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Looking for a Good Mosquito Repellent/Killer

post #1 of 18
6/18/11 at 10:11am
Thread Starter 
I've looked online, but would like to know what others use. I need something safe for use in my garden---don't want to harm all the birds, insects, squirrels, etc.---but the mosquitos are absolutely thick already this year. I'm looking for something I can use in the yard itself; I walk thru the garden and the nasty little blood-suckers just swarm everywhere! Help!
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post #2 of 18
6/18/11 at 11:18am
Last year I started using the Off clip on fan thing. It works great! They redesigned it, and the new ones are smaller. I bought one of them, too. They really work. You can wear it, or have it beside you when you are sitting out. The fan is very quiet. And you don't have to have that stuff directly on your skin. Not much smell, either.

Breathing it, however, is another matter, that I'd rather not think about. I hate mosquitoes.



Robin
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post #3 of 18
6/18/11 at 11:40am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Robin; I thought about buying an Off fan-thingy for myself. I was too cheap last year , but I think I'll pick one up at Wal Mart tomorrow.
Still need ideas for spraying the yard--anybody?
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post #4 of 18
6/18/11 at 5:16pm
Dry garlic will keep them away, but you have to replace it after you water or it rains. Then there's the smell factor....
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post #5 of 18
6/18/11 at 5:47pm
I used to use one from Watkins. Not sure if you have a Watkins distributor there or not.

Also, anything with a high content of Deet will work great, like Deep Woods Off.

All replellants sweat off so you need to reapply periodically.
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post #6 of 18
6/18/11 at 5:48pm
I'm one of those lucky people whom mosquitoes seem to love. Fortunately, I don't have a huge problem in my yard, and I just use a spray-on repellent if I'm, say, going for a walk in the woods. I've wondered, though, for those who do have a lot of mosquitoes, whether those bug-zappers work. Have you thought about trying one of those?
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post #7 of 18
6/18/11 at 6:23pm
bug zappers do work, unfortunately they don't discriminate and kill bad bugs and beneficial.
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post #8 of 18
6/18/11 at 7:39pm
I have an off fan, but it only works if there is no breeze and you're just chilling somewhere. In that respect, you might as well just use a candle.

The only one that works consistently for me is the plain old fashioned sprays, and coat all exposed skin appropriately.

If your property is a decent size, you can get to the source of the problem and look for areas that mosquitoes can breed and take them out. Clogged gutters to even just a plastic bag somewhere that has a pool of water in it.
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post #9 of 18
6/18/11 at 8:32pm
Citronella Geranium is the best natural repellent.....
http://www.organic-growers.com/bfarm...a_geranium.htm
It is easy to grow and extremely effective. You can rub the leaves of this plant on your skin for a mosquito repellent.
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post #10 of 18
6/18/11 at 8:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
I have an off fan, but it only works if there is no breeze and you're just chilling somewhere. In that respect, you might as well just use a candle.

The only one that works consistently for me is the plain old fashioned sprays, and coat all exposed skin appropriately.

If your property is a decent size, you can get to the source of the problem and look for areas that mosquitoes can breed and take them out. Clogged gutters to even just a plastic bag somewhere that has a pool of water in it.
Well the Off fan works for me in a breeze, walking around working in my yard.

Here in Illinois we have lots of rain. There is no way to make a dent in the mosquito population by working on your own property. However we are constantly told to get rid of standing water as West Nile kills a few people here every summer.

Those sprays you put on with DEET do work, but I don't want that stuff on my body. And it stinks, too.

I'm one of those people that mosquitoes really like, and I get big welts from their bites. I've tried all the natural products, and they don't work for me.

A woman I know told me recently that her neighbors get together and hire a service to spray their yards each week. Her share is about $20 a week. Some towns around here spray. But mine doesn't.

Robin
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post #11 of 18
6/18/11 at 9:34pm
Once again I am posting the most potent natural mosquito repellent, Citronella Geranium.
http://www.organic-growers.com/bfarm...a_geranium.htm
You can use the leaves of this plant to rub on your skin as repellent....
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post #12 of 18
6/18/11 at 9:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheylink View Post
Once again I am posting the most potent natural mosquito repellent, Citronella Geranium.
http://www.organic-growers.com/bfarm...a_geranium.htm
You can use the leaves of this plant to rub on your skin as repellent....
I guess that stuff works for you? Unfortunately, not for me. I wish.

Robin
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post #13 of 18
6/18/11 at 10:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bastetservant View Post
I guess that stuff works for you? Unfortunately, not for me. I wish.

Robin
This is a very effective natural mosquito repellent, don't doubt it till you try it. It does sound like you need a mosquito yard control treatment and I highly recommend SavaTree...http://www.savatree.com/mosquito-con...FcbBKgodA0UOJg
They are exceptional at tree pruning, feeding, pesticide treatment, and much more!
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post #14 of 18
6/18/11 at 10:17pm
I have tried it, and everything else.

Anything I did for my yard wouldn't work because the neighbors won't do anything.

Besides, I'm the one satisfied with the effectiveness of the Off fan, which is why I recommended it. It has improved my life in the summer a great deal.

Robin
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post #15 of 18
6/19/11 at 5:54am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the input, everyone.
Our city will start spraying for mosquitos this week; unfortunately, that means they drive thru the alleys, which only tells the mosquitos to head for my back yard.
The biggest concentration of bugs in my yard is in the shade garden, under my neighbor's humongous maple tree. I don't imagine I can grow citronella geranium there.
I don't have standing water that I'm aware of. I check things like that because of West NIle virus and my husband's compromised immune system.

Quote:
I used to use one from Watkins. Not sure if you have a Watkins distributor there or not.

Also, anything with a high content of Deet will work great, like Deep Woods Off.
No Watkins distributor here; I've thought about the Deep Woods Off, but I'm afraid it will kill my beneficial iinsects and butterflies. At this point, tho, I can't even walk thru my garden without being eaten alive, so I guess maybe it's time to try it.
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post #16 of 18
6/19/11 at 6:58am
Being from Wisconsin I know mosquitoes and deer flies.

I have extensive gardens and am outside most of the hours when I am not working.
I use the heavy duty sprays. One that has worked well is Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8.
Work on you not the yard for 8 hours (unless you are sweating).
The other is Repel Permanone Clothing & Gear Insect repellent. Works for mosqitoes and ticks. Go to a sporting goods, hunting supplie or a farm and fleet type of store as this is where I got these.
I spray these also on my air kind of like hair spray which means I do have to wash my hair before I go to bed.
Also I cannot think of the name there is a yard guard type of spray you can use if you will be sitting outside. With our firepit we light a smoldering/smoky type of fire and that helps a bit esp if there is a breeze.

I have rain barrels and there is a insect powder that only kills the mosquito larvae not others that I will be starting to use. We got alot of rain this spring so lots of mosquitoes!
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post #17 of 18
6/19/11 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Gail, I'll check those out next time I get to the farm store.
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post #18 of 18
6/19/11 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bastetservant View Post
Last year I started using the Off clip on fan thing. It works great! They redesigned it, and the new ones are smaller. I bought one of them, too. They really work. You can wear it, or have it beside you when you are sitting out. The fan is very quiet. And you don't have to have that stuff directly on your skin. Not much smell, either.

Breathing it, however, is another matter, that I'd rather not think about. I hate mosquitoes.



Robin
I agree, these things work great and even appear to work on deer flies as well, which I have a lot of.
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