Annoying insects can greatly spoil a summer vacation or just stay out of town. Mosquitoes really bring a lot of inconvenience, especially to children. After their bites, unpleasant blisters remain on the skin, which are very itchy. Therefore, it is not surprising that any person asks the question: "How to protect yourself from mosquitoes?".
Today, there are a lot of tools that help get rid of annoying bloodsuckers. Consider the best of them.
Are mosquitoes dangerous?
If we talk about the inhabitants of Russia, then they should not worry about the bites of these insects, since annoying bloodsuckers suffer dangerous diseases in only 1% of 100% of cases. Most often, their bites cause severe itching and redness of the affected areas of the skin.
However, those who go on vacation to warm countries should be very careful. It will not be enough just to figure out how to defend themselves against mosquitoes, you need to understand what danger they carry.
In the Americas, Australia and Africa, there are very dangerous mosquitoes that carry diseases such as:
- Zika virus;
- malaria
- West Nile fever virus;
- dengue fever;
- yellow fever.
What attracts mosquitoes?
Surely every person noticed that some mosquitoes attack much more often. There are many theories about what attracts these insects. Some scientists believe that everything depends on the blood type, but in fact this is not so.
Mosquitoes respond to the following factors:
- the smell of sweat . These insects literally go crazy with the slightest smell of human sweat glands, so in order to figure out how to protect yourself from mosquitoes, it is enough to take care of your hygiene;
- hormones . Each person’s body contains sex hormones. The changes associated with them are manifested more strongly in some people, and in others to a lesser extent. If an increased level of testosterone is observed in the human body, then, as a rule, it will be a more “tasty bait” for mosquitoes. Women suffer from bloodsuckers during ovulation, when the level of female hormones prevails in their bodies;
- pungent odors . Bloodsuckers are very fond of perfumes and colognes. Therefore, do not often choke on delicious aromas in the summer.
If we talk about how to defend ourselves against mosquitoes, then you should understand that today there are a lot of tools that help to drive off the bloodsuckers. Let's consider them in more detail.
Bracelets
These funds appeared on the market relatively recently and immediately became very popular. Unlike poisonous aerosols, they repel mosquitoes without harming humans. However, according to tests conducted in Australia, these products are not very effective. The fact is that they are able to deter mosquitoes only at a distance of several centimeters from the bracelet itself. This means that the upper body remains unprotected.
The best is considered a bracelet from mosquitoes Gardex, the cost of which is about 300 rubles. However, other means can be found on sale.
Candles
These products are suitable for use at home and are excellent mosquito repellents for the street. These candles contain citronella, which flying bloodsuckers cannot tolerate. However, according to recent studies, such candles can protect against bites by only 42%.
You can make a more effective repeller yourself by dropping a little citronella essential oil onto an ordinary candle.
Sprays
Aerosols are very effective and are most popular. Among the best worth highlighting:
- Dr. Mosquito Spray Mercola. This drug is made from natural ingredients, therefore it is absolutely safe for children. In addition to mosquitoes, the aerosol will relieve ticks, flies and other flying parasites.
- Quantum Health. This tool helps not only from ordinary mosquitoes, but also from carriers of West Nile viruses. Spray protects against bites for 4 hours.
- Badger Company. The spray has been clinically tested and is safe for adults and children.
Fumigators
This type of repellers refers to universal remedies that help get rid of any type of insect. Similar devices are sold in almost every store. For example, Raptor devices. Explain how to use the "Raptor" from mosquitoes, is not necessary, since everything is written in the instructions. It is enough to install the device in a power outlet and fix a special plate in it. It is saturated with a special agent that paralyzes and kills the bloodsuckers quite quickly.
Also, instead of plates, liquid for the fumigator is quite often used, which is enough to pour into the device and sleep peacefully all night.
If we talk about the best devices of this type, then it is worth highlighting:
- Thermacell. This tool is suitable for use in an apartment or on the street. It works on plates that are impregnated with a natural insecticide - an allergen. This substance is found in chrysanthemums. Therefore, the use of such a composition is completely safe for humans.
- Mosquitall. This liquid fumigator is equipped with a miniature fan, so that the device starts to work instantly.
How to protect yourself from mosquitoes at home?
The cheapest way to get rid of annoying bloodsuckers in an apartment with the help of several means:
- Citrus fruits and garlic. Mosquitoes simply hate the smell of garlic and citrus fruits. Therefore, in order to get rid of them, it is enough to set fire to a white stalk coming from the head of an odorous plant. As soon as the smoke fills the room with an odor unpleasant for mosquitoes, the insects will immediately disappear. However, such a smell will not be enjoyed by people. In this case, it is recommended to use citruses. To do this, it is enough to make the peel of an orange or any other fruit smolder.
- If you prepare a cream or liquid solution based on vanilla, then the skin will not only smell good. Mosquitoes literally run away from this smell. In addition, you can dissolve a bag of vanillin in a liter of water and spray the room with a spray bottle. In this case, the insects do not even come close to the room. However, do not use vanilla sugar for these purposes, as its sweet taste will attract midges.
- Clove is also a powerful weapon against mosquitoes and other flying insects. If you pour a bag of dry spices with a small amount of boiling water and mix the resulting liquid with cologne, you can get a cheap, safe and effective aerosol that repels bloodsuckers.
In addition, insects do not tolerate the smell of most essential oils, which are enough to add to a baby or any other cream. Such a mixture will protect against annoying parasites.
Also on sale today are ultrasonic mosquito repellents. However, this method of getting rid of bloodsuckers is still unexplored. Therefore, its effectiveness has not been proven.
So that mosquitoes do not fly into the apartment or house, it is worth installing special mosquito nets on the windows and doorways. You can also hang on the walls small branches of wormwood, elderberry or juniper.
Outdoor mosquito protection methods
Essential oils do not weather outdoors, so they can be safely used during a trip to the country or to the forest.
The cheapest mosquito repeller for the street is a regular fire, in which it is enough to add spruce and pine cones. Valerian, juniper, bird cherry and basil have the same effect if placed on fire. Smoke and aroma from such a fire will quickly scare away insects.
At the countryside site, it is recommended to start growing basil and tomatoes, as their aroma is also unpleasant for mosquitoes.
It is worth noting that alternative methods of protection against mosquitoes can be used for a long time. If we are talking about aerosols, fumigants and creams containing chemical components, then you can use such funds only for a certain time. Otherwise, allergies or other unpleasant ailments may develop. Therefore, when choosing a mosquito repellent, it is worth giving preference to natural components. And the cheapest way is to prepare a protective cream or spray yourself.