Garlic Mosquito Repellent
Garlic is known as a useful spice in cooking for an exceptionally long time. It is even used for its ever-growing list of medicinal properties. However, among all the interesting uses of garlic, using it as a powerful natural insect repellent is the least known.
It can be used for repelling a wide variety of flying and crawling insects. Among the insects that this spice can repel are mosquitoes.
A single treatment using garlic will work effectively and can last for about 2 weeks. It can continuously repel insects for about a month after the first application. What makes this solution more interesting is that it is not harmful to the environment. Garlic does not also affect other insects beneficial to most suburban landscapes.
Does Garlic Oil Help in Making Mosquito Less Visible in Your Property?
Garlic bulbs are known to contain a certain amino acid that when chopped, crushed, or blended converts into the substance called allicin. The odour alone released during the process provides powerful properties that work in repelling insects.
When the plant absorbs the garlic extract, there are biochemical changes that take place in the foliage. This is what actively repels insects, especially mosquitoes.
Plants are provided with a lasting case of the so-called “garlic breath” that will force insects to move elsewhere. Since the treatment is odourless after application, there is nothing that you should worry about when using this treatment.
When there is a botanical extract present in any plant, insects are repulsed naturally by it. This means that the insects will not be able to build a resistance to the treatments done with garlic extract.
Since this solution is safe for the environment, you can also apply it to sensitive shrubs, trees, and turf. This prevents damaging these plants unlike the effects of traditional treatments.
Creating Your Version of a Garlic Oil-Based Mosquito Repellent
Because of its pungent smell, garlic or garlic oil is known as an effective insect repellent, a mosquito repellent particularly. There is no proven risk for dermal irritation when you are exposed to garlic, which is why it is a safer option for those who are sensitive to acidic solutions or those who found ineffective natural methods.
Aside from chopping, crushing, or blending garlic, the garlic plant itself can be used to repel these mosquitoes. The plants release small amounts of their strong odour as they grow continuously. You can simply place a plant or two in any secluded area to ward off mosquitoes in small groups.
Making Your Mosquito Spray Repellent
Some people would try using garlic or garlic topically, but this is not considered an effective solution. Unless you apply garlic on mosquito problem areas, then this can help in dispersing their presence.
One way to effectively dispersing their presence in any part of your home or property is by creating a spray repellent:
Crush or blend about 4 cloves of garlic.
Strain this and add to a gallon of water.
Get a spray bottle and pour the mosquito spray mixture then shake well.
Spray the mixture in areas where you see mosquitoes breed.
If you have birdbaths and small pools of stagnant water around your property, spray those areas with the mixture.
This mixture will work effectively when sprayed in secluded areas and achieve mosquito control. Make sure that you spray areas thoroughly to keep the scent of garlic in the area.
Using Garlic-Based Mosquito Repellent
Aside from making your DIY garlic mosquito spray at home, you can also purchase a garlic-based mosquito repellent. A product we highly recommend is the Mosquito Barrier.
Mosquito Barrier is made of a very potent variety of garlic cloves that is more effective and powerful than other varieties found in grocery stores. The variety is even dubbed as “super garlic”.
Garlic contains natural sulphur that effectively repels mosquitoes. Many master gardeners and farmers are already using it for years now, and it is not something new to be used against mosquitoes and other insects.
Given that mosquitoes are among the soft-bodied insects, spraying them with garlic juice can be very toxic for them. This may get worse for the mosquitoes, especially when higher concentrations of the juice are used in the spray. It may not harm pets, plants, and humans, but it can be lethal to mosquitoes.
As long as the mosquitoes can detect the odour, they will stay away from the source of the smell. Since they can detect odour 10,000 times better than humans, they will keep themselves far from the areas where you sprayed the garlic-based mixture.
Getting the Most Out of Mosquito Barrier
If you have noticed that there is standing water anywhere in your yard or garden, you can use the mosquito barrier mixed with canola oil and water. It will create a very thin film on the surface of the water and prevent mosquitoes from continuously breeding.
The thin oil coating on the surface of the water will suffocate the mosquito larvae that are developing in the standing water.
Unlike other repellents with harmful chemicals, this product will not kill other beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees. It is also safe to be used around children, fish, cats, dogs, birds, and other pets that you may have in your house or yard.
About four applications throughout the entire mosquito season are enough to handle an infestation. A gallon of the product is enough to deal with the heaviest of infestations and can last for a year.