Are you tired of waking up to a stubborn mosquito who won’t stop buzzing in your ear? Do you hate it when you can’t stop scratching your body after mosquito bites? If yes, it’s time you get rid of these nasty insects once and for all!
In today’s post, we will discuss how to get mosquitoes out of your house using 9 different methods. These are easy to follow, cheap, and provide immediate results. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Why Are Mosquitoes a Problem?
Mosquitoes are small flying insects with segmented bodies and elongated mouths. They have more than 3500 types around the world. This means you can’t escape them – no matter where you live.
These pesky insects will sneak into your house and hide in dark corners. They like to stay under the sink, in the closet, and behind curtains. When night falls, they come out of these hiding spots and feed on human blood!
You can think of them as vampires (only that they can’t drain all the blood from your body). A typical mosquito consumes about 0.001 to 0.01 milliliter of blood. But, some mosquitoes can’t control and may drink until they burst.
Please note only female mosquitoes drink human blood. This is because they need the nutrients in the blood to grow eggs. If they can’t access human blood, they will target birds, small mammals, and even your pet.
The mosquito follows the scent of human sweat and trails of carbon dioxide to find you in the darkness of night. Once it has landed on the exposed skin, it uses the elongated mouthparts to pierce the skin and suck the blood out.
It also lubricates the opening with its saliva. This creates a stinging sensation that prompts you to scratch. A red bump will also form on the skin.
However, the worst part is that some mosquitoes carry deadly viruses. These include dengue, malaria, Zika, and West Nile virus. When a particular virus-carrying mosquito bites you, the germs are transferred directly into your bloodstream.
So, you shouldn’t only get rid of mosquitoes because they infest your house, suck your blood, and make you itch. But also because they can make you sick!
9 Ways to Get Mosquitoes Out of Your House
Mosquitoes can lay about 100 to 200 eggs in one go. So, if you have a few mosquitoes in the house, they can easily multiply into thousands over a few days. It’s important to take action and control mosquitoes as soon as possible.
Please note the following methods aren’t guaranteed to kill the mosquitoes. However, they will drive these insects out of your house immediately.
1. Lavender Candles
Lavender has a pleasant floral smell that we all love. But for the mosquitoes, this is a disgusting scent that overwhelms their olfactory organs. As a result, they can’t make sense of where they are going or what they are doing.
This might be surprising for most people because mosquitoes don’t have a nose. Instead, they detect the smells through their antennae. The antennas transmit the information to the brain, which decides what to do next.
In the case of lavender, the smell is unpleasant, so they fly away instantly. A 2002 animal study further confirms this behavior. When lavender oil was applied to hairless mice, the mosquitoes noticeably avoided them.
So, if you want to get these annoying flies out of the house, light up lavender candles and place them around the house. You can also crush lavender flowers and scatter them in the hiding spots of mosquitoes.
2. Coffee
Coffee is another natural smell deterrent for mosquitoes. The pungent scent has the same disorienting effect as lavender. However, it is not intense enough on its own.
If you scatter coffee grounds or place jars of the coffee mixture around your house, the smell won’t be powerful enough to drive mosquitoes out. It will just encourage them to find another hiding spot.
The correct way is to burn coffee grounds. Place a handful of coffee grounds in a pan and burn them. This will release smoke and an intensified coffee scent that will get rid of these pests.
3. Lemon & Cloves
Mosquitoes hate the smell of both lemon and cloves. But none of the smells are powerful enough to work as a standalone deterrent. You need to combine them!
Just slice some lemons and push a few cloves in each halve. Place them in the direction of the wind so that the infused citrusy and woody scent spreads throughout the house. But remember to change the old lemons with new ones after a day to maintain the effects.
4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus has a distinct sharp and medicinal smell. It is similar to rosemary or – a better description would be – a combination of mint, lemon, and honey. Luckily, this odor is loathed by mosquitoes!
You can plant eucalyptus plants in your garden to bar the entry of mosquitoes into your home. But since this can take time and won’t work on the mosquitoes already inside the building, we recommend using eucalyptus essential oil.
