Natural mosquito control calls for a multi-pronged approach to battle malignant mosquitoes, while resisting the temptation to use the chemical bug sprays that some folks feel are just as noxious. If you're asking, "What's all the fuss about?" then read on....
Do you spend a significant amount of time landscaping the yard in summer? Then you know that mosquito control of some sort is a necessity. Such awareness could well save your life in this age of the West Nile virus, when a lack of effective mosquito control can be deadly. But if you're concerned about the long-term health consequences of applying chemical bug sprays to your skin, then the use of natural mosquito control may be your solution to the challenge posed by West Nile virus.
If we take "natural mosquito control" in the broadest sense (i.e., any mosquito control measures that save you from applying chemical bug sprays), a number of options present themselves.
Natural Mosquito Control:
- Plant oils: e.g., from citronella, castor bean plants (which also discourage moles) or catnip plants
- Certain bath oils, such as Avon's "Skin-So-Soft"
- Devices such as the Mosquito Magnet
- How you dress: avoid dark clothing
- Attacking the problem at the source: mosquito-larvae control
Citronella products are widely used in natural mosquito control. Some people burn citronella in a candle, while others apply it to the skin as a topical oil. In the latter case, citronella is sometimes used in concert with other oils, derived from plants such as castor bean or catnip. Avon's "Skin-So-Soft" is among the most popular products used topically for natural mosquito control.
You've probably heard of high tech's answer for natural mosquito control: the Mosquito Magnet (and similar products). It's a device that gives off a gas simulating natural human breath, whereby it lures mosquitoes into its death chamber. Such gadgets might not seem especially "natural," to be sure; but again, the objective is to avoid the use of chemical bug sprays. To learn more, read my review of the "Mosquito Magnet".
Even how you dress can influence whether you suffer mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are drawn to dark-colored clothing. So clothes that are light-colored can certainly be viewed as tools in your toolbox for natural mosquito control.
As we'll see on Page 3, attacking the problem at the source (namely, mosquito larvae) is another effective method of natural mosquito control. But before addressing mosquito-larvae issues, let's have a closer look at West Nile virus itself -- the subject of Page 2. West Nile virus has given a new sense of urgency to the mosquito problem, whether you're committed to natural mosquito control or don't mind using chemical bug sprays...
