I DON’T think I have heard ever so many people complaining – and quite justifiably so – about mosquitoes as I have in the past few weeks. Clearly the amount of water lying around has led to a population explosion. So what can we do about them if we don’t want to douse ourselves, and our homes, in chemicals.
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Some basic rules of thumb to protect ourselves are:
- Cover up, wear light colour, loose fitting clothes when outdoors.
- Try to limit outdoor activities at dusk and dawn.
- Make sure there is no stagnant water around the home where mozzies can breed.
- Empty children’s wading pools.
- Make sure that fish ponds are stocked with fish.
There are some very useful garden plants to assist in our mozzie defence as well.
Throw rosemary on the barbecue
Mosquitoes often strike while we are barbecuing, but this simple trick will turn your barbecue into a natural mosquito repellent, while also adding delicious flavour to your food! Throw a few stalks of rosemary on the hot coals to give off a mosquito repelling aroma.
Plant mosquito repellent plants
There are a number of plants that have mosquito repellent qualities – for example fever few, citronella, catnip and lavender. Plant these in flower beds or containers placed around your garden and keep mosquitoes away.
Eat more garlic
After eating lots of garlic, garlic oil is gently released from your pores. This garlic oil acts almost like a barrier between your skin and the mosquitoes.
People are usually prone to bites due to a combination of scent, light, heat, and humidity.
There are also some useful essential oils like lemon eucalyptus oil, lavender cinnamon oil, thyme oil and catnip oil. Although these remedies come from plants, the oils can be harmful in high concentrations. The trick is diluting the home remedies with either lotion or water as suggested. To make sure you’re not allergic to any of these potential repellents, do a spot test on a small patch of skin. If you suspect an allergic reaction, stop use, wash the area, and check in with your doctor.
