Getting Bugged by Mosquitoes? Get rid of them the green way!

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It’s getting to be that time of year when you can’t go outside without hearing the persistent buzzing of mosquitoes. If you’re anything like me, you loathe mozzies and do anything you can to avoid them, but unfortunately, hibernating for the next few months isn’t really an option. And, since we’re all making a commitment to be more environmentally conscious, we need to think of ways to battle the bugs without harming the planet. The following are a few green, natural things you can to do that’ll help prevent mosquitoes from bothering you this season.

• One of the best things you can do to prevent mosquitoes from congregating around your house is to remove any standing water from around your house. If you have a bird bath or a wading pool, change the water a few times a week. This will help detract the mosquitoes from breeding around your property, which means you’ll have less of the pests to deal with.

• Planting marigolds in your flowerbeds will help repel mosquitoes, because they don’t like the scent given off by the flowers.

• If you like to sit around a campfire or like to BBQ, try throwing a bit of sage or rosemary onto the coals. It will help repel mosquitoes and, as a bonus, smells nice.

• Many health and camping equipment stores now sell citronella candles. These candles can be placed around you when you’re sitting outside and will help keep the bugs away, and might please your senses with their lemony scent.

• There are a lot of essential oils that are known for repelling insects with their scents. Add 1-2 oz of your favorite mosquito repelling essential oil to a 12 or 16 oz spray bottle, (try eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, lavender or cedar), add water and spray on your skin.

• If you don’t like essential oils, try mixing one part garlic juice to five parts of water in a small spray bottle. Mix thoroughly. Spray the mixture onto your skin before you go outside, and you should be protected for at least five hours. In addition, you can dip small strips of cotton into the mixture and hang the pieces around where you are sitting to help ward off the bugs.

Protecting yourself from mosquito bites is important. Using chemicals to ward the bugs off is bad for both the environment and for your own health. This summer try using a more natural approach, and you’ll be surprised at how effective the results will be!