Natural Mosquito Fighter

A natural mosquito fighter is not a strange idea when it comes to the wooded areas like a campground. Mosquitoes feed on fruit and flowers to keep up their energy level.

Finding products for your protection is not an easy task. Keep repellant supplies on hand along with first aid kits.

Citronella candles hold them back from surrounding your camp area. These are some of the most pesky insects.

They are very common around water and love warm blooded beings.

With over 100 different kinds in the world, you can find several species in one campground.

Body temperature seems to attract them to feed.

Be sure to use a good repellent whenever you are in the woods or out after dusk.

Wearing long sleeves and pants in the evening will help, also.

If you do get bitten, be sure not to scratch the area. Some carry diseases that affect man and domesticated animals.

Diseases Carried by Mosquitoes

People are the recipients of West Nile Disease. This disease destroys red blood cells which carries oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body.

Some suffer bouts of anemia, fever or even death.

Malaria infects millions of people every year. The worst and most severe territory is Africa.

North American does get their share with about 1,000 infections a year.

Another deadly disease caused by these feisty pests is Encephalitis. This an inflammation of the brain caused by a virus.

It is a rare disease that is more common in children and those with a weak immune system. This is reason enough to find a repellent for your family's protection.

The symptoms of Encephalitis are very mild and most people do not seek treatment because they don't know they have it.

Some of the mild symptoms include: fever, loss of energy, headache and a poor appetite.

Some of the more severe symptoms include: seizures, nausea or vomiting, memory loss, and even comas.

A good first aid kit, including a natural mosquito fighter, is a must for your camper. Make sure you get a repellant formulated to repel these blood suckers and their cousins, ticks. Spray all exposed skin before going into the woods or around water.

Oils That Repel Mosquitoes

A natural mosquito fighter is very easy to create to repel mosquitoes. These natural products actually do work, but they need to be used more frequently with a higher concentration than DEET.

Given the differences between the types of mosquitoes, products that contain multiple repellents tend to be more effective than those containing a single ingredient. As you can see, natural repellents tend to be volatile oils.

These include:

Citronella oil
Lemon
Eucalyptus Oil
Cinnamon Oil
Castor Oil
Rosemary Oil
Lemongrass Oil
Cedar Oil
Peppermint Oil
Clove Oil
Geranium Oil
Can oils of verbena, Penny Royal, lavender, pine, cajeput, basil, thyme, allspice
Oil of soya and garlic

I've heard tell that Avon's Skin-So-Soft makes a great repellant. There seems to be an ingredient that repels them. It does not kill them.

I've never tried it, but they send it overseas to our military men and women to help with the mosquito epidemic. It must do something! You can contact your nearest Avon representative to at least try it!

It is not very expensive and all you do is rub it on your skin. It is worth a try if you have sensitive skin or do not want all those harsh chemicals on your skin.

Things That Will Lower Repellent Effectiveness:

Some OTC Sunscreens
Rain, Perspiration, or Swimming
Sweating or Absorption into the Skin
Evaporation from Wind or High Temperatures

Keep in mind that natural does not always mean completely safe. Many people are sensitive to plant oils.

Some natural insect repellents can be toxic. Although natural repellents provide an alternative to production chemicals, please remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions when using these products.

Watch for any kind of allergic reaction, also.

As you can see, mosquitoes ARE unwelcome guests, but they don't care if they are welcomed or not.

You can count on them to be there even if you aren't.

According to most campers, the very best natural mosquito control repellent is Herbal Armor, which is a nontoxic DEET-free repellent.

If you're using the barbeque grill, throw a little bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.

Recipe for Natural Mosquito Fighter

Here is a recipe for an effective natural mosquito fighter:

mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for a natural effective repellent that lasts up to 5 - 6 hours.

Dip strips of cotton cloth in this mixture and hang in areas, such as awnings, as a localized deterrent.

Put 1/4 cup water in a white plastic dinner plate or plastic white bowl and add a few of drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dishwashing liquid. Set it around your porch, patio, or other outdoor area spacing them about 10 - 15 feet apart.

Mosquitoes are attracted to the smell and drink some of the liquid. Once ingested, they are not going very far before they drop. We don't understand how it works, but lots of people use this method.

Try you local Co-Op for commercially available garlic based, all natural mosquito fighters and larvae killer that will repel mosquitoes up to 4 weeks.

Bring along some potted marigolds to set around your campsite. These work as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.

A campfire itself will keep those pesky mosquitos away. They don't like the smoke.

For a chemical-free mosquito fighter outdoors, electric mosquito traps are commercially available. These traps do not use chemicals or any type of gas.

If you're stung, use a nontoxic cream which takes the itch out of bites.

Watch this video on mosquito bites: