Comments on: Which Natural Mosquito Repellents Actually Work?

By: Kimberley

Kimberley — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 23:26:17 +0000

Right. I’m sold. I’m picking this up because I’m just sure that my blood is to mosquitoes what Indiana Jones always seems to seek. Or something like that.

Thank you so much! (Luckily I didn’t stock up on citronella out of desperation)

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:40:21 +0000

Complete sympathies on the mosquito front – we must share the same natural fragrance 😉 … I was once warned when moving to India temporarily that if I were to get pregnant the hormonal changes would send mosquitoes wild. ha! I was squirming because that advice came from my department director – errr, ok, thankyou 😉

By: f.c.

f.c. — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 17:51:05 +0000

“DEET is a synthetic ingredient that works by scrambling the smell and taste signals of mosquitoes so humans smell less attractive to them.”

You mean to tell me mosquitoes love me cause I smell delicious? Weeeeee! 😀

In all seriousness, thanks for this post! Bookmarked it for the next time I go traveling.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 17:32:08 +0000

Mosquitos love me as well 🙁 I dab a bit of lavender essential oil on a bite and it takes away the itch. You can keep lavender essential oil handy in a roller ball and use it as a perfume roll on too. I made some strong citronella candles with the essential oil and will see how well they work this summer.

By: Lara Leaf

Lara Leaf — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 15:38:12 +0000

Thank you for this article. I also am one of those people that mosquitos target. I live in an area that has had a few deaths from disease-carrying mosquitos. I do not like DEET (who does!) but I have tried so many alternatives and always come back to it. I try to stay inside as much as possible but they always seem to make their way into the house, and to me, during the summer oftentimes. Clothing doesn’t help – they just drill through it. I am waiting for someone to invent a personal invisible shielding one of these days!

By: K D

K D — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 14:44:58 +0000

I’ll get bit by mosquitos in the open, in full sunshine… they just can’t seem to resist me! I don’t stay out after dark either, unless I want to be swarmed by every mosquito in the area. Even DEET doesn’t deter them. I just end up stinky and bit. I don’t remember it being like this when I was a kid. I’m not sure if there are more mosquitos or if something in my chemistry changed. We never used to have a tick problem where I lived either, and now if you go out near any trees without DEET from April-June, you’re bound to get ticks on you! ( I live in the northern part of the USA)

By: Janelle

Janelle — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 21:54:15 +0000

We use the Thermacell mosquito repellers. I find them more effective than the Off clip-ons, which may just have to do with how much repellent they are kicking off. We usually use two–one at either end of a picnic-table sized area. There is the caveat of them not being as effective when you’re moving out of the cloud (ie hiking) but I just can’t stand the sticky grossness of any spray or lotion!
As for bites, I just use a small dab of ammonia–that used to be the active ingredient in the AfterBite sticks (I don’t know why they changed the formula). I think we bought a small bottle from a hardware store and it is lasting for years! Nothing else works for me except taking an allergy pill.