Natural Mosquito Control

Mosquitos live in almost every part of the world. Here are a few natural and safe remedies that we use here at Hippocrates Wellness to prevent these pesky insects that are totally non-toxic to humans and do not damage the environment:

• Install a bird house – a single Barn Swallow will eat up to 850 mosquitos a day.
• Install a bat house – a single bat will eat up to 1000 mosquitos an hour or 6000 to 8000 in a single night.
• Add Goldfish to Your Ponds – a single goldfish will consume over two hundred mosquito larvae in an hour.
• Mosquito Dunks – this is a biological mosquito control for use in ponds. These cookie-sized pellets use beneficial bacteria to eat mosquito larvae, but is harmless to birds, fish, wildlife, and pets. Mosquito Dunks have been approved for Organic Gardening by the US EPA.

There are also a number of beneficial plants that naturally repel mosquitos that are safe and non-toxic to humans:

• Ageratum (also known as Flossflowers)
• Catnip (ten times more effective than DEET)
• Citronella
• Eucalyptus
• Horsemint (also known as Beebalm)
• Marigolds
• Peppermint, spearmint, any kind of mint will do
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary
• Vanilla
• Cuban oregano

You can juice the leaves of any one of these plants in a juicer and smear the juice all over your exposed skin. Alternatively, you can simply grab a bunch of leaves and rub them hard between the palms of your hands to make a juicy pulp and then rub the pulp on your skin. You can also use essential oils derived from any one of these plants. The Hippocrates store carries a product called 'Bugs Be Gone' that uses essential oils of some of the plants listed above as a safe and effective defense against mosquitos.

Finally, eat your veggies! In addition to carbon dioxide, mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid and uric acid. These are waste products secreted from your pores as a result of consuming meat, fish, chicken, and dairy products. The fact is that vegans get attacked by mosquitos less often than people who eat animals.

By Brian Hetrich, Greenhouse Manager