No one likes to be bitten by mosquitos. More than just the redness and itchiness coming from the bites, it is your blood they take that is the most annoying. Not only taking your blood, they can also cause some mosquito-borne illnesses. Say, would you feed them with your blood, let them producing more eggs and bring more families to your house? You surely wouldn’t, but you maybe can’t even prevent it. Most people don’t know how to keep them away since mosquitos are smart in nearing their targets. They can sense your smell even from the distance of 50 miles. Imagine how they can run to you once they sense your smell and you don’t even realize their coming until they bite you. People should be smarter than mosquitos and you can do that right now.
What Makes Them Interested
There is a myth rise out following the fact that mosquitos bite some people, but not the others, is because of their blood. Mosquitos are not attracted by blood type, but they concern more on their smells. People have different smells from one another. Certain people are not interesting for mosquitos because their smells have less attracted compounds. Some other people can even become magnets for mosquitos since their smells are appealing. Female mosquitos are those who are looking for people with attractive scents. They need to produce their eggs using iron and protein contained in your blood. So if you are afraid on what can make them run to bite you, there are some things to know as prevention.
- Heat and Sweat
The heat on your body can be a magnet for mosquitos. They like heat caused by sweat after doing physical exercises. When you finish your workout and your body is heated, sweating and even having short breath, you are an excellent target. Also, sweat is very attractive for mosquitoes because there are some chemical compounds contained in human sweat such as octenol.
- Carbon Dioxide
Breathing and producing carbon dioxide will also attract mosquitos. Adults produce more carbon dioxide than children and that is why they are more appealing.
- Bacteria
When you feel that your sweat becomes smelly, it means that the sweat is mixed with bacteria. What it means by mosquitos attracted in sweat is not the fresh, odorless one that freshly comes out from the pores, but the one with bacteria. Bacteria produce some chemical compounds that attract mosquitos. If you let your fresh sweat fermented for a while, it will be easy for mosquitos to find you. The longer the sweat fermented, the more bacteria multiplied.
Why don’t use DEET?
Problems about mosquitos’ bites have been here for centuries and DEET has been believed to be the most effective chemical compound to fight them. Talking about effectiveness, DEET is indeed useful. However, there are many side effects that can be harmful to human bodies. Applying DEET to your skin will provide long protection for about 20 hours from mosquitos, but you have to deal with the harmful effects after using it. Using DEET heavily can lead you to headache, muscle pain, skin irritation, watering eyes, shortness of breathing, vomiting and weakness. Just imagine how can chemical that is even able to melt plastic applied all over your skin? Especially for children whose skin absorbs chemical faster, DEET is highly not recommended. You don’t love your skin feel itching and get redness, but having a contact with DEET seems to have no better result. However, many people keep using DEET for mosquitos’ protection because they believe there are no other ingredients to keep them away as effective as DEET. It is untrue because there are actually many other natural ingredients that are so much safer, better and more effective.
List of Natural Ingredients
1. Lemon Eucalyptus
The first ways to prevents Mosquito Bites Naturally is yousing lemon eucalyptus extract oil. Using lemon eucalyptus oil for keeping away mosquitos might be not as effective as DEET, but it can at least protect your skin for three hours. DEET can protect you for seven hours in a little higher amount, but lemon eucalyptus is safer and better.
2. Extra Thiamine
Thiamine or vitamin B1 is also excellent in keeping away mosquitos because it leads to unpleasant skin mosquitos don’t like. It is very easy to use vitamin B1 since you just need to take one. Vitamin B is safe even if you consume it in a quite high amount. There is no toxic that can be harmful to your body. How to take vitamin B should be suited with the seasons. Seasons with fewer mosquitos require only one vitamin daily. Increase the consumption up to 100 mg during mosquito seasons to give you more protection. If necessary you can even consume the B100 Complex.
3. Citronella
Aside from putting barrier to your skin from mosquitos bit, you need to put some on your garden too. Mosquitos come into your house through your garden. If they can’t get to the garden, they can’t get to your house. Placing some citronella candles in your garden will protect your house from mosquitos since they don’t like their aroma.
