The Joys of Mosquito Season

The Joys of Mosquito Season

Mosquito season is here! Be prepared with bug spray.

Depending where you live mosquitos may not pose a threat to your bare skin (lucky you!), but in other places it is necessary to cover up every inch of skin AND use a repellent. If you live outside the city grid where there are lots of trees and ponds, make sure you bookmark this because if you don’t, you’ll wish you did!

 

Tips to help avoid getting bitten:

 

1. Avoid mosquitoes peak feeding times.  Generally speaking mosquitoes feed at dawn and dusk.  If you are in a shaded area near standing water, you might find that mosquitoes are very aggressive and eat all day.

 

2. Avoid letting standing water stand.  Mosquitoes have a 14 day cycle from the time the eggs are laid, to when they emerge as starving pests.  In order to begin the life cycle the water they lay eggs in must be stagnant for a minimum of 4 days.  Make sure bird feeders and other containers with standing water is emptied at short regular intervals or even better, emptied.

 

There are mosquito dunks that are considered safe for humans while being highly toxic to mosquitoes that can be added to standing water.  These dunks stop the mosquito larvae from maturing into mosquitos.

 

3. If you don’t want to use a mosquito dunk in your pond, consider aerating it with a pump. 

 

4. Create a habitat for insect eating birds, frogs, bats and other preying insects like dragonflies. Put up bat houses.  Choose plants that flower and trees that attract birds Consider adding fish to ponds or large tanks of standing water.

 

5. Wear mosquito repellent.

  

Making a natural mosquito repellent is easy.  Applying essential oils directly to the skin is not recommended.  While it’s ok to apply some essential oils to the skin, many can cause irritation, a person may have an allergy and not know it (better to find out with a diluted version than full strength), and others can make their way into the bloodstream which can be dangerous.

 

Plant Based Mosquito Repellent (240g)

 

Ingredients:

 

• 180g  Witch Hazel
• 60g  Distilled Water
• Essential Oils:

o   Citronella                    10 drops

o   Lavender                     5 drops

o   Mint                            10 drops

o   Lemon Eucalyptus      15 drops

o   Rosemary                    5 drops

o   Lemon Balm                5 drops

 

Directions:

 

1. In a 250g spray bottle, add 180g of witch hazel.
2. Add the essential oils directly into the witch hazel with a dropper.
3. Add the distilled water.  Place the cap and shake well.

 

Shake well before each application. Apply as often as is needed, more than once per day.

 

If you don’t want to make your own mosquito repellent, have a look at the one we have developed here.