Screen Blog

Jul
10
2017

3 ways to keep mosquitoes away other than screens.

If one were to make a list of subjects of conversation that any two people in Florida could have and completely agree on, mosquitoes would have to be at the very top of that list. This time of year is the absolute WORST time for mosquitoes, and for some reason this year they seem to be more prevalent than ever! Walk outdoors for just five minutes at any point of the day, and you're inevitably going to get bitten at least once. 3 ways to keep mosquitoes away.

While all owners of Michele's hideaway screens know that their motorized or retractable screen provides them with the best protection available against mosquitoes and every other pesky Florida pest, there's still the matter of having to be protected when you spend time outdoors.

Here are three quick and easy solutions to keeping mosquitoes away when you're outside the protection of your screen:

  1. Repellent Spray - spraying every inch of your skin and clothing with common mosquito repellent sprays is one way to protect yourself from mosquitoes. The upside is they may get close to you, but they won't bite the areas that are sprayed. The downside is that you have to spray every area of your skin and clothing to avoid being bitten. Recipes abound claiming to "naturally" repel mosquitoes, but while these may work for some, only chemical sprays containing DEET have any real, lasting effectiveness while outdoors.
  2. Mosquito Coils - as the name suggests, mosquito coils are a repelling incense in the shape of a spiral made from a chemical called pyrethrum powder. The coil produces a repelling smoke that typically lasts from 4 to 7 hours. The coils are pretty useful for repelling most mosquitoes in an immediate area where they are placed, but the smoke can cause some irritation to sensitive noses.
  3. Mosquito repelling plants - there are several plant breeds that mosquitoes tend to shy away from that assist with keeping these pesky bugs away while giving you a natural fragrance to enjoy outdoors. Among these plants are lavender, basil, pennyroyal, citronella grass and lemongrass.

A combination of the three of these methods might give you some days outdoors with fewer mosquitoes, so why not give them a try?