Citronella oil is the other option for those who need protection for their skins. Choose the pure essential oil to ensure you get 100 percent of protection. For the best result, start it by washing your skin with citronella soap before applying the oil. The use of citronella in many forms is really great for mosquito barriers.
4. Lavender
Human love lavender with its nice and refreshing scent, but mosquitos don’t. Just put a few drops of lavender near the door or window will keep them away from coming to your house. The scent will not only make them away, but also give pleasing scent to your interior. If this isn’t enough, apply some lavender body oil to your body for more protection.
You can make your own body oil from a mixture of olive oil and lavender essential oil with the combination is two tablespoons and 30 drops. Now that you have the oil spread all over your exposed skin, you can comfortably do your activities without having to worry about the mosquitos.
If you get bitten by them, you can also apply the oil to your skin for providing soothing sensation. Planting some lavender in your garden is also effective as you can use the flower to rub your skin without having to buy the oil. You just need the scent to stop mosquitos from coming.
5. Rosemary
The use of rosemary for keeping away mosquitos can be done by using it in your dishes. For example when you are barbecuing outside with your family, add it to the dish for giving more flavor while preventing mosquitos from coming into your kitchen. For more effective, reveal its aroma by heating or burning it. Just find a way to let the rosemary’s scent out.
6. Garlic
Every house have garlic, and one of the best way to prevent Mosquito Bites Naturally is by using garlic. Garlic lovers should be happy because they can eat their favorite foods while keeping mosquitos away. Eating garlic will make you scent like it. The scent of garlic eaten come out through your pores in a kind of oil and it is the barrier that will protect you from mosquitos. Also, your breath, which one of the most attractive magnets for mosquitos, will smell garlic too. So don’t forget to add garlic to your dishes daily. Those who don’t like garlic can use the oil or lotion version for rubbing the skin. It can be also used for your outdoor area by using a garlic spray.
7. Neem Oil
Neem oil is normally used for preventing insects coming to eat plants. Insects and mosquitos are almost the same because they have some similarities in preferring and hating certain scents. So not only effective for insects, neem oil is also great for keeping away mosquitos. Just apply it your skin and done. To make it more effective, mix it with coconut oil. More importantly, neem oil is also effective in addressing some skin problems related with fungi and insect bites including mosquitos.
8. Catnip
While many people believe that DEET is the most effective barrier against mosquitos, Catnip oil is one of the many natural ingredients that are better than DEET. Using DEET is harmful, but Catnip oil is purely safe. This is even said that catnip oil’s protection is 10 times better than DEET.
9. Low Potassium Foods
Foods containing low potassium are also helpful in protecting your skin from mosquitos. Vegetables and fruit such as cabbage, apples, green peppers and watermelon are some options to pick. Go with the other types of fruits if you don’t like them as long as you don’t go with ones high in potassium like bananas. It is fun when even eating foods can keep you safe from mosquitos. Pick your favorite low-potassium fruits or vegetables and eat them daily as snacks or mix them with your meals.
What If You Have Been Bitten?
Those natural ingredients above are used for preventing mosquitos biting your skin, but what if you have been become the victim? The itchiness and redness will stay for a while and they are truly uncomfortable. You can’t even sleep well at night just because a mosquito drunk your blood. Treating inflammation caused by mosquitos require soothing agents from natural herbs as the best and safest option. There are some great natural ingredients that you can use for healing your bitten skin.
- Chamomile. Chamomile is truly soothing when it is used to rub your skin. Find lotion contain chamomile for leaving a soothing effect while reducing the inflammation.
- Cucumber. If your bitten skin is getting worse with some swelling, try to use cucumbers for treatment. This is relaxing to your skin and is very natural.
- Tea Tree OilContaining antimicrobial agent, tea tree oil is excellent in treating skin infections including burning, cut scars and mosquito bites. This oil is easy to find and use, so it can be a great solution.
