We’ve all been bitten by a mosquito at some point or another, they can turn an otherwise perfect evening outdoors into a quick scurry indoors to safety, away from the little beggars. They swarm about in your ear, and their bites itch like crazy, not only are they bothersome tiny insects, they also pose a severe health danger. Mosquitos have been linked to the transmission of hazardous human disease so much so, that, each year, roughly 2000 cases of Ross River virus are reported in Australia, according to QLD Health. There are a few things below that you can try in order to deter mosquitoes and hopefully enjoy a pleasant evening.
Try wearing repellent gear
Traditional sprays and products tend to contain DEET or picaridin which is not good if you have sensitive skin, these components may cause irritation. You may want to consider something like repellent gear from Mozzigear, their website, found here mozzigear.com.au/has various products that you can wear to help deter the little critters and, they look cool too. When mosquito bites are avoided, you will be much less likely to catch something like the Ross River virus, dengue fever, and many others.
Tackle the roots
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant (still) water so the disposing or emptying of any pools or puddles that may harbor mosquito larvae is a big must-do. The fewer places that the mosquitos have to breed the better, hopefully, they will die out or, move on where they can find suitable breeding grounds. You could also scatter burnt coffee grounds in areas around your yard, according to a number of sources the smell is a huge put-off for mozzies. Click here for ways to make your home greener. Here are some common areas that you might want to check in addition to stagnant water areas; tall grass, birdbaths, and garden water features, potted plant bases, open bins, drains, and gutters as well as, septic and rainwater tanks.
Make your very own DIY beer or, sugar trap
Much like your average bloke, mozzies are actually captivated by beer so, you could make yourself a beer trap and have fun in the process. The mosquitos are attracted to the yeast in the beer, which can cause them to be distracted and leave you alone. They will either ignore it completely, in which case you need to try something else or, they might fly over to the trap, start getting drunk, and fall in. They could even completely misjudge the landing and take a dip with no way of getting out.
Alternatively, you could make a sugar trap, the mosquitos like sugar, so there are two things you can do, try not to consume too much sugar and yes, beer contains sugar…. Or, you could make a sugar trap which will hopefully attract them and ease their need to feed on you.
Use Nature
You may be surprised that mosquitos hate the following plants, tulsi aka holy basil, mint, marigold, lemon trees, neem trees, citronella grass, basil, lavender, and lastly, catnip so, you could plant some of these in your yard and hope that nature takes its course.