electrocute or heat the pests as soon as they approach the light source. This sounds effective and simple, but has several disadvantages. On the one hand, they are hardly suitable for use in the apartment, unless a whole swarm has gained access through an open window. Furthermore, the insect killer does not differentiate between annoying bloodsuckers and beneficial insects, so more damage is often done here.
Apart from that, the light attracts the insects in the first place.
Special air fresheners
Special natural air and room fresheners, such as Natural Fresh, are composed of natural fragrances. Due to the mixture, rather unpleasant components such as garlic can have an effect – but they remain largely unnoticed by the human nose.
Ultrasonic devices
Ultrasonic devices against mosquitoes are also plugs that emit a largely inaudible sound. This should drive the mosquitoes out of the living space or make the apartment appear unattractive from the start. However, the “largely inaudible” sound is often perceived by children and young people as well as pets as an uncomfortably high-pitched whistling. Headaches are inevitable for them when using the ultrasound devices. In addition, the mosquitoes are usually unimpressed over time.
Citronella candles
Citronella candles are one of the classic remedies against mosquitoes and can be used indoors and outdoors. They are easy to operate and inexpensive – but also have a spatially limited effect.
clothing
Some people can walk unmolested through a hungry swarm of mosquitoes, others seem to be drawn to the bloodsuckers. The main reasons for this are the amount of sweat and the air we breathe, but also the individual body odor that people are not consciously aware of. This is not due to a lack of hygiene or smells that are particularly strong for human noses, after all, children in particular are often bitten.
In addition, little can be changed about this body scent, for example through diet. However, by showering and changing clothes frequently, especially in summer and after sport, you can reduce your personal attraction to mosquitoes. Fragrances that mosquitoes find unpleasant are also recommended as shower gels. Including mint, lemongrass, citrus and lavender.
In the apartment it is also advisable to wash dirty laundry quickly and store it in such a way that the smell does not attract mosquitoes.
outdoor protection
The garden, balcony or terrace should be laid out and prepared accordingly so that a relaxed evening outdoors does not turn into a feast for mosquitoes.
This includes the right prevention, appropriate plants and favoring the natural predators of the mosquito in the garden.
prevention
If you know that mosquito larvae are primarily found in standing water, you can already take preventative measures. Rain barrels and garden ponds, residual water in watering cans and planters, bird baths and paddling pools – all of this is attractive and, as a breeding ground, is the source of the next swarms of mosquitoes. That doesn’t mean that all water in the open air has to disappear. However, open vessels should be covered and standing water should be moved. Fountains connected to a filter are an easy solution for the pond as they effectively agitate the water surface. Regular water changes are also recommended.
Additionally or alternatively, the larvae can be skimmed off with a quiver. We recommend special mosquito tablets for the rain barrel, which effectively kill the larvae but do not pose any danger to other animals. In the garden pond, the larvae can also be used directly as live food for the pond inhabitants, such as frogs and fish. Of course, it is important here that the predators can easily get to the larvae. Help comes not only from the water itself, but also from the air. For some birds, the offspring of gnats are an important source of protein, which they like to pick from shallow water or from the air as adult gnats. If access is made easier for them and they are also welcomed by nesting boxes, they keep the plague under control. And that permanently and cost-effectively.
Of course, there is only a limited advantage in aligning your own garden or balcony in this way if there are numerous lakes in the area or rain barrels and garden ponds in the garden neighbors are home to countless larvae. In addition to this type of prevention, your own green space should also be equipped with deterrent plants.
Helpful plants against the pests
As already mentioned, various plants are effective against mosquitoes in the garden.
Are suitable:
- basil
- Duftgeranie
- scented geranium
- Kampher
- catnip
- Pine trees
- Garlic, chives or chives
- lavender
- laurel
- peppermint
- tomatoes
- walnut
- incense
- lemongrass
- lemon balm
- citrus fruits
Planting as many of these plants as possible in the garden can create an almost mosquito-free environment. The plants should be in the seating area and near the window. In addition, appropriate essential oils can be dripped onto cloths or soil and spread around frequently used areas.
Quiet while grilling
Summer is barbecue time – and this could be so nice if it weren’t for the mosquitoes in the garden. Around the grill, the smoke usually provides peace from the pests, but not at the table. The use of additional incense is recommended here. Anti-mosquito incense sticks, frankincense, lavender, tomato green or mint – provided the herb is dried a little beforehand – keep insects away when eating with their scent. Burned in clay or metal pots and placed around the table, they act as a repellent.
Oil lamps, scented candles or citronella can also be used. The natural means in turn offer the advantage of leading to as little irritation as possible. Of course, only if there is no allergy to the plants. Insect spirals can be used if there are a particularly large number of mosquitoes or aggressive insects. These also smoke slowly and therefore keep the bloodsuckers away for a long time, but they are not entirely harmless.
Mosquito-free seating areas
If candles, incense and plants are to be dispensed with, mechanical removal can also be used outdoors. Mosquito nets, such as those used over the beds in the tropics, are also suitable for the seating area in the garden and on the balcony. Larger versions can be used to make pavilions for larger groups. Stretched over the Hollywood swing or as a small tent over the chairs, they allow insect-free eating. They are fairly quick to apply, inexpensive and effective. In addition, they can easily be moved if they are needed elsewhere. Since they do not cause any odor nuisance, they are also suitable for permanent use and on balconies right next to neighboring windows.
Conclusion
As annoying as mosquitoes are in the home and garden, they can be kept away quite reliably with a few simple and natural means. Care and combinations are advised, especially when there is a lot of standing water and numerous mosquitoes. The natural predators of insects should not be underestimated either.
