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Ilona's Garden Journal

Mosquito Begone

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In Simple Mom’s blog advice and common sense tips for avoiding those pesky bites:
“Several gardeners assured me that planting marigolds, scented geraniums (rub the leaves on your skin too), rosemary, catnip, peppermint, spearmint, daisies, verbena, spike lavender (not the sweet French variety), basil, thyme, garlic, allspice, cedar, and lemon grass around the yard naturally repels insects. Decorating with eucalyptus is also rumored to be helpful. You can make your own insect-repelling sachets by drying the flowers and leaves from the above plants and placing them into small, hand-sewn cotton bags.”

It is also important to reduce their breeding grounds of stagnant water. Read on for some of her tips:

Mosquitoes identify their targets by sight, heat and smell. Avoid physically active movement (exercise, ball games, yard work, etc.) during peak mosquito hours to keep them from noticing you from a distance. Peak mosquito times tend to be right around dusk and dawn. Reduce outside lights in the evening hours (use yellow bulbs, if possible).

Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, heat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. All of these are produced after exercising, so avoid outdoor exercise during peak mosquito hours (at dawn and dusk). Our bodies also release lactic acid after eating certain foods, so avoiding outdoor dining during those hours is helpful, as well. Commonly believed mosquito-attracting foods include bananas (or other potassium-rich food items), and salty foods.

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About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

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Comments

  1. johanna_lea says

    mosquito repellent recipie-
    well tested in the sticky south and guaranteed! safe for little kids, too.

    12 oz. witch hazel ( eucalyptus if possible)plus essential oils:
    20 drops tea tree
    15 drops citronella
    10 drops lavender
    10 drops marigold (tagetes)
    5 drops lemon or lemongrass

    i water the bonsai early AM and dusk…i always cover my skin
    before i go out. some kind of
    tiny mosquito down here breeds in
    mud! they are very fast movers,too.