ellen With a wet spring comes the possibility of standing water and baby mosquitoes, get prepared. Make sure all areas where water collects after a rain are taken care of. If they’re in the yard, add rocks and plants to use the water. Clean out the bird bath at least twice a week. Bugs don’t like the breeze, so if you’re getting chomped while outdoors bring out the old oscillating fan. Burn citronella candles! Eat garlic! Put up a bat house, and let them feast.
Plants can help to repel the bug invaders:
- Catnip
- Rosemary
- Lemon Balm
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Marigold
- Rose Geranium
Infuse these plants in oil with clove, eucalyptus, or tea tree and make your own natural repellant. Remember to apply every hour or two.
One Recipe (from Mother Earth News):
- 2 1/2, teaspoons total of any combination of the following essential oils: basil, cedarwood, citronella, juniper, lemon, myrrh, palmarosa, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary
- 1 cup 190-proof grain alcohol (available in liquor stores)
- fine tune recipe’s fragrance with peppermint oil
- shake and apply
Another Recipe:
- 3oz distilled water
- 15 drops citronella oil
- 10 drops lavender oil
- 10 drops eucalyptus oil
- 5 drops lemongrass oil
- shake and apply
Yet Another Recipe (from Hobby Farms):
- coarsely chop and bruise two parts cat nip and one part rosemary
- pack in Jojoba oil in a clean glass jar
- shake daily for two to six weeks
- apply