Using Marigolds To Repel Mosquitoes

By

sjackie2000

We lived on the Erie Canal when we lived in NY. We had tons of mosquitoes! One year, a friend told me about planting Marigolds to keep them away so we tried it the following year. Every spring after that, I planted Marigolds on each side of the sidewalk leading to my side door, which was the door we used all the time. We never had problems with mosquitoes after that! It doesn't matter what kind you get, large or small...they all smell! You don't smell them but the insects do. Plus, you can get them in variations of light to dark yellow and light to dark orange colors. Just dead head them when the flowers dry out and they will spread like weeds. I live in GA now and I still plant Marigolds in the spring. We no longer buy them, though, because we dead head them all the time and save the dead flowers to plant again in the spring. This is where the seeds are. Try it...you'll be pleasantly surprised how they keep mosquitoes and other flying insects away.

By

catastrofy

I live in Manitoba, Canada. We are the World Capital for mosquitoes. They ARE our provincial bird, and I'm NOT kidding! They are bigger than those "blue bottle flies". They swarm the doors and windows of your house so you can't go outside! Our province sprays malathion from trucks that go up and down the streets every night. It doesn't really help. The only thing that I have found, and I have tried everything, is to erect a large screened-in gazebo in my yard and put all the play equipment inside! The ones that get into my house get eaten by my cats!

By

MartyD

I aleays pin a dryer sheet to the front and to the back of my granddaughter's shirt when we go outside

By

ashleybunkin

Another way to keep mosquitoes off your little one is to rub a dryer sheet on her. Also for adults put a sheet through a belt loop. Alsoe you could tuck the sheet just under the waistband and let most of it hang out of shorts. Believe me this really works. I use it on my grands. ~Janette~

By

1burrell

I too am eaten up by mosquitoes (have been since a wee child)! The solution I found that really works well for me is B-Complex tablets. I take one faithfully each and every day during mosquito season. It is supposed to emit a smell from your pores that you cannot smell but that the mosquitoes can. They do not like it so they stay away from you. B-Complex is water soluble so it does not build up to toxic levels in your body. B-Complex won't harm you like DEET products can either. After trying nearly every available mentioned product, I still prefer B-Complex.

By Kathy G. (Guest Post)

First, I'd make sure you don't have any standing water in your yard. Water features, birdbaths, open rain barrels or even puddles, watering cans and residual water in plant saucers are all breeding places for mosquitoes. Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week. And if you have a pond or other water feature, you can treat it with an insecticide that is safe for everyone/thing except mosquitoes (Google Mosquito Torpedo as an example). This same type of insecticide can be used for rain gutters, rain barrels and even plant saucers (you can buy some in granule form to shake into water).

Mosquitoes love the shade so beware if you have a deck (they love to hide out under it). Mow your lawn regularly and keep it relatively short.

Whatever you do, don't put DEET directly on a child's skin (put it on your hand and apply it to the child's skin) and don't use regularly. DEET can be as dangerous as mosquitoes to young children.

By Kathy G. (Guest Post)

First, I'd make sure you don't have any standing water in your yard. Water features, birdbaths, open rain barrels or even puddles, watering cans and residual water in plant saucers are all breeding places for mosquitoes. Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week. And if you have a pond or other water feature, you can treat it with an insecticide that is safe for everyone/thing except mosquitoes (Google Mosquito Torpedo as an example). This same type of insecticide can be used for rain gutters, rain barrels and even plant saucers (you can buy some in granule form to shake into water).

Mosquitoes love the shade so beware if you have a deck (they love to hide out under it). Mow your lawn regularly and keep it relatively short.

Whatever you do, don't put DEET directly on a child's skin (put it on your hand and apply it to the child's skin) and don't use regularly. DEET can be as dangerous as mosquitoes to young children.

By

flowergirl76

i am reading feedback to your question...and the answer is yes! i just places a couple of pots around my front porch (which is almost to unbearable because of mosquitos) and while i was potting them up i noticed zero mosquitos!

