Mosquito repellents: how to treat a bite and how to get rid of insects?

But repellents based on diethyltoluamide (DEET) began to be produced in the mid-20th century. However, their composition cannot be called harmless, so be careful about the DEET concentration when purchasing: if it is more than 40%, the product cannot be applied to the skin, it is only suitable for treating clothes and shoes. A concentration of 20–30% is acceptable for adults: this product can be applied to open areas of the body, but you should be careful and avoid contact with mucous membranes or damaged areas of the skin. A DEET concentration of 10–15% allows the repellent to be used by children and pregnant women. True, its effectiveness is low - about 2 hours, but the harm to the body if it enters the digestive tract or mucous membranes is not so strong.

Content:

• Mosquito bite: what to fear?
• How to treat a mosquito bite: remedies and ointments for itching. How to treat a bite for adults? The best means
• How to apply mosquito bites to children?
• Folk remedies that relieve itching and redness

Extermination of insects near the house, in the yard

Mosquito infestations can be prevented by planting certain plants in your area. The persistent smell will repel pests several meters away and will not allow them to multiply en masse near the house. Elderberry, bird cherry, basil, peppermint, lemon balm, rosemary, tobacco, and garlic are used as natural repellents. Some plants are suitable only for planting in the garden, while others will decorate any garden or flower bed.

The fight against mosquitoes is carried out with a decoction of herbs - the outer walls of the building, window sills, doorways, and porches are sprayed. Wormwood, tansy, mint, tobacco, and garlic are chosen as effective ingredients for folk remedies. The raw materials are crushed, poured with cold water, and left for a day or more. Strain and pour into a spray bottle. The products will help remove mosquitoes in a few days, but the procedure will have to be repeated as the smell disappears. The effectiveness of the method decreases if it rains.

The best folk remedy in nature is smoke. Light a fire in a convenient place and calmly observe the effect. In a few minutes there will be no pests within the next 5 meters. In the same way you can save yourself from mosquitoes in the forest.

On a note!

To scare away mosquitoes and midges in a gazebo or on a picnic, you need to set fire to a sprig of wormwood, tansy, chamomile, juniper, pine, spruce. Insects cannot tolerate the persistent aroma; for humans it is pleasant.

Repelling mosquitoes with a fire

Mosquito bite: what to fear?

Some species of mosquitoes carry dangerous diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika virus, chikungunya and yellow fever. Do not think that such insects live only in tropical countries. For example, recently mosquitoes called tiger mosquitoes, which are capable of transmitting dangerous diseases, were noticed in Kuban.

But let's return to ordinary mosquitoes. Could their bites really be dangerous?

Let's start with the fact that some people get bitten more often than others. Just because you hardly get bitten does not mean that for others, encounters with insects do not turn into torture. You too may lose your superpower of being invisible to mosquitoes.

Bloodsuckers search for prey by reacting to chemicals that evaporate from the skin, smell and body temperature. These factors can vary quite widely and change depending on the situation.

Only females bite humans. When an insect's proboscis pierces the skin to a blood vessel, the insect not only sucks in blood, but also secretes saliva. It contains proteins that prevent blood clotting. The human body responds to these proteins with an immune response, causing the bite site to swell and itch.

The immune response manifests itself differently in different people. Moreover, different mosquitoes have different saliva. And if you may not have noticed the bite of one insect, then after another you will suffer from itching for a very long time.

By the way, the consequences depend on the thickness of the skin and the size of the blood vessel at the site of the bite. Young children have thin skin - redness can remain for weeks, and the bite sites can fester.

In rare cases, an allergic reaction may occur when a mosquito bites you. It is called culicidosis and is most often expressed in the appearance of large swelling and redness of the bite site - up to 10 cm (see example in the photo above). There are also “lucky ones” who may experience fever and nausea after being bitten. If you suspect you have an allergy, take an antihistamine with you to your mosquito encounter.

Please note that not only mosquitoes, but also other blood-sucking creatures may be waiting for you in nature. For personal protection, try to choose a product that repels ticks, horseflies, midges, and other people who like to bite.

