I have peppermint, lemon balm and lemon thyme growing in my garden (all in containers :)). When I'm out tending to my veggie and tea garden, I pull up a sprig of peppermint and rub it over my hands and arms, and mosquitos leave me alone. Unfortunately the last time I did this, I had sandals on and I forgot to put the peppermint on the top of my feet. I got a couple of bites, but using a drop of tea tree essential oil took the sting and itch away instantly.

I just recently bought some Neem essential oil and I plan to mix that with my lemon balm, lemon thyme, peppermint and some water to make my own mosquito repellant. Wish me luck!

acjazz28 :D

OK all, heres the latest on the war on skeeters.

Phils concotion of orange oil and vanilla needed a little something so here was the experiment as the spray was not "sticking" to the skin. I figured it was because the orange oil and water dont mix, makes sense huh!

Anyway, mix the 1 TBS of Orange oil with 3 TBS of soybean oil then mix with 1 cup of water and add the 1 TBS of vanilla and pour into the spray bottle. It doesnt separate this way, although a little shaking doesnt hurt.

Worked like a charm this way, lasted about three hours then I had to reapply, OK I had to jump in the pool as it was so hot today, then I reapplied.

The orange oil was bought at the health food store, cost $11 the organic soybean oil $4 and Organic Vanilla $5

Smile on my face..................Priceless

Thanks Phil :)

cut down on eating bananas. there has been some study that you attract more mosquitos within such and such time of eating bananas. now, obviously this isn't full proof! there are also other foods to cut back on. i will try to find it and repost.

i had lemon balm in my yard, and i could have swore they mosquitos were using it for a cool spot! then again, you know my yard!

I'd be interested in seeing the banana study.

I stopped eating bananas when I lived in a house with cats and discovered that I got more flea bites, which lasted longer (itched day and night for up to 4 days!) and were bigger (larger welts), when I ate bananas. No bananas, and the reaction was minimal (tiny welts that still itched, but only for a few hours, and I could sleep at night!). I inadvertently tested this by drinking one of the Odwalla juice blends with bananas a few times, and the severe reaction recurred every time.

Having lived with dogs or cats most of my life, I've caught a lot of fleas as they were biting me because I can feel the bites immediately. The fleas at home are controlled, but I still get flea bites if someone who has a cat or dog at home enters the room...any fleas on the "carrier" immediately head for me.

It's been years since I've lived in an area with lots of mosquitoes, though.

Not to rain on anybody's parade, but I've always considered snopes to be the best site for ferreting out truths, halftruths and falsehoods.

Repell tell

Joy of Outdoors

If using something you read in an email makes you feel better, then by all means use it. If you want to ensure that mosquitos won't bite you, buy some deet.

There is a little keychain gadget on the market (requires a battery) that makes a buzzing noise only mosquitos can hear which supposedly repels them. One year I was so desperate I wore it on my straw hat, dangling down like Minnie Pearl's price tag. (A deet repellant sprayed on the underside of a wide-brim straw hat helps a lot, too, as the predatorial no-see-ums around here seem to aim for the highest spot)

I keep losing mine, but it did seem to help. I think the buzzing is supposed to sound like a dragonfly, as another poster mentioned.

I got mine at BJ's, which stocks most of the same things Sam's Club (associated with Wal Mart) does.

That, plus the orange and vanilla potion, might do the trick.

I find even Deet is not foolproof when the mosquitos are hungry enough.

(I had a Chinese coolie-type hat several years ago which also protected my head quite well. The no-see-ums would attack the bottom of the hat rather than my face. I really respect Chinese organic technology. I hope they don't lose it during their rapid industrialization.)

bpgreen,
DEET is not the only choice thing recommended by CDC.

Here is a link that might be useful: CDC press release

I thought that this was an Organic forum, whats the point or growing produce organically then buying non-organic pesticides and promoting the chemical industry.

How many people on here are truly organic?

OK I will start a new thread as I am really curious now.

