★★★★★
I used to attract Mosquitoes. I had Banana Trees in Kona with big leaves that held rainwater at the leaf stem. When I went near the trees in the rainy season, they would swarm all around me. I used skin so soft to repel them. That works if you put it on your skin every day. I was told about vitamin B and started taking a full complex of vitamin B, two tablets every day. That stopped the Mosquito bites. Some would swarm near, and occasionally one would land. But no bites. After a while, I reduced to one tablet every day. I went about ten years without one bite taking complete vitamin B every day. The only exception was when I was moving recently, I received a mosquito bite before I moved, and after I moved, I received a second bite. Vitamin B is a stress vitamin, and the move was more stressful for me.
Our granddaughter came to Hawaii once a year during the summer, and immediately she was attacked around the Banana plants. We gave her two vitamin B a day for three days. After that, we reduced it to one pill per day. She wasn't bothered again until she went home to Tennessee. After a few bites at home, she started taking vitamin B, successfully deterring Mosquitos.
I know a few tests that have been made discounting the effect. It has worked for me. Good luck.
★★★★★
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... I had dreadful reactions for 30+ yrs. Swelling and incomprehensible itching. The kind that can drive you half mad and make you want to claw a hole in your body. And I thought I'd tried everything over the decades; every potion, lotion, even hot spoons. Nothing worked. If there was one of these devil tormentors within a 10 mile radius it seemed to find me. I finally found relief in Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 400-500 mg taken daily, and no less! The remedy came from a pharmacy in Thailand. Allegedly mozzys do not like the smell, though we can't smell it. It shocked me it worked so well. I got the odd bite but it didn't swell, remained tiny, and barely an itch. Before I'd have 12+ welts with tormenting itching 24/7. Now I might only get one, and no welts and no bother.
Friends who travel in hot mozzy infested areas and countries were also impressed too. On annual trips, they would start taking this one week before their trip. But taking the right dose seems vital - If the dosage was skimped on (300 mg or less) it did NOT work. Some people take it in divided doses am/pm but I just took it all at once, so can't comment if that's more effective. I've also read that Vitamin B1 is a myth and is not a systemic mosquito repellent. However, I can attest it's worked for me and others when nothing else did.
Hot Spoon Remedy
★★★★★
★★★★★
She had started eagerly scratching at one of her bites so I came to this site and decided to try Cucumber.
It worked immediately... no more scratching and applied it to all 9 bites and she didn't scratch at the others at all. I applied it the day of and yesterday and haven't applied it today seeing if the itch has been kept at bay.
Cucumber... thumbs up!!
Turmeric
★★★★★
I suggested turmeric powder. She gave him 1/8-1/4 teaspoon once or twice a day mixed into food. (Yogurt, chili, whatever.) She said it worked wonderfully. This wasn't placebo as he was too young to even know he was taking it.
A bonus is that turmeric is a good remedy for infection and can help open bites from getting infected.
~Mama to Many~
Vitamin B
★★★★★
Hot Spoon Remedy
★★★★★
Dishwashing Liquid
★★★★★
★★★★★
Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil
★★★★★
We have a huge mosquito problem here, and thanks to the invasion of aggressive Asian Tiger mosquitoes here about 10 years ago, we get attacked all day as well as night. I don't want to be slathering on chemicals but protection is a necessity to enjoy any time in the yard. I've read of various concoctions using a variety essential oils, but didn't have any of the listed ones on hand. In desperation I added about 10 drops of lavender essential oil to a small jar filled with VCO. We dip our fingers in the jar and rub the oil on any exposed skin and around the back of the neck to help keep them away from the face. So far it seems to be doing the trick, and of course the VCO is also a nice skin treatment :)
I'm looking to get some beautyberry bushes to plant as I've just read that they are a great repellent - you can crush the leaves and rub them on and it's apparently as effective as DEET. It also is 100% effective against ticks. In the meantime, my lavender/VCO mixture is definitely helping. I've also seen the info in spraying Listerine around the yard and that does seem to help as well.
