How to Combat Mosquitos - Naturally

Planting herbs such as mint can help deter mosquitos

Published in Detodo/La Optimista, Ibiza’s good news only newspaper.

8 handy tips for keeping mosquitoes at bay…

Wear light clothing

Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colours – particularly black, blue and red – so wear light clothing whenever possible.

Use a fan

Mosquitoes recoil in the face of even low voltage fans – so deck your desks, terraces and bedrooms out with fans to keep them at bay.

Avoid wearing scents

Bear in mind that perfumes or scented lotions are just as attractive to mosquitoes as they are to you.

Plant mosquito-busting plants

The strong scent of citronella oil throws mosquitoes off their human odour detecting tracks. Planting a healthy scattering of citronella or Thai lemon grass in the areas you sit works a treat. Otherwise consider planting mint, basil, catmint, vanilla scented geraniums, marigolds, garlic or lemon balm.

Use natural mosquito repellents

Surprisingly, the essential oil in catnip, nepetalactone, may attract cats, but repels mosquitoes more effectively than heavy chemical products like DEET. For other healthy mosquito repellents, either use 1 part garlic juice to 5 part water and spritz it over yourself from a spray bottle. Or, for less pungent options, mix citronella oil with a carrier oil and rub it over your exposed skin, or apply dabs of concentrated peppermint oil to focal points on your skin or clothes – you can use a diluted formula of this to spray over broader areas too. There are also many natural products that you can spray around your home and garden to repel mosquitoes: peppermint oil, tea tree oil mixed with water, or even mint flavoured mouth wash.

Watch our for breeding grounds on your doorstep

It is wise to remember that stale standing water is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. So, refresh birdbaths, paddling pools, etc. regularly.

Change your light bulbs

LED bulbs are far less appealing to mosquitoes than standard ones. It is also recommended that you replace all outside lights with specially designed low energy orange or yellow “anti-bug” lights, to stop them even entering your home.

Learn to love spiders

Both dragonflies and spiders love to feed on mosquitoes and other bugs, so don’t be too fast to eradicate them from your home or garden!