This is an organic GARDENING forum. Deet is obviously not an organic mosquito repellent, but it shouldn't be shocking to see it mentioned here since it is obviously the standard against which the effectiveness of organic repellents will tend to be measured.

We used Bite Blocker last year and it worked very well. I bought more for this year.

Lisa

Is lemon eucalyptus organic?

the debate begins! here is one link that i will let all decide whether it is legit.

as for me, i usually get eaten alive. for some reason, maybe all our dry weather, i have not been bothered much. maybe i am just not outside at the right times.

Here is a link that might be useful: attractors

Hi,

I saw a product in the health food store called Bite Guard Jr. It is supposed to be safe for kids and is made by a company called Botanical Solutions.

Here are the ingredients:

Geraniol 7%
Peppermint Oil .6%
Potassium Sorbate .4%
Citric Acid .1%
Water 89%
Lecithin 2%

It claims these are all natural botanical ingredients.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?
Adam

Adam,

Unfortunately not everything "natural" is organic and not everything "organic" is natural.

If my math is right (usually not though) there is something else in there to make it to 100% unless a . is in the wrong place. A lot of "natural" products use inert ingredients which will disqualify them from becoming organically certified.

Lecithin is derived from Soy beans, up until early 2004 there were not enough organic soy beans to make organic Lecithin so unless its labeled organic its probability of being GMO is quite high considering the soybean production globally.

Geraniol is patented by the University of Florida and is licensed to Naturale, LTD, which is located in Great Neck, NY. Again, doubtful if its organic, mostly harvested from geraniums and roses.

Here we have Lowe's Home Improvement and they have an organic section in their garden department - Organic Orange Oil is sold there. This year I have 3 fully mature catnip plants that I planted to discourage other insects - I'm thinking they may be a partial reason we have had so many fewer mosquitoes than before - of course weather contributes a lot to that too. I also have a mosquito magnet - anyone want to buy it? I resent being held hostage in my home by mosquitoes in the summertime. After living on the PNW on the beach for many years I was spoiled - but then I didn't grow my own red, ripe 'maters either. Life's a conundrum.

cooking,

Did your mosquito magnet not work well? Was it not worth what you thought it would be?

Catnip and soybean oil are effective ingredients in some non deet bug repellant. I can offer my own anecdotal evidence, that I found it as effective as off, but I did notice we had to reapply more often (2 hrs-ish). (Not a hardship because it doesn't have that heavy duty reek that I find deet does.

here is a curious observation: i have grown catnip and lemon balm. both of these claim to have mosquito repellant qualities. however, if i brush against these in the morning i have had clouds of mosquitos fly out of them, as they used them for shade or whatever. so, it is necessary to make tinctures or bruising to release the essential oil in order to repell them?

I tried my repellant spray this weekend, and it worked like a charm. I took a sprig of peppermint from my garden and put it in a spray bottle with these ingredients:

peppermint oil (for extra kick :))
neem oil
tea tree oil
water

Wherever I sprayed, I didn't get bit.

Great thread! Please, if something from this page really worked for you, please post to confirm.

An observation

The 2 light round kitchen fluorscent light set up.

Make the smaller bulb a kitchen/bath type and the outer one a cool white.

Skeets were drawn to this combination and something kills them

Violet,

I have tried all the methods posted on here and have been enduring about 20-30 bites per day in my research, ouch!!

Anyway, the best thing by far is CATNIP. I even put my own plants in the garden so I can make my own spray. The ingredient in the catnip that skeeters dont like is nepatalactone, nobody can figure out why they do not like it but its more effective than DEET.

Heres the skinny on it.

Catnip. . . who would have thought that this unassuming little plant, that drives cats wild, would be one of the most powerful natural insect repellants?

And, after all, you are looking for ways to be able to enjoy outdoor living again, right?

Known by the Latin name, Nepata cataria,it is a member of the mint family that is a native perenneal in Eastern Europe, now naturalized throughout the United States.

