7 Natural Ways to Keep Mosquitoes Away

Summer is here and so are the mosquitoes. Last week I was outside during the afternoon working in the yard every day. I used a DEET bug repellent, but still got eaten alive by mosquitoes. I thought it would be a good time to start investigating other methods for repelling these annoying bugs. There are several all-natural ways to prevent mosquito bites. I plan on trying these out this summer.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using oil of lemon eucalyptus to naturally keep the mosquitoes away. You can buy it as a spray or you can purchase the oil and make your own spray.

2. Install a bat house in your yard. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, bats will eat up mosquitoes, wasps, files, gnats, midges, moths and beetles.

3. The American College of Healthcare Sciences recommends using basil essential oil as a natural spray mosquito repellent. Besides keeping mosquitoes away basil oil is known to be a mood booster too.

4. Make sure to get rid of any standing water in your yard. This is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Places where you may find standing water include your gutters, bird baths, kiddie pools and trash cans. Clean out the water in the bird bath and kiddie pools weekly to avoid making your yard a place where mosquitoes want to breed.

5. According to the EPA, catnip oil can offer up to seven hours of protection from mosquitoes. The only issue with this all-natural remedy is you may attract the neighborhood cats.

6. When sitting outside use fans. Consumer Reports conducted a test with a fan, citronella candles and a diffuser and found the fan reduced mosquitoes in the area by 45-65 percent.

7. Planters - There are so many plants that claim to keep mosquitoes away. Everything from lavender, sage and marigolds claim to keep these pesky bugs away.

What other all-natural tips do you have for keeping mosquitoes from biting you and your family?