It is easily available for cheap prices. You can buy a large bottle and add a few drops to your diffuser every day. If you don’t have a diffuser, add some oil to a cup of room-temperature water and transfer the mixture to a spray bottle. Use it generously!
5. Garlic Spray
Garlic has a pungent odor that even humans hate (think of garlic breath!). So, it isn’t surprising that mosquitoes are repelled by it too.
However, garlic does more than just disorient these flies. It contains a range of sulfurs that irritates mosquitoes and force them to leave the place at once. Sprinkling garlic juice on mosquito larvae of certain species is known to destroy them too.
You can use this powerful deterrent against mosquitoes by making a garlic spray. Just crush some garlic cloves and add them to a pan of water. Boil the water until the garlic juice has completely diffused.
An alternative method is to crush two to three garlic cloves and add them to cooking oil. Let the garlic juice infuse in the oil for 24 hours. Then, add 1 tsp of lemon juice and half a liter of water. If you want a more immediate solution, purchase ready-made garlic sprays for mosquitoes.
6. Indoor Plants
Apart from the natural smell deterrents discussed above, mosquitoes also dislike the scent of many plants. These include:
- Marigolds
- Lemongrass
- Tulsi
- Mint
- Citronella
- Basil
- Catnip
You can keep these plants inside your house to ward off mosquitoes. But make sure they are kept somewhere they can receive enough sunlight, like near windows or patios. Otherwise, the plant will die soon, and you will have to replace it – making this a pricey repellent.
7. Soapy Water
This is more like a bait trap than a mosquito repellent. Since these insects are attracted to open water, they will approach the bowl of soapy water. But as soon as they land on the surface, the soap will cover their bodies and trap them!
However, depending on the water quantity, add enough soap to cover the surface in bubbles. If there are clear water spots, the trap won’t work effectively. Also, you need to use dishwashing soap for the process.
8. Mosquito Trap
There are many insect-repellent traps available online. The purpose of these traps is to not only get the mosquitoes out of your house but also stop them from breeding nearby. So, if you don’t want to go through the hassle of preparing baits or sprays, just buy a trap.
You should also try bug zapper. It emits a special UV light that attracts mosquitoes to the core of the device. As soon as the mosquito comes in contact with the metal grids, it is electrocuted!
9. Chemical Repellent
If none of the above works, you can always rely on the chemical repellents. These artificial products contain chemicals that repel mosquitoes as well as kill them. You can purchase them in the form of:
- Sprays
- Coils
- Liquid vaporizers
But make sure the product has up to 50% DEET. It is an active chemical ingredient that repels mosquitoes effectively and is considered safe by Environmental Protection Agency.
FAQs
1. How do I get rid of mosquitoes at night?
Mosquitoes are most active at night. So, if you have them in your house, you need to make arrangements to stop them from biting and disturbing you. Here’s what you can do:
- Apply repellent creams.
- Add lemon, eucalyptus, or lavender essential oils into the diffuser and let it spread throughout the bedroom.
- Use vaporizer liquids or coils.
- Keep a bug zapper in the room.
You should also consider wearing long pants and long sleeves shirt to prevent mosquito bites.
2. What kills mosquitoes the best naturally?
Garlic spray is known to be the best natural mosquito killer. It has toxic sulfur compounds that will kill them in higher concentrations.
3. How to get rid of mosquitoes in the backyard naturally?
First of all, you should eliminate all sources of uncovered, standing water in the outdoors. It’s because mosquitoes use it as their breeding ground. They lay eggs on the wet inner walls of the container.
Also, use natural smell deterrents, like garlic spray, eucalyptus essential oil, lemons, and cloves. If you are sleeping outside (for example, while camping), you can use mosquito netting to prevent bites.
Recap
Mosquitoes are a nuisance for everyone. Here is how to get mosquitoes out of your house:
- Light up lavender candles
- Burn coffee grounds
- Insert cloves in lemon halves and place them near mosquito-hiding spots
- Diffuse eucalyptus oils
- Apply garlic spray
- Keep mosquito-repellent flower pots inside your house
- Trap mosquitoes with soapy water
- Use commercial mosquito traps
- Try chemical repellents
If you have tried any other method to keep your house mosquito-free, let us know in the comments below. We will love to add it to our list!