In the United States, it is a short lived perenneal often grown as an annual. It is extremely easy to grow. It is well known for its allure to cats It grows to about 3 feet, if the neighborhood felines don't wallow in your plants.

It thrives in well drained soil, and reseeds quite easily, so it borders on weed status in most places.

Bees love the nectar from the insignificant purple flowers. As gardening goes, this is at the top of the scale for easy.

All part of the plant that grow above ground are used in preparing dried treats for feline pets.

The essential components of the plants are nepatalactone,nepatalic acid, nepatalic anhydride, citrol, limonene, dispentine, greaniol, citronella, nerol, -caryophyllene and valeric acid. It also contains volatile oils, acids, tannins and steriods.

It has a long history of culinary usecalming teamedicine, it has been used as a mild sedative, to combat spasms, and as a digestive aid.

When the fresh leaves are crushed, catnip releases a very pungent aroma.

It is very easy to grow large stands of catnip, as it has no serious plant diseases or pests that plague it. Unlike some other plants, the essential oils are very potent, even when used fresh.

Interestingly, the oil has been used as bait to trap bobcats and mountain lions.

Recently, the American Chemical Society presented findings from a study at the University of Iowa.

Catnip is not only good for keeping your cats happy, it is an extremely effective natural mosquito repellant. In testing it was found to be ten times as effective as DEET.

These findings were inspired by earlier work which revealed that cockroaches strongly dislike catnip's primary component: nepatalactone.

The same research team, Chris Peterson and Joel Coates, tried testing the oil on mosquitoes. They found that mosquitoes were more likely to avoid catnip oil than DEET.

Using the Aedes egypti mosquito, known to transmit both yellow fever and West Nile virus, they experimented with the use of nepatalactone as a natural mosquito repellant.

The pair put 20 mosquitoes into a tube, half of which was coated with catnip oil. After ten minutes, only 20% of the mosquitoes remained on the treated side.

When the same experiment was conducted with a comparable dose of DEET, 40-45% of the mosquitoes remained on the treated side.

The researchers expect other mosquito species to react in the same manner. Right now, no one knows why mosquitoes are repelled by the oil, only that they are.

It is safe to say that catnip oil has come out of the folk remedy arena and into mainstream science.

The essential oil is available commercially. As essential oils go, it is fairly expensive, but the bottle lasts a long time. And, for something which may serve as a natural mosquito repellan and repels roaches too, it is well worth it.

Some people make their own infusion with fresh leaves.

To make your own, take a couple of handfuls of the leaves and flowers, place the washed leaves in a non-reactive saucepan.

Cover with olive oil and heat over low heat for about 15 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to even come close to boiling.

Remove from heat, cover and let stand overnight. Strain and store the oil in the refrigerator.

Test a small amount on a small patch of skin. Wait 15 minutes to see if a reaction develops.

If you are not allergic to it, you have a great defense to the skeeters.

Happy gardening once again :)

Thanks for that info. I would love to grow Nepeta, but the cats in the neighborhood have killed every plant I tried, rolling all over it. How do others grow this plant without this happening?

Adam

So, is the consensus that catnip plants themselves are not repellent? That the leaves need to be crushed and heated with oil to make the repellent? Also, I suppose that any oil would be ok. I prefer not to smell like olive oil.

Adam,

Can you put a chicken wire cage over and around the catnip to stop the cats getting ino it? Well worth growing it.

AnnaFl,

I have found that after cooking the olive oil with the leaves and flowers that after spraying, I dont smell like Olive Oil just a little minty :)

I also crushed a bunch of leaves and flowers, mixed with safer soap and sprayed the perimeter of my property, seems to have knocked the skeeter population down quite considerably too.

I'm not sure if this is technically considered an organic or not but I recently bought OFF Botanicals comes in a light green bottle and was with the other repellents in my grocery store. It is made with "an extract from eucalyptus" and says it will repel misquitoes and a whole mess of other critters including chiggers which I hate. I haven't used it yet so I can't personally recommend it.

