Natural Mosquito Repellents and a Homemade Mosquito Trap

 

 

We just returned from a family vacation that included a visit to Long Island, New York. Is this Mosquito Capital, USA? Ouch. We took Avon Skin So Soft Bug Repellent with us and I did think that it helped, but we all came away with a few mosquito bites.

I had a particularly itchy mosquito bite on my leg and I tried this natural tip:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

It worked great for several hours. It completely took away the itch and I was able to stop scratching it. Later that night, the itching returned but it was not as severe. I reapplied the inside of the banana skin and kept it in a Ziploc bag inside my refrigerator. The coolness of the banana skin helped too. I highly recommend his natural remedy!

I have also heard that a cotton ball soaked in white vinegar on mosquito bites and insect stings will stop them from itching and help disinfect the area so they heal faster.

Here is a prior post on making a homemade mosquito trap. See the photo above. Thank you to Josephine and Sarah’s Craft Corner for sharing this!

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

 

Here are some natural mosquito repellents gathered from readers and other sources:

My reader Fred sent me this tip for keeping mosquitoes away. “Place a dryer sheet in your pocket and mosquitoes will not bother you.”

Alea from Premeditated Leftovers recommends vanilla and lavender as natural mosquito repellents. That will smell so much better than the chemically infused bug sprays. I am surprised that mosquitoes would not love those scents! Visit her blog for lots if natural remedies and tips.

Rachel from Surviving the Stores has a naturally frugal tip for making homemade mosquito repellent with only 4 ingredients – you can read about her “recipe” here.

Disclaimer:

Check for allergies to any of the ingredients listed in this post. Always seek professional medical advice and never delay seeking medical treatment because of a tip you read on this or any other website. Mosquitoes can carry serious diseases. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any diseases!

– Do you have any other Natural Mosquito Repellent tips to share? I welcome your ideas!

 Natural Mosquito Repellents and a Homemade Mosquito Trap is Today’s Good Tip to Share! Please post to your Facebook wall, tweet it out, Pin It or just send it by email. Thank you- good tips are meant to be shared!