Summertime is the best time of year to relax and spend time outdoors, whether that’s spending time with family and friends in your backyard, taking a trip to the beach, or going camping.
So many activities take place outdoors during the summer, and as fun as that is, when the mosquitoes come out, it can take away from the joy of summer.
So here are some nifty tricks to keep those pesky bugs out of your life this summer!
1. Get Rid of Stagnant Water
Fun fact about mosquitoes: they reproduce in water, so the more water you have just sitting around, the more likely mosquitoes will come in multitudes.
The simple thing you can do to fix this is to remove or cover all the standing water, whether it collects in a trash bin or lid, a part of the yard that turns into a puddle when it rains, or even flowerpots.
Mosquitoes will lay eggs, and after only four days, these eggs will hatch and mature. So if it rains, make sure to clean everything ASAP!
2.If You Have a Fire Pit, Burn Piñon Wood
Piñon wood happens to be a very aromatic wood and tends to keep mosquitoes away wherever you are burning it. Mosquitoes don’t like super fragrant smoke, so this will be sure to make those blood-suckers keep their distance!
Best to keep this fire going whenever you’re outside (just be careful to extinguish it fully before coming in!).
3. Use Your Used Coffee Grounds
If you have extra coffee grounds to spare, this hack will be a lifesaver to keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Grab your spent coffee grounds and spread them out in an open container to let them dry out for a few weeks to a month. Then you can sprinkle them in any puddles that you can’t simply drain after it rains. This will kill mosquito larvae. (Of course, you don’t want to put grounds in things like fish ponds!)
And if you have leftover coffee in your cup in the morning, you can pour or spray it on surfaces to repel them as well – they hate the aroma!
4. Put a Dryer Sheet in Your Pocket
Have you ever heard the “old wives’ tale” to keep a dryer sheet in your pocket to keep pests away?
It turns out dryer sheets contain two chemicals that keep pesky mosquitos at bay; linalool and beta-citronellol. Linalool is toxic to insects, and beta-citronellol is found in citronella, the ultimate mosquito repellent.
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People swear that Bounce dryer sheets do the best job and will even keep gnats away and chase other bugs out of your garden.
5. Use Essential Oils
Essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, and thyme are great for repelling mosquitos because they hate the scent.
You can find ways to wear them on your skin if you’re not too sensitive or dilute them to use as an outdoor spray!
6. If You Have a Garden, Plant Some Mosquito-Repelling Plants
Gardening can be a fun summertime activity, but mosquitoes can definitely kill the vibe. However, if plant plants such as basil, lemon balm, catnip, citrosum, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, and sage will help keep the mosquitoes away.
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7. Wear Light Colored Clothing, Long Sleeves and Pants
When the mosquitos are bad and you’re concerned about any diseases they might carry, it’s best to dress for outdoor activities in a way that won’t attract them.
Lighter colors make it harder for them to zero in on you to begin with.
Also, wearing long sleeve shirts and pants simply makes it hard for them to access your skin!
8. Boil Garlic Cloves and Spray the Water in Areas Mosquitoes Bother you the Most
We knew it – mosquitoes really are vampires! They suck your blood and apparently are repelled by garlic. This fact, which is kind of scary, is good to know because now we have another way to keep those vampires from sucking our blood.
All you have to do is peel and crush a few garlic cloves and then boil them for around 20 minutes. This makes very smelly garlic water, which the mosquitoes will hate and will keep you bug bite-free.
It may not be the best scent for your patio table, but you can set it off to the side so you don’t get a big whiff.
9. Try Not to Drink Beer – At Least Outdoors
Well, this one’s a bummer, but it’s worth knowing about. The chemical compound ethanol is the culprit here.
A study found that people who had even one beer were more likely to be bitten by mosquitos because their sweat contained ethanol, which mosquitos love. And beer has a tendency to make your body temperature rise, increasing your chance of perspiring. This happens after just one 12-oz drink!
If you’re not up for skipping the beer, just know that you might need a little extra mosquito repellant!
10. Try Using Avon’s Skin So Soft Bath Oil
Many people swear this is one of the best mosquito repellants ever. While it doesn’t contain DEET, it does have icaridin, another insect repellent.
BTW: it works against fleas, ants, flies, and more!
11. Spray Yourself with Vanilla
Who doesn’t love the sweet scent of vanilla? Apparently, mosquitoes.
Working as a natural mosquito repellant, add two teaspoons to some water, put it into a spritz bottle, and watch it work its magic.
It won’t last as long as other chemical repellants, but it sure does smell better!
12. Use Fans While You are Outdoors
Using a fan seems tedious, especially when you are sitting outside; however, this seems to keep annoying mosquitoes out of your life and away from your skin. Tests show fans actually work better than some bug sprays, making it hard for them to land.
It also disperses carbon dioxide, which confuses the mosquitoes of where the humans are.
13. Keep Your Yard Under Control
If your lawn has high grass, bushes, or trees, the more likely mosquitoes are to find it habitable. As long as you try to keep your lawn under control, fewer mosquitoes will be around.
This makes your home as their habitat a lot less appealing, and if it rains, it helps the sun dry out more stagnant water.
14. And the Obvious: Use Mosquito Repellant
Using repellant is a sure way to keep your bug bites to a minimum and cut your risk of the diseases they carry, especially if it contains DEET.
No matter what hack you choose, make sure to try and stay protected from these awful vampire bugs!
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