This probably won't be particularly popular here, but snopes is a well respected site for hoax busting, and they have this to say about home remedies for mosquito repellants.

Didnt mention Catnip though. Dont think they will as its already been proven 10 times more effective than DEET.

Yippee!!!!!!

I subscribe to Consumer Reports magazine and online and in their recent August 2005 issue they compared a mosquito repellent made from oil of lemon eucalyptus (Repel) to Deet.

They used caged mosquitoes and found that the lemon eucalyptus oil prevented bites longer than Deet... for up to 12 hours. The article also said that lemon eucalyptus oil mosquito repellent was also recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

{{gwi:143457}}

I've been looking for an alternative to Deet for our 2 yr old and am looking forward to using this. However, I've had no luck finding this specific product in stores so far... oh well.

-Todd

"Didnt mention Catnip though. Dont think they will as its already been proven 10 times more effective than DEET.

Yippee!!!!!!"

I suspect that this is a response to my post of the info on snopes.

Assuming that is the case, I'll reply with a synopsis of what they try to do at snopes.com and why your comment about catnip doesn't really have any bearing.

I consider Snopes to be a very highly regarded site for information on internet hoaxes. They get inundated with emails, links to websites, etc, and they research them to determine whether the claims are true or not. They then post their findings (if you visit their site, you'll see many items marked true).

They were responding to a much forwarded email with lots of home remedies in it. They debunked the remedies found in the email.

They're not anti-organic, and, in fact, if an email started making the rounds about catnip, they would examine the facts behind it and report what they discovered. If they found that catnip is a better mosquito deterrent than DEET, they would say so. Since catnip wasn't mentioned in the email they debunked, they didn't address it.

Does that mean catnip is better than DEET and the only reason they didn't mention it is that they love DEET?

No.

It means that catnip wasn't mentioned in the email they debunked.

If they start receiving emails claiming that catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET, I'm sure they'll look into that and report their findings. Be prepared to be disappointed, though (or vindicated). I consider them to be "agnostic" in their approach. They don't care which is the right answer. They only care what is the right answer.

If you feel strongly that catnip is 10 times better than DEET, send the folks at snopes some info along those lines. I'm much more likely to believe it if I read it on snopes than if I read it on a forum that is guaranteed to be biased against any chemical answer.

Don't misunderstand me. I support organic methods. I just think it's important to be honest.

There are also these machines that emit carbon dioxide, which attracts mosqitoes and then it zaps them. My FIL lives in FL lake front and he says it really works. I tend to believe floridians when It comes to mosquito techniques, Ive lived in MA and FL and FL wins hands down for agressive constant and all over you mosquitoes.

Here in south Louisiana, we have a simple solution....spray spray spray....both ground and aerial assault at 200 ft msl. Not too comforting when BBQing out back and a plane flys above spaying organophosphate or when I am working in a gardens and a mosquito fogger truck drives by. Just breath deeply and kiss those beneficial insects and mosquitos good by!!! Given up on installing ladybugs and predatory wasps in my gardens. Mosquito spraying kills them dead and thus waste my money.

Found this website a few days ago. They sell a number of anti-mosquito products. One is called mosquito barrier made with garlic. Spray in on the veg in your lawn. Haven't tried it yet, but want to order some next month and give it a try. If you order some before I do, please let me know how it works.

As for sprays for the body...haven't found any of the name brands effective when working in the bottomland hardwood forests or swamps of south Louisiana or Mississippi. Mosquitos come back for seconds within 10 minutes of application.

Here is a link that might be useful: Biocontrol Network

I found the following on CNN.com:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added new repellents to guidelines in 2005. Along with DEET products, advice now includes repellents with the chemical picaridin or the plant-based oil of lemon eucalyptus. The CDC reports that studies show picaridin is "often comparable with DEET products of similar concentration" and oil of lemon eucalyptus provides protection "similar to low-concentration DEET products."

