What is a Mosquito?
Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts
How To Keep Mosquitoes Away in South Africa
1. Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your House
Prevent mosquitoes from entering your home by patching screens, caulking up holes and using weather-stripping products to seal gaps under doors.
Keep your doors closed whenever possible. Preventing mosquitoes from coming into the house simplifies the battle.
2. How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Inside the House
Camphor is one of the best natural mosquito repellents, so use it to drive mosquitoes out. Put one camphor tablet in a small bowl of water and place it in the room.
Mosquitoes leave the room because of the odor. Replace the camphor every 2 to 3 days to keep repelling mosquitoes. Use camphor wherever mosquitoes are a problem.
3. Don’t Let Mosquitoes Breed
Mosquitoes only need a few drops of water to reproduce. If you have an ongoing problem with mosquitoes, look for areas of standing water in the house.
Check your plants, flower vases, bathroom and shower areas for pockets of standing water that might be harboring the next generation of mosquitoes. For areas where water is necessary, such as a flower vase or dog bowl, completely change the water daily.
4. Keep Porch Lights Off
Porch lights and door lights draw in mosquitoes, and they can quickly get into the house when the door opens. Avoid attracting them by keeping the lights off or dim, or by replacing white lights with yellow ones.
Mosquito-Repelling Scents
- Lemon or citrus
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Lemon eucalyptus
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
- Geranium
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Citronella
- Cinnamon
These are just a few of many ways of how to repel mosquitoes. Depending on the type of mosquito different scents might work.
5. Use Citronella
Citronella oil is a natural mosquito repellent that will kill mosquitoes and drive them out of your house. Look for citronella candles or use citronella essential oil in your vaporizer or oil diffuser.
6. Use Candles in Mosquito Repelling Scents
Many essential oils repel mosquitoes, and burning candles that contain these scents are an efficient way to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
It is easy to find candles in stores or make your own using the essential oils in your fragrance mix. Try different candle scents to keep mosquitoes out of your house.
7. Plant Holy Basil
Holy Basil, or Tulsi, is a useful mosquito killer and repellent. Plant holy basil in containers in your home to keep mosquitoes away and rub the oil on your skin for an effective repellent.
8. Plant Mint
Peppermint plants have a pleasantly relaxing smell that mosquitoes do not like. You can use this to your advantage by planting peppermint with your houseplants or use peppermint essential oil in a vaporizer or diffuser to fill the room with the scent. You can also apply peppermint oil to your body like a mosquito repellent.
What is the most effective mosquito repellent in South Africa?
The active ingredient, known as DEET, remains one of the very few truly effective – and safe insect repellents in the world.
That’s why Tabard has been trusted for many years and remains in the choice of literally millions of people in South Africa and many other countries where it is sold.