Natural mosquito repellents

Natural mosquito repellent

2009-05-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

Most people are familiar with some of the risks associated with mosquitoes. They know about West Nile virus, malaria, and even the specious rumors regarding the transmission of AIDS. Nevertheless, people don't understand one of the worst hazards that mosquitoes bring. It doesn't come from mosquitoes themselves, but from the mosquito repellent. There is a growing body of research that suggests that the DEET that is contained in most commercial mosquito repellent can cause all kinds of neurological problems. Although using it once or twice doesn't do anything, who knows what can happen if your child uses it for years and years. This is why it is so important to get natural mosquito repellent.

When I grew up, DEET mosquito repellent was all that we had. Although I have been fortunate to not have any noticeable neurological effects, I want to do better for my children. Natural mosquito repellant may be harder to come by, more expensive, and not quite as effective. Nevertheless, it is worth a couple extra mosquito bites to be safe.

Natural mosquito repellents types

There are all kinds of natural mosquito repellents, and if you want to use herbal remedies for mosquito bites, you have to take a more holistic approach. No single natural mosquito repellent is quite as effective as DEET repellent, but a combination of factors can almost completely eliminate mosquito bites. You have to avoid certain foods when you are going to be around mosquitoes. The most obvious one is bananas, but there are many others. There are even foods that you can eat that work is natural mosquito repellent themselves. Eating garlic, for example, is supposed to be a natural mosquito repellent.

Another great natural mosquito repellent is a citronella candle. People forget about citronella candles since they are so used to spraying dangerous sprays around to keep mosquitoes and other insects away. Nevertheless, citronella mosquito repellent is extremely effective. Although some people don't like the smell, it is quite easy to get used to. It is certainly better than having your arms and legs completely covered with mosquito bites, if you ask me!

The key to natural mosquito repellent is to be willing to try a few things, and to be patient. There is no good authority on all of the different natural insect repellent available. Some is bound to be better than others, and I think different people respond well to different treatments. Take your time, take lots of calamine motion with you, and figure out what works for you and your children.

ThermaCELL mosquito repellents

2009-05-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

ThermaCELL produces a few mosquito repellent appliances which are available in the US Only. The repellents come in different colors: olive, white, woodlands camo, REALTREE hardwoods green and the new compact appliance, . Lightweight, cordless and portable, ThermaCELL mosquito repellent is perfect for outdoor activities like camping, fishing, and hunting, which may be disrupted by the buzz of mosquitoes.

ThermaCELL repellents features

* Repels up to 98% of mosquitoes. Also repels black flies, no-see ums and sand flies.
* Provides a 15 x 15 ft ”Bug-Free-Zone”
* Compact, Cordless and Portable – Take it anywhere!
* NO DEET!
* Odor free
* Effective alternative to smelly lotions and sprays which must be applied to the skin.
* Tested and approved by the U.S. Army. Currently used in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
* EPA approved.
* Perfect for camping, fishing, barbeques, backyards, decks and many other outdoor activities.

How ThermaCELL mosquito repellent works

2009-05-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

ThermaCELL mosquito repellent uses revolutionary, patented technology to dispense a small amount of repellent into the air over a long period of time. ThermaCELL is powered by a butane cartridge which provides the cordless, portable heat necessary to operate the device (batteries are not needed). It directs the heat to a metal grill.

A mat saturated with Allethrin, a copy of a naturally occurring insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers, is placed on top of the metal grill. The heat generated by the butane cartridge vaporizes the repellent allowing it to rise into the air, creating a 15 x 15 ft (225 sq ft) “Mosquito-Free-Zone” in minutes. The repellent is very unpleasant to mosquitoes, but when used as directed, will not harm humans or pets.

Check out thermaCELL products - HERE

Electronic pest repellent

2009-05-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

This electronic pest repellent generates powerful ultrasonic signals to repel pests. In addition to the ultrasonic frequency oscillator built with CD4047, separate push-pull power amplifier (with 2N3055 or TIP31C) and transformer are used to boost ultrasonic signals.

The output of the power amplifier is coupled to a tweeter through output transformer X1, which is wound over ferrite core (UU or CC core). Primary winding consists of 150 turns of 20 SWG while the secondary winding is 40 turns of 24 SWG wire. Adjust potentiometer VR1 for maximum effectiveness.
This electronic pest repeller circuit has not been tested.

Electronic pest repeller circuit diagram

Caution. This is a powerful sonic pest repeller circuit so use it only in outdoor places. Do not use this ultrasonic pest repeller near babies or animal pets.