Top 5 Natural Mosquito Repellents to Try

As the weather becomes more rainy, when going to sleep, its hard to think of any other thing than mosquitoes planning their feast for the night with you at the top of their menu. Unfortunately, those pesky flying bugs takes all the fun out of spending time outdoors in the evenings.
Not only that, but for such a small creature, they’re rather frightening with the potential for carrying threatening diseases like malaria, West Nile virus and encephalitis.
At the same time, those chemical-filled products designed to keep mosquitos away bring their own concerns. While some feel concerns about toxicity are over-hyped, if there are effective, natural options, doesn’t it make sense to use those over something that has the potential to harm our health?

Garlic

Garlic has long been said to keep the mosquitoes away. It also might keep your friends and family at a further distance, but does it really ward off those awful bugs? There hasn’t been much research done to back up the claims, however, many people swear by it. Adding more garlic to your diet definitely won’t hurt as it’s packed with antioxidants and can even fight off infections.

Burn Candles or Enjoy a Campfire

Both citronella candles and standard candles tend to work well for keeping mosquitoes at bay as they tend to stay away from the smoke. This same theory is applied to burning firewood. Sit back, relax, enjoy those warm summer nights with some friends around a firepit without getting eaten up!

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil

Consumer Reports, the CDC and many others have recommended lemon eucalyptus oil as an effective mosquito repellent. A 40 percent or higher concentration does the trick in warding off both mosquitoes and ticks.

Catnip Oil

Iowa State University researchers found that catnip oil was ten times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. Undiluted catnip oil is said to provide up to two hours of insect repellent properties when applied directly to the skin.
If you’re allergic to cats, you might want to consider other options instead, although we’ve yet to see anyone who was suddenly attacked by a gang of felines after applying catnip oil.

Clove Oil

Clove oil has a myriad of wonderful uses, including being an effective mosquito repellent. It should be diluted to a concentration of no more than 24 percent as it can cause skin irritation. The best blend is a mix of 80 percent olive oil or coconut oil to 20 percent clove oil.
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