Keeping Mosquitoes Away!

It is officially mosquito thirty here in southern Georgia. I tried to get some fresh air last night and do some work outside, but instead I became dinner! Since I am not from Georgia and am not used to having to fight off mosquitoes for much longer parts of the year, I started doing some hunting to see what I could try.

Here are the actionable steps you can take to have a few less mosquitoes nibbling on you:

           * The first thing I did was walked around the property to find any standing water and see if I could get rid of it so that mosquitoes won't have a breeding ground.
          * Had the hubby clear out the gutters.... we used to do this every year in New York as well and it always helped with the bugs!
          * I have heard that spraying listerine on or near you can help. (I used Listerine to get rid of lice once when my daughter brought it home. There aren't the greatest ingredients in there, but it is better than other choices). However, I am wondering if it is the minty smell. I am going to try a minty essential oil and see if I can get the same results.
          * Keep your vitamin C levels up. There are some people reporting that by keeping high level of vitamin C in their system they were able to keep mosquitoes away. There are so many other reasons to take Vitamin C, that it wouldn't hurt. Just make sure to take the real stuff... there are a lot of fake vitamin Cs out there. But that is a topic for another day.
          * Eating more garlic is also said to keep them away. I eat a ton of garlic though... and they still chomp on me. So I am not sure if that works or maybe I am just not getting enough!
          * You could make your own repellent using witch hazel, oils and other essential oils. Here is another great recipe from Katie at Wellness Mama.
          * You could even make your own citronella candles.


If you do happen to get bit, or your little ones, I highly recommend placing vinegar on the bite. We pour just a little bit on a cloth or napkin and hold in on the skin where the mosquito dinner feast occurred. It helps take itch out!

Photo Credit