So there is at least one organic substitute for DEET that is recognized by the CDC.

Bpgreen, I hate to seem rude, but I am beginning to feel invisible or something. You would have learned that little bit of information you just gave us all a few weeks sooner if you had read the posts on this thread before posting your own. It has been mentioned by myself, more than once, by madorley, and by Todd in Texas, a few of these times specifically in response to your posts.

I do realize that it is not what Adam is looking for since it has the citronella smell which he says he wants to avoid.

Has the orange oil mix worked for anyone who has a heavy Asian Tiger mosquito problem?? The Bite Blocker I bought worked last year but not so well this year. I haven't had any luck with catnip tinctures or mixes either.

Sorry MoJoJoJo,

I never did try the orange oil as I had trouble finding any and by then, our mosquito population was a lot lower. We have one of those mosquito magnets and the driest summer I can remember which may have contributed. Wish I had a suggestion.

Adam

Link below is an article on WebMD about catnip as a mosquito repellant....

I found the statement (in the article) about wearing long sleeves as an effective deterrant hilarious. We get mosquitos so thick at times, they'll fly in your mouth (when you open it to curse) & up your nose, no exaggeration. Now, I'm a true believer in organic living, but honey, when it gets that bad, it's time to pull out the heavy artillery, i.e. the county planes!

Here is a link that might be useful: Catnip

Todd in Texas, Amazon merchant has it (see link below).
Kris, we have one of those machines (Mosquito Magnet from Costco). It's very effective, but very expensive, and you have to keep refilling the propane tank (which is also very expensive here). Also, you have to plug it in to a power source.

Here is a link that might be useful: Repel Lemon Eucalyptus

I used some lemon eucalyptus lotion. It gave me a pretty bad headache. I would certainly not be able to eat wearing it, but I was avoided by ALL bugs. Really. The bees and wasps in the flower garden left while I was there. This was very helpful since working in the flower garden while it is covered in wasps is a little less peaceful than I am looking for. I really felt like the top dog, all the bugs standing back until I was out of the area. Still the headache after a few hours was on the edge of migraine. I know I get that from eucalyptus so no surprises there.

I finally broke down and bought a screened tent so my kids can go outside and play some. It really is getting ultra obnoxious. I spoke with a mosquito scientist and he said these asian tiger mosquitos are like no other mosquitos and are ruthless and difficult to manage.

On another thread, I found out that BOUNCE dryer sheets, unscented, rubbed over exposed skin and hanging out of various pockets, will deter the nastiest skeeters, and the US Postal service has all of their mailpersons use the unscented bounce to deter yellowjackets. They actually give out office directives to do so!!!!! This product is very expensive where I live but a box would probably last quite some time. Anybody out there who has done this? Results?

bumping

Has anyone on this thread mentioned getting rid of all stagnant or standing water on or around your property???because thats where skeeters grow and proliferate.. Tires, puddles, birdbaths, water features, fountains,,, any standing water for longer than 48 hrs is suspect, Personally, They have been found growing in my toilet after a 3 day weekend,,, A wonderful (and organic) product BT (bacillus thuringencius) is quit effective in eliminating all larval on slaught,, a by-produst of slaughter,,, ie,, cow gut, full of enzymes which shut down an insects digestive system there-by starving them to death. But neighbors don't always follow this standard, which leads me to the use of eucalyptus, mint, and lemon oil, and drop or two of neem in a pint bottle. I also spray it on the tomatoes for fungal diseases... we find it quite effective, even during the monsoons,, good luck

I grow catnip, stuff fresh leaves into a jar, fill with cheap vodka and let it sit for about a week, replacing the leaves with fresh leaves, and adding vodka as needed. I pour a little of the liquid into a spray bottle, add water and spray myself down before going outside. This year I'm adding peppermint leaves and lemon balm leaves to the mix. This works for an hour or two, depending on the strength. Some days nothing works, not even deet, it seems, but I get sick when I use deet, and I don't mind getting the catnip spray on my skin. I've tried the picaridin spray and it doesn't work as well as deet, and it smells like dirty socks.

