7 Natural Mosquito Repellent Ideas So You Can Enjoy Being Outside

Have a couple of annoying flying mosquitoes around? Try getting rid of those annoying bugs naturally as well as protecting your family from the threats of Dengue. Take a look at some of these natural mosquito repellent ideas – they can help repel bugs but are safe and gentle to use around your kids and pets. 

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For many, summer is their favorite time of year, understandably so! But, with summer comes mosquitoes, love bugs, and other insects that lead to bites and rashes. It’s enough to make you want to just stay inside and avoid the bugs!

You might have spent many nights not sleeping well because you can’t stop scratching those irritating mosquito bites.

Thankfully, you don’t have to put up with that anymore and you don’t have to use harsh chemicals to do that!

Here are some natural mosquito repellent ideas that will keep the bugs away and still keep your kids and pets safe at the same time.

7 Ways to Repel Mosquitoes Naturally

If you’re one of those people who abhor chemicals and are more on the side of natural ingredients, these alternatives are a great way to protect you and your family without all the harsh chemicals. Whether you decide to grab a can of store-bought repellent or try one of these methods below, enjoy the outdoors once again!

I’ll even share my favorite homemade mosquito repellent, too.

The best thing about these natural solutions is that you can use all of them together. They won’t interact badly with each other, not worrying that it might harm you, your kids, or your furry friends. Plus, they smell amazing too!

1. Essential Oil, Natural Mosquito Repellent

There are some essential oils that can do the job of repelling mosquitoes. Does lavender repel mosquitoes? Yes, it really does, and so does tea tree oil and a few more other essential oils such as lemongrass, peppermint, catnip, etc. 

In fact, mosquitoes and other insects can’t stand the smell of these essential oils’ scents. So, try soaking a ribbon or any other cloth texture in the tea tree oil and wear it as a wristband or tie it around your ankle. This will help repel them naturally! 

You can also try making these DIY Mosquito Bracelets, a fun natural mosquito repellent blend with a fun twist. It also has my favorite recipe for homemade mosquito repellent too!

Two other ways you can use essential oil as a repellent are as a spray or as an ointment. This way you can choose which method will be much effective for you. 

2. Eat Garlic

Another natural mosquito repellent is garlic. Garlic is not only good for your health but also good at fending off those mosquitoes away. Because of its strong odor,  when you eat a lot of garlic, it releases a scent through your pores that keep mosquitoes away.  

So if you like garlic, then I would definitely recommend loading up this summer! Just like with essential oils, you can also make garlic into a spray. 

When you make some beef jerky this summer to have some delicious snacks on hand, add lots of garlic to it. Yum!

3. Baby Oil

Did you know that baby oil is another natural mosquito repellent? So baby oil is not only used for your skin but also to drive away those mosquitoes. For some reason, mosquitoes are not a fan of the smell of baby oil. It is said that oil makes it difficult for insects to bite on the skin, it can even suffocate them. Also, it is said that mosquitoes don’t like oily surfaces. 

So lather your kiddos up before heading out for the day so you can do your best to repel those pesky bugs and to keep them in hiding!

Just a reminder, if it is during the day, be careful as baby oil acts as a tanning oil when you are out in the sun and can cause a sunburn. This method is mostly recommended to be used at night. 

4. Burn Rosemary in the Campfire

If you are going to be camping or have a fire going and mosquitoes are ruining your camping experience, consider throwing in a few sprigs of rosemary into the fire. I know this sounds a little weird but this is a great way to repel bugs!

By adding the rosemary into the fire, it will help keep all the mosquito and insects away from anyone near or around the fire. Its woody scent is what makes mosquitoes and bugs go away.  It does add a nice smell to the air which is pleasing to you and your guests! 

I really recommend trying to burn fresh rosemary sprigs. They will be more effective at keeping the bugs away than sprinkling some dried rosemary into it.

5. Dryer Sheets As A Natural Mosquito Repellent

Place a dryer sheet in the back pocket of your shorts or jeans as this will release the scent around you, repelling mosquitoes.  Most dryer sheets and insect repellants have linalool on them. Linalool is the component that makes insect repellants considered a repellant.  

There are some good brands of dryer sheets in the market. Try to use Bounce dryer sheets because they are the ones that contain beta-citronellol which is an ingredient in citronella candles. This works for other bugs too! Bounce dryer sheets have been known to repel fungus gnats as well.

Researchers from Kansas State University discovered that original Bounce dryer sheets kept destructive gnats away from a plate of food.

6. Remove Standing Water

What would be the best way to get rid of mosquitoes than to prevent having them in the first place. Prevention is a huge factor when it comes to those pesky bugs.

Clear areas that are known to attract mosquitoes to ensure you’re not creating a comfy cozy home for them. Make sure that you frequently clean those things in your house that are possibly holding stagnant water. If you are at your home, go out and look for any standing water. That is where mosquitoes lay eggs and multiply! You can buy tablets to put in the water to prevent mosquitoes from hatching.

You should also try and eliminate any water puddles that you can. The best way to get rid of standing water is to cover it with more dirt, sand, or mulch. Remember that they love to lay their eggs where there is moisture, so getting rid of those wet or moist places would be ideal in preventing them from multiplying.  

7. Destroy Mosquito Habitats

Finally, look for loose piles of leaves or tall vegetation. This is an ideal breeding ground as well. The moisture that these surfaces can hold will attract mosquitoes to breed there and eventually make other mosquitoes attracted to the place. 

So try and make sure your yard is nice and clean! This will help prevent mosquitoes from multiplying around your home. Keeping your yard mowed and all the weeds trimmed it can protect your family from mosquitoes too! It will also deter mosquitoes from breeding on them. 

The best rule there is in preventing mosquitoes from multiplying is to make our surroundings clean and dry. That way, they have little chance of reproducing. 

Scents Mosquitoes Seem To Hate

Besides the ones suggested above, there are a few more scents mosquitoes seem to really hate as well.

• Cedarwood is a smell they don’t really like and you can often find this as an essential oil or you can burn cedar logs in the firepit too! 
• Mosquitoes also don’t like citrus fruits. I would recommend using some citrus essential oils (lemon, orange, a citrus combo) as a natural mosquito repellent. 
• Basil and catnip are other herbs that you can burn in your fire that will produce smoke that can help bugs stay away! 
• Citronella is the most common component of insect repellants. A downside of citronella is that it evaporates quickly, so it’s not long-lasting. 

A Scent That Mosquitoes Love

We’ve already enumerated the things that naturally repel mosquitoes away. But do you know that there is a scent that mosquitoes love and maybe you should stay away from? (That is if you can.) 

For all those alcohol drinkers out there, it might be unfortunate but mosquitoes love the scent of people that drink beer or alcoholic beverages. They say that it’s because of the ethanol scent that a beer drinker or alcohol drinker emits that makes him loved by mosquitoes. 

So the next time you’ll be drinking on your lawn at night or beside a campfire, maybe you should have some of our natural mosquito repellers on hand. 

More Natural Home Remedies

I love finding a natural solution to common issues for my family! Natural solutions are still the best!

For more all-natural solutions to common problems, try some of these:

• 15 Rubbing Alcohol Uses
• Natural Alternatives to Common Medications
• DIY Beauty Products You Can Make At Home