★★★★★
Vitamin B
My short dissertation on Mosquitoes follows:
- Ocean cruising sailors departing New Zealand were often encouraged to take a B vitamin supplement every day to ward off mosquito bites that could cause Malaria or Dengue Fever up, in and around the South Pacific Islands. Also, to use something on the skin, of course (some of the old lotions/creams had nasty stuff in them though! ). If the night-time mozzies didn't give you Malaria, then the day-time team would give you the Dengue Fever or maybe you could cop a double whammy!!?? Along with the pesky droning, the annoying biting and itching afterwards, it tended to take the shine off that Dream, South Pacific holiday!
From recall, it could have been the B6 OR the B12 that was touted BUT with the B vitamins, I was given to understand that the combination B's worked better in synergy rather than separately. It seemed to work for some people. Old folklore also suggested that the reason that the EARLY Amazon River natives never got bitten, was because they never ate SUGAR and the mozzies were smart enough to be able to tell and were not attracted?! Strange, I thought a lot of sugar was grown in Brazil! Yes, banana plants (not trees please) and mosquitoes seem to go hand in hand.
But if your neighbour likes to have lots of empty flower pots or dishes lying around in their garden, these will collect moisture and be a great breeding ground for them. Especially old tyres. Oh, do I have a thing with old tyres and mozzies!! If my ankles are exposed, boy do they LOVE me! Yet they get greatly confused by my hairy arms and legs - just saying! So, I have a New Zealand made, external use only, product that has Sweet Almond Oil, Essential Oils of Eucalyptus, Lavender, Pine, Manuka, (I have posted about this one before and not just for the Honey Bees), Tea Tree (ditto)+ Lemongrass. I am unaware of the proportions (if I knew them I would bottle the stuff) but it is good for Sandflies, Mosquitoes, Midges and Black Flies a/c the label. Safe to use on chn apparently (nobody die), 100% natural -- use sparingly and often. Soothes as well as repels - what's not to like? Oh, and did I mention it smells O.K. too! The Good Oil comes at the end (at last! ). Phew!
Cheers from Down Under
Homemade Sprays
★★★★★
★★★★★
Peppermint Oil
★★★★★
Lisa's Mosquito Repellent Formula
Some oils are quite toxic to cats (more so) and dogs too, apparently. New warnings being issued by vets, not to be ignored.
I'd personally love to try the lavender mixed in with coconut oil but my pets LOVE love coconut oil (they try to 'clean' my legs and arms) but the lavender is a big toxin to them. So, I hardly every diffuse anymore but if I do, it's from a different room, blowing a small fan on the mist, and only for an hour.
White Vinegar
★★★★★
Lisa's Mosquito Repellent Formula
★★★★★
I used the information I found on here, and used citronella, lavender and lemon essential oils to make a mosquito-repelling reed diffuser. I put one next to each bed at night, and two by the king size bed. We had been getting multiple bites at night- now, no more!
Mosquito Repelling Reed Diffusers
For two diffusers:
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 oz vodka (about)
25 drops citronella essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
Mix well; the water should turn a little cloudy (to indicate the oils have blended with the water). If the oils are still floating, add a splash more vodka. While the mixture is still agitated/mixed well, pour into two small vases. Add the reeds, let them soak for about 10 minutes. Then, flip the reeds over. I flip them before I go to bed, too (makes the scent stronger). I put one by the girls' beds, and one on either side of our king size bed.
I found little ceramic vases (must be fully glazed inside) for a dollar at my local craft store; they also had the bundles of reeds for a dollar. A small glass vase would work, too.
Lisa.
Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil
★★★★★
Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil
★★★★★
The downside is the smell. I noticed that mossies tend to stay away after application as well.
I have told many people of this who were using creams. Many disbelieved until they tried it. Now they don't use anything else.
Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil
★★★★★
Deet
★☆☆☆☆
Garlic
★★★★★
Bat Boxes
Vitamin B
Antipruritic Device
★★★★★
Nigella Sativa
★★★★★
Lightly massage 1 drop of N. Sativa oil to the mosquito bite - re-apply the oil throughout the day. After the oil application try to keep the bite clean, this means no scratching. The following day my bites are reduced in size and do not itch.