- Aloe Vera. Rich in amino acids, aloe vera is a natural option for healing mosquitos bites inflammations. You can plant it in your garden so that whenever you need it, just take it.
- Peppermint. Everyone knows how soothing peppermint is. Crush some peppermint leaves and put them on your bitten skin. The leaves will instantly cool and sooth your itching skin providing a better feeling. If you don’t have peppermint leaves, go with peppermint oil and apply it all over the itching surface.
- Baking Soda. Look at your kitchen and take this excellent ingredient for treating your bitten skin. Baking soda is more than just great for baking, but this is also helpful in soothing itching skin. Just mix it with water and soak your skin in for about half an hour. If you have large amount of itchiness and redness, add it in your bath tub and soak your body. There is also a recipe by making a mixture of baking soda and witch hazel made into paste to relive itching skin. This can be a great alternative for those who don’t have a bath tub.
- Tea Bags. Don’t throw away any used tea bags in your kitchen when you have swelling and itching skin. Cool this for a while and swipe it on your skin. Tea bag contains astringent from its tannins that can be helpful in reducing and treating swelling skin.
- Raw Honey. There are many types of raw honey that you can find, but the organic one especially the one called Manuka honey is the best option for addressing skin inflammation problems. Bees eating Tea Tree flowers produce this organic honey so that it carries the excellent benefits of the plant in there.
- Cinnamon. If you love the taste or scent of cinnamon to add in your favorite snacks, this is actually also an excellent ingredient for treating bitten skin. Check your kitchen for any leftover cinnamon and use it to your itching skin. This is antifungal and it is great in soothing itchiness.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. As an alternative to baking soda, apple cider vinegar can be also added to your bath tub to soak your body half an hour for reducing any itching feeling. This kind of vinegar is rich in acid, which is also a great itching reliever.
- Basil. Your kitchen can be a great source of itching and redness relievers since not only peppermint leaves, cinnamon, baking soda and apple cider vinegar can treat your bitten skin, but even basil can do the same thing. Just like the peppermint leaves, you just need to crush some fresh basil and put them on your skin. Go with essential basil oil if you don’t have basil in your kitchen. This herb is very effective in sweeping away itchiness because of the two excellent itching reliever compounds contained, thymol and camphor.
- Lemon. Turn a lemon into juice and apply it to your skin. It is antimicrobial and antibacterial so that it can effectively reduce itchiness. However, apply it only when you are at home. Don’t use lemon outside under the sunlight because some blisters might occur. If you don’t have lemon, lime can do the same since they both contain the same useful agents.
Other Repelling Actions
While using natural ingredients is effective in keeping away mosquitos, the best way to prevent your skin get bitten by mosquitos is by stopping them from coming. There are some reasons why there are mosquitos around your house. Getting rid of those reasons will make your house free of these blood eaters so that you don’t have to deal with repelling remedies.
- Remove Standing Water
Standing water is one of the most favorite areas for mosquitos to lay their eggs. If you provide this area in your house, you surely need to get ready from finding a large group of mosquitos coming. It doesn’t have to be removing any standing water completely, but cut down the number will help. Anything with water like small pools can attract mosquitos. Never let anything collects water outside your house.
- Avoid Any Contact
Stay away from mosquitos by going inside at times when they are very active. If you have to be outside, use long sleeves and pants to ensure most your skin are all covered. Don’t go closer to any standing water or shrubs. Just avoid making a contact with them to prevent the mosquitos from realizing your existence.
- Create a Bat House
If you are afraid of mosquitos, have something they are afraid of too. Bats love mosquitos. Make them come near your house by buying or creating a bat house. Let them stay outside your house to hunt some mosquitos and prevent them from coming inside.
So, protecting yourself from mosquitos to stay away from anything bad caused by their bites is actually easy. There are many natural herbs and ingredients to use instead of applying DEET to your skin. You can also take some actions to not let them even come near your garden. It doesn’t have to be expensive and complicated, with many options available, you can just pick whichever you have at home and take the benefits.