DIY insect repellents

If you are absolutely sure that you are not allergic to any plants or herbs, then you can try adding them to your daily care. Any non-greasy body cream is perfect for this. Five drops of lavender or cedarwood oil will be enough to protect you from annoying flying pests for a couple of hours. We recommend applying the cream regularly to repel flies and mosquitoes for a long time.

You can use aromatic lamps in the house - the oil is poured into a bowl located above a burning candle. This option will not only be an effective insect repellent, but will also fit perfectly into a modern interior.

You can make a spray with oils. There are about three to five drops of geranium and eucalyptus essential oil per 100 milliliters of water. You can also add alcohol to the resulting mixture. Before each use, shake the spray and spray onto the skin at a distance of 20 centimeters.

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Scented candles will help make your picnic safe and romantic. They contain a high concentration of essential oils, which evaporate during combustion. However, when purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the composition, since instead of insect repellent substances, candles may only contain fragrances.

How to treat a mosquito bite: remedies and ointments for itching

Cosmeceuticals (for example, Boro Plus) are suitable as urgent help for a bite. They are suitable even for infants and pregnant women. For children, it is better to anoint the bite sites, especially if they have been bitten by a midge, with brilliant green. But there are also specialized remedies for bites.

What to apply to a bite on adults? The best means

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How to apply mosquito bites to children?

Here are the ingredients of the products so you can find out if there are substances to which your child is allergic:

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Check if your child is walking in a safe place and what route he is taking. And in case of emergency, listen to the sound around you or receive an instant SOS signal. Download the “Where are my children” application from the AppStore and GooglePlay stores.

Folk remedies that relieve itching and redness

1. A piece of ice will relieve discomfort and swelling at the bite site.
2. Dip a piece of bandage in a soda solution (2 teaspoons per glass of water), and apply to the bite sites for several minutes once an hour.
3. Instead of a soda solution, you can also use 9% vinegar diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 4.
4. An alcohol solution, or even bottled Corvalol and Valocordin are also suitable for these purposes.
5. Is there sour cream or kefir in the refrigerator? They will also reduce itching.
6. You can apply a tea bag or apply tea tree oil to the bite area.
7. A slightly crushed plantain leaf (to allow the juice to come out), applied to the bite site, relieves irritation.
8. If you don’t have any remedies at hand, and the bite site is very itchy, press on it with the pad of your finger or lightly tap the swelling with your finger. The itching will go away for a while. But if you scratch the bite site, it can become infected, and the red spot will take much longer to disappear.

Mosquito protection: what are the different methods?

All mosquito repellents can be divided into:

According to the naturalness of the base

Natural mosquito repellents are based on essential oils, the smell of which repels insects. They are safe for children and adults, but their effect does not last long (for example, Gardex Natural spray against mosquitoes on a natural basis (270-350 rubles), Levrana spray against mosquitoes and insects Citronella Anti-Bug Spray (350-400 rubles) or SIBERINA protective spray against mosquitoes and midges “Carnation and Eucalyptus” (RUB 350-400).

Unnatural products are most often based on the organic compound diethyltoluamide (or DEET). The higher its content in the product, the longer mosquitoes will not approach. Such strong products are not suitable for small children.

Be sure to pay attention to age restrictions when using and buy special children's products with natural ingredients, minimal DEET content or an alternative, less harmful chemical base. And also apply the products only to those places where the instructions allow.

By method of use

Always carefully read the instructions on an unfamiliar mosquito repellent. All kinds of aerosols, lotions, sprays, gels, ointments, creams and emulsions intended for individual use cannot always be applied to the skin - in some cases only to clothing.

There are also products that, on the contrary, attract mosquitoes, moving the danger away from people - it is not recommended to spray them on yourself (unless you dream of multiple bites). And there are those that need to be sprayed around the resting place. (for example, Aerosol Raptor to protect the territory from mosquitoes (300-350 rubles))

There are also ultrasonic repellers (for example, LuazON LRI-17 (RUB 1,300)), devices that release repellent or destructive substances when heated (not only electric, but also camp burning coils). There are also mosquito repellent bracelets.

Examples of products for adults:

• Aerosol Gardex Extreme against all flying blood-sucking insects and ticks - 214 rubles.
• Aerosol OFF! Extreme against mosquitoes and ticks - RUB 149.
• ARGUS EXTREME repellent spray against mosquitoes, ticks, midges, horse flies - 160 rub.
• Spray Reftamid 3 in 1 Maximum - 159 rubles.