Hi,

Thanks for resurrecting this post. Mosquitoes have arrived here in the past week or so and they are brutal. This weekend we were outside covered from head to toe and still managed to get bit. They were even trying to bite through jeans.

I have been reading up on asian tiger mosquitoes, which I am pretty sure is what we have. They are out all day and night in sun and shade. I have learned a lot that I didn't know. Town spraying programs don't kill them. They can breed in 24 hours in a container as small as a bottle cap, and have a new mosquito up and biting in a week that lives for a month.
Time to get serious about keeping these pests out of the yard. I am tempted to copy the linked article and put it in all the mailboxes in our neighborhood. Only hesitation is that most people haven't a concern about organic methods, and will just pick up a can of Deet.

If anyone has success with anything against these tiger mosquitoes, please share.

Thanks
:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Tiger mosquitoes new urban pest

There is a second post on the forums in which Repel with Lemon Eucalyptus is discussed. Here is a review I found on the product, linked below. It would appear there is a pesticide in the spray, not just eucalyptus oil. One that doesn't require regulation by the EPA evidently.

Here is a link that might be useful: Review of Repel Lemon Eucalyptus spray

After reading 100s of replys, I find no one knows about the 100% effective homemade mixture that lasts the longest that I have been outdoors in FL (4hours). For over 10yrs, I use 75% Neem oil, and 25% catnip oil. I'd use more catnip, but it's too expensive. Due to costs, I think I will try adding 20% Lemon Eucalyptus oil and reduce catnip to 20% and Neem to 60%. I'm a real old herbalist, and stuff has gotta be effective for me to use it. If one person finds this not effective, please let me know.

I have used Bounce "Outdoor Fresh Scent" for several years. I'm cheap so I cut 1 sheet in 4 pieces and pin one on each sleeve and each side of my shorts or pants leg or dress...whatever I have on [just something in the calf area]. I don't have any problems and sometimes I am out for 4 hours at a time. The smell is extremely strong and sometimes if I remember to get them off before I wash my clothes, I still use them in the dryer....like I said, I'm cheap!! I store them in 2 zip lock bags because they smell so strong to me. Don't know how "organic" that is but I'm not having to put anything directly on my skin and that works for me. Good luck..Mary

In regards to Louisiana_botanist and anyone else interested in the effectiveness of Mosquito Barrier...

I purchased two bottles of this to help combat the army of mosquitos that we had just in our backyard. The first application I added a little more of the product than needed but we had severe mosquitos. The product claims to also repel fleas and ticks which is a plus since we have two dogs.

I applied the stuff with a sprayer following instructions and sprayed entire yard and some of the tree near our patio. Once you apply it, your yard will smell like garlic for an hour or two so be sure to spray it in a way so you don't step on the grass that was just sprayed (I sprayed it walking backwards) so I didn't track the smell in the house. The next night we went to see how well it did, surprisingly enough it worked well. Instead of getting bit 8 times while constantly moving around for 2-3 minutes, I didn't get bit at all for 5 minutes while even standing still but I did see at least one mosqutio while out.

It lasts for a good while so long as there isn't a heavy rain or you water the lawn more than once a week. General application would typically last 2-3 weeks for me due to needing to water at least twice a week and/or rain. The "barrier" tends to be breached by a few mosquitos as each day passes until they increase in numbers where you notice them again and need to spray a second application.

Since I used to live in New Orleans I know how bad mosquitos can be there but I would say you will definately see a difference after using this. The cause of my mosquito problem was due to a neighbor with a water fountain in the backyard that had lots of standing water. Now that they have let it just dry out, I have 1/10 the mosquitos I had before and haven't needed to spray anything in over a month.

Avon's

Skin-So-Soft