By

CindyM56

I'VE NEVER HEARD OF MARIGOLDS REPELLING THESE VAMPIRES BUT I HAVE HEARD GERANIUMS RUN THEM OFF!!! I'D TRY ANYTHING TO GET RID OF EM. THEY LOVE ME!! BUT DO BE CAREFUL WHERE YOUR LITTLE ONE IS CONCERNED. A FEW YEARS AGO, SOME TIGER MOSQUITOS CAME INTO THE USA, AND THEY WERE CARRYING BAD DISEASES. ONE LADY I KNEW GOT BITTEN AND IT GAVE HER AND I CAN'T SPELL IT RIGHT BUT IT GAVE HER ENCEPHYLITIS, OR HOWEVER IT'S SPELLED!! IT KILLED HER BUT SHE CAME BACK NEVER HAS BEEN THE SAME EITHER. THE FEVER BAKED PART OF HER BRAIN AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY MEMORIES OF HER CHILDREN AT ALL WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE. SHE JUST KNOWS THEM NOW. SCARY STUFF!!!

By

louel53

Repellent with Deet is really the only thing that works reliably to put on. There are several things that work reasonably well to keep the mosquitoes out of a yard. The coils are somewhat effective, but the latest thing which is a lantern from "Off" seems to work really well too. If you have a lot of mosquitoes, you need Deep Woods Off or the equivalent. If "Skin so soft" works for you, you have second rate mosquitoes. Here in Northern Saskatchewan, the mosquitoes laugh at such stuff.

By

kimhis

It's the season for West Nile Virus, a mosquito-borne virus that is carried in birds. It infects horses, we've all heard that, but it also infects people. Just might add a new slant on your efforts to protect your daughter.

By chris (Guest Post)

My son had a terrible time with mosquitos too! We used a braclet that was saturated in citronella oil. In fact we sometimes used several when they were especially bad. I forget the brand name but we would get them at Wal-Mart. Great for that hour or so after dinner but before bed when kids want to go outside but you don't want to have to wash the DEET off of them before bed. We also had a very lightweight jacket and ballcap that we sprayed with the DEET spray to throw on when he went outside in the evening. Good Luck!

By

ashliefawn87

I need something to repel all bugs(flies and mosquitoes mainly). I have tried the dryer sheets, bags of water(with pennies and bleach). I cannot find anything that works! This is an open area with a big dumpster that is always full of dead crawfish! Please help! I live in east Texas... they are very bad...

By Dana (Guest Post)

Hello,
I would like to suggest using a Product by Cutter called Bug Free Backyard. It hooks up to your hose and you spray your yard, we use it on our deck to. It last about 3-4 weeks. You find it at Walmart.

By

PIKKA

I have heard mosquitoes don't like lime -fruit- so I made myself some home made repellent, smelled sort of like avon's skin so soft but a bit lighter. Get a couple of limes -about 20 cents at walmart-, grate the rind on the fine part of a grater, put in a jar, pour a little bit of alcohol -could get a 1.25 Cent sample of gin or vodka at a liquor store, I don't like the idea of putting rubbing alcohol on a child's skin, because of the additive in it. Soak find for day or two, strain into another container, add a little oil or lotion and shake and apply. It's a lovely smell and i didn't get any bites.I don't know about the other citrus fruits like grapefruit.

By Harry (Guest Post)

It is female mosquitoes that do the biting.They are drawn to the carbon dioxide that every creature expels in their breaths. One should cover up and use any liquid or spray product that has deet in it. Mosquitos spread EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis disease)and West Nile disease.

By

MartyD

Pin a dryer sheet on the front and back of the child's shirt or short pants. This will help keep them away from the child. I don't know what to do about the whole yard. The skeeter is the state bird of Texas...... just kidding....

By

gardenlady58102

I plant a lot of marigolds throughout my garden as leaf eating bug repellers. Not sure about biting insects. Citronella plants work for repelling biting bugs though, as does Avon's skin so soft. It smells good and is good for the skin too. :0)
Maggie O in Bloomington, MN

By (Guest Post)

I used Listerine at the pool yesterday to keep off biting flies from my ankles. Some goofy thing I had heard - and was completely surprised that it actually worked. I did have to reapply more often than bug spray but was thrilled that it worked so well. Perhaps this would work for mosquitoes as well?