
Are you been bugged by mosquito bites? Are those itchy and prickly bites constantly irritating you? Well, you need mosquito repellents to keep the nasty pests away from you. In this page you will get to know all about mosquito repellents, how do they work? Which repellent works best for the mosquito problem you are facing and lastly our recommended top 4 products.
Most of the annoying pests won’t let you know that they are upsetting your health or even hurting you. But in the case of mosquitos, they irritate you right at the time when you are in a relaxed mood or tend to have a lazy time on your own. The buzzy sounds near your ears alarm you that now you are going to get disturbed.
If you ignore them, within a few moments you will sense itchy sensations on your skin. Mosquito bites! That is why it is very important to repel mosquitos so that they don’t come near you in the first place and can’t fly around you making those buzzy sounds and bite you.
Mosquito bites are dangerous. Various mosquito-borne diseases may affect you from their bitings. Malaria, encephalitis (Lymphatic filariasis), dengue, Japanese encephalitis are a few among them. Children have tender skins and they tend to suffer more from mosquito bites. You can avoid mosquito bites just by using mosquito repellents.
If you are in a hurry and you are looking for a mosquito repellent immediately to get rid of the serious mosquito problem you are facing, just click on the links below to know about our recommended top 4 products.
Our best 4 products are:
Mosquito repellents could be sprays, creams, candles, and wipes which deter mosquitos to come near you. These products are either chemical or natural. But how those tiny pests discover you as their prospective target of attacks? Let’s find out.
To find a possible target of blood meal, mosquitos depend on 3 elements. They are the smell, the visibility of the target and finally the thermal indication for landing on the target.
Along with certain chemical components (Octanol), which gets released from our bodies and Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) attract mosquitos towards us. People having stronger bodily scents are prone to mosquito attacks than others.
Once they get the smell and become certain that there is a source of blood meal nearby, they search for a light source that can help them to glide towards the target.
They avoid the scorching sunlight as it dehydrates them but prefer the softer light source from the moon and stars at night time. Although their sight structure is complicated than other animals they can find ways to reach the targets with the help of them.
Once they lock their targets, they track the heat which gets generated from the surface of the targets (skin) and lands on them. A thermal indication is very important for them. Since mosquitos prefer the soft lights for visibility of the target, they don’t depend much on the visual abilities of their eyesight.
They combine the smelling attribute and the cues they get from thermal indications to track the target. The visual capability could be negligent at certain times.
Mosquito repellents don’t kill mosquitos. They essentially deter them from their targets and confuse them to land on pesticide-treated surfaces. They conceal the carbon dioxide and the octanol chemical which gets released from humans and other warm-blooded animals from mosquitos. Certain products like DEET confuse their odor receptors and it becomes difficult for them to find targets on which they feed.
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There are many mosquito repellents available in the market. When you buy one, you should consider certain factors. When you select a product, make sure one of these 3 components exists in the product.
N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide or diethyltoluamide, the commonest ingredient in insect repellents, has a proven record to confuse a mosquito’s odor receptors. It was prepared in 1944 by the US Army and has been a popular ingredient in repellents since then. A one-time application guarantees 11 hours of protection, especially against the Zika virus (transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes).
There have been controversies and debates regarding using DEET as a major ingredient of mosquito repellents but still, chemical laboratories reflect that it is still the best mosquito repellent agent and health hazards comparatively diminish when you use it.
EPA guarantees that no skin problems have ever arisen after applying DEET inclusive products and are safe for children and adults too. The concentration of DEET in the product which you opt to buy may vary from 15% to 100% but still, the product remains safe.
Drawback: Can melt sunglasses and mobile phones.
This chemical basically confuses the insect to find it’s the host. It works up to 8 hours and does not emit unpleasant odors. Unlike DEET, it does not melt plastics.
These are natural products, extracted from geranium, citronella, lemon, eucalyptus, and other plants. They repel mosquitos naturally but the effect stays not more than 4 hours. They give you a fresh smell. The products come in candles and can have better results if applied along with DEET and Picaridin based products.
If you have pets in your house, using essential oils to deter mosquitos can give you diverse results. It works effectively for dogs but may cause health problems for cats because of their self-grooming habits.
Drawback: A regular application of the products is necessary for a sustainable result. Some essential oil products may cause skin irritations and pets could be allergic to them as well.
Watch this video to see which repellents keep mosquitos away:
Obviously they work, otherwise, the products would not be available in the market and people won’t be buying them. The mosquito repellents come in 3 kinds of medium. They are:
Certain repellent candles containing essential oils like geranium, citronella, lemon, eucalyptus oils work efficiently but up to a certain limit. They can be placed at the outdoors and places like patios but cannot be the sole and ultimate mosquito repelling product.
Mosquito repellent sprays work wonderfully to deter mosquitos. But the only problem is they are topical sprays i.e. to be applied on the skins. They may kill mosquitos too but cannot restrict further invasion. The best mosquito sprays should contain DEET, Picaridin, essential oils or a combination of the three.
Plants emitting mosquito-repelling odors can also prevent mosquito invasion in your house. Certain plants like citronella, lemon balm, catnip, marigolds, basil, lavender, peppermint, garlic, pennyroyal, rosemary, geraniums can disturb their smelling ability and prevent them from going towards their targets. In addition, these plants also give a fresh aroma to your home. But again, repelling plants is not the ultimate solution to get rid of mosquitos around you.
Getting rid of mosquitos is not at all possible but at least you can repel them so that they don’t make you their source of blood meal and transfer deadly diseases to you. We have recommended 4 mosquito repelling products for you and let us analyze them along with the good and not so good features of them.
Description
This product has 98% DEET concentration and it is advisable to dilute it before application. It is a handy product especially if you are traveling. It is less odorous.
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Description
This product does not have harmful chemicals. It protects your skin from the UV rays of the sun and is free from allergies caused by cosmetics and textiles. A non-greasy lotion that is applicable to other pests too.
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Description
The product does not contain DEET but yet provide protection from mosquitos up to 12 hours. It is applicable for other pests like stable flies, chiggers, ticks, sand flies, gnats and biting flies too. A perfect product if you are going for a camping adventure (Effective to repel yellow fever mosquitos).
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Description
This candle is made with natural plant-based ingredients like citronella, peppermint, rosemary, cedarwood, lemongrass oil etc. It is free from DEET, besides it produces a refreshing aroma which will not bother you like other mosquito repellents. It comes with a convenient tin lid which is perfect for easy usage and storage. You can take it to your outdoor activity like roof, backyard, balcony etc.
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