Mosquitoes

[WebLady]

What are the best ways to get rid of them and/or keep from getting bit when outside?

I have tried a few natural spray repellents and that Avon stuff and they either don't work at all or only minimally.

I even bought an $80 bug zapper that seemed to be helping at first, but now the little buggers seem to be back in full force.

I can't afford one of those mosquito magnet things that are $300-$500 or more either.

It freaks me out to get bit and I hate when my dogs get bit too. I do have them on the heartworm preventatives, but still.

[chocawhit]

This may be just a myth, but I heard somewhere (probably from grandma) that you can eat garlic and they won't bite you. But that is probably just because of the whole vampire thing. I have never tested it.

[WebLady]

This may be just a myth, but I heard somewhere (probably from grandma) that you can eat garlic and they won't bite you. But that is probably just because of the whole vampire thing. I have never tested it.
Yeah I doubt there is much truth to that since they are attracted to our body heat and the CO2 we give off.

I have heard that garlic is a good way to deter fleas in dogs though ;)

[Mrs.Goff]

I can't stand the darn things. So I use some deep woods off stuff DH uses for hunting. It works really well but if you miss a spot on you, you will get a bite there. Last week we went to camp and I missed my elbow and your guessed it I got 3 bites there! Ugg!

I wish I knew the answer to this question. :(

[WebLady]

I can't stand the darn things. So I use some deep woods off stuff DH uses for hunting. It works really well but if you miss a spot on you, you will get a bite there. Last week we went to camp and I missed my elbow and your guessed it I got 3 bites there! Ugg!

I wish I knew the answer to this question. :(
Yeah, I would rather not use that Deet stuff.

[WebLady]

I looked up some stuff and found that keeping the grass short can help; we need to cut our grass bad, maybe that is part of our problem.

I also read that beer can help too ...

"Simply combine equal amounts of flat beer, antiseptic mouthwash, and Epsom salt. Place this mixture in a garden sprayer that attaches to a hose, and spray away. This mixture is said to effectively get rid of mosquitoes, and it is a cheaper and much safer alternative to commercial products that contain harmful chemicals.”
There are a couple more interesting things in this article; though it is a couple of years old - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47518/home_remedies_to_get_rid_of_mosquitoes.html?cat=7

[FFC]

This may be just a myth, but I heard somewhere (probably from grandma) that you can eat garlic and they won't bite you. But that is probably just because of the whole vampire thing. I have never tested it.

I've heard that before as well...

[ChibiAiChan]

http://www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/ProductCategories/RepellentProducts/Skinsations+Ultra/

thats what i use and i think it works pretty well =)

[WebLady]

http://www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/ProductCategories/RepellentProducts/Skinsations+Ultra/

thats what i use and i think it works pretty well =)
When they say "do not apply more than once per day" it usually means there is a potentially toxic ingredient in it :(

All of the sprays and lotions usually wear off fairly quickly and I would need to use it multiple times a day to be affective.

[MrsDM]

Off has a new product out now that is a personal clip on repellent

http://www.offprotects.com/i/products/clipOn.jpg

It is about $8-10 for the clip on fan and the refills run a little cheaper (depending on how many you buy), but it works real well if you are looking for just some repellent for yourself so you can go outside.

[WebLady]

Off has a new product out now that is a personal clip on repellent

http://www.offprotects.com/i/products/clipOn.jpg

It is about $8-10 for the clip on fan and the refills run a little cheaper (depending on how many you buy), but it works real well if you are looking for just some repellent for yourself so you can go outside.
We got one of those too, but it doesn't seem to work for me. The instructions say it only works when you are standing still. And then it says not to breath the fumes or let pets breath the fumes; how can you not if it is all around you?!

[ChristineLS]

This may be just a myth, but I heard somewhere (probably from grandma) that you can eat garlic and they won't bite you. But that is probably just because of the whole vampire thing. I have never tested it.

For what it's worth (probably nothing) I eat garlic like it's a staple going out of style, think like a clove or three included in the meal I make for dinner most of the time, and I don't have too many problems with mosquitoes. Actually, I'm rarely bitten.

I love garlic and I could just be lucky, but throwing that out there.

[WebLady]

DH was saying he heard something about the garlic too. I wll do some more research on that.

[PGDesigns]

My neighbor did a lot of gardening/landscaping and swore by his garlic pills. The rest of us would be getting eaten up by the little buggers, and he rarely had any problems with them.

[NOTKT]

Weird, I always thought eating garlic was a myth too.

[SunnyAB]

If you use Bounce sheets for your laundry and also rub one on your exposed skin if you are going out, it repels them - if you are sitting out on the patio, tuck a few around here and there. Its helped me, although its so dry here this year, its hard to test it. If you have standing water, that is a breeding ground for them, so avoid that if you can (dump and refresh bird baths often, things like that.) Good luck!