How to keep mosquitoes at bay

Mosquito bite/ freedigitalphotos.net
Mosquito bite/ freedigitalphotos.net

Remember that cheezy Nana Patekar dialouge. “ek macchar adami ko…”. Well it is true as summer approach so do the pesky mosquitoes. These black blood suckers carry a lot of diseases along (like dengue and malaria to name a few). Mosquito bites are itchy and uncomfortable and can spoil your mood when you are enjoying outdoors. Now a days many mosquito repellents are available in the market but they are not safe because of the chemicals in them.
While mosquitoes are a problem for many people, here are few tips to keep them away from your house without using any sprays.

  • Avoid stagnant water in the garden or plants in the house as they use it as a breeding ground. `
  • Trim the grass in the garden regularly as too much grass creates breeding and hiding grounds for mosquitoes
  • Fix all the broken windows and try to keep them closed to avoid mosquitoes from entering the house.
  • Wear light coloured clothes as mosquitoes usually get attracted to dark shades like black and blue.
  • Cover the plants with a net from all sides as the holes are too small for the mosquitoes to fly through.
  • Plant marigolds, catnip and rosemary in your garden and around your house. These plants emit odours that are unpleasant to mosquitoes.
  • Mosquitoes hate citronella so you can burn some burn citronella candles to keep them away.
  • Mix two parts of mouthwash with water and spray the solution around especially windows and door to avoid mosquitoes from entering the house.
  • Reduce the outdoor lighting of the house to minimize the attraction of adult mosquitoes. Switch to LED lights to keep pesky mosquitoes away.