Examples of other mosquito repellents:

Mosquito bait

• Mosquito Trap Octenol — 1300 rub.

Bracelets

• Komaroff - 63 rubles.
• "Gardex Baby" with a replaceable cartridge - 562 rubles.
• Gardex Baby mosquito repellent clip with replaceable cartridge — 366 rub.

Fumigators (destruction of harmful insects by exposing them to toxic fumes)

• Aquafumigator Raptor Instant liquidation system - RUB 390.
• Aquafumigator Evil Ted — 450 rub.
• Electric fumigator Raid - 140 rubles.
• Children's fumigator Raptor - 330 rubles.
• Children's fumigator Komarishka for children from birth - 300 rub.
• Mobile fumigator + Thermacell plates - RUB 2,370.

Spirals

• Spiral Raptor - 70 RUR/10 pieces
• FORCE guard spirals - 165 RUR/10 pieces

Folk remedies

If you are not afraid of bright odors, you can lubricate exposed areas of the body with Zvezdochka balm. Mosquitoes will stop being interested in you.

You can make your own mosquito repellent. Here are some simple recipes:

1. Mix vanillin and baby cream in a ratio of 1 to 10. And you can smear it on exposed skin.
2. Aren't you afraid of the feeling of oily skin? Mix a tablespoon of vegetable oil with 8 drops of essential oil of orange, geranium, mint, tea tree, anise, lavender, cedar. Apply the resulting mixture to exposed areas of the body.
3. Mix the juice of one lemon and 10 ml of eucalyptus oil - this can also be used to smear the skin.
4. Chop 5 medium cloves of garlic and boil in a glass of water. The resulting brew can be sprayed on clothes or a tent from a spray bottle.
5. Fresh sprigs of wormwood and basil will also help repel mosquitoes. You can carry such a bouquet with you around your summer cottage. As a last resort, you can slam the blood-sucking thing with it.

Alcohol-free spray

To prepare a non-alcoholic spray, combine 20-25 drops of essential oil or an oil mixture with 100 ml of water. It is preferable to use the resulting composition against mosquitoes during long periods of time under the open rays of the sun. The product works for a short time.

On a note!

The spray bottle should be shaken well before use. Otherwise, the liquid will have either a too low concentration of essential components, to which mosquitoes will not react, or, on the contrary, an excessively high concentration, which may result in skin irritation.

How to protect a child?

It is better to protect infants with the help of mosquito nets on the crib and stroller. Also, children from one year old can wear mosquito repellent bracelets on their wrists.

If children live in an apartment or house, use baby liquids and fumigator plates. They contain no toxic substances. However, if the child is between one and three years old, you should not turn on the fumigator for more than two hours. It is better not to use this method for children under one year old.

Use children's mosquito repellents according to the age label. It is important to remember that sometimes children have individual intolerance to the components of creams and gels . Therefore, when using for the first time, treat a small piece of your child’s skin and check if there is a reaction. The aerosol can even cause asthma in your baby. Therefore, if you use sprays, then only from a long distance, trying to avoid getting on your face.

Make sure that the child does not lick the treated areas of skin and clothing.

Examples of products for children:

• Mosquitall Mosquito Protection Milk for pregnant women and children from 3 months - 231 rub.
• DEET Aqua aerosol for little ones 2 in 1 (from one year old) - 226 RUR.
• Picnic Baby mosquito repellent spray (from 1 year) - 200 rub.

Vanilla ointment

Vanilla ointment against mosquitoes
It is also easy to prepare ointment against mosquitoes with your own hands. It is enough to mix vanillin with baby cream in a small amount. The cream is applied to bare areas of skin before each exit to the street. The composition is effective for several hours. Safety is another advantage of this cream.

On a note!

Vanilla ointment can be used even for children over one year old. The product is contraindicated only for children with sensitive skin, which may result in an allergic reaction.

How to get rid of mosquitoes at home and in the country?

It’s one thing to encounter mosquitoes outside the city while walking in a park or near a pond; it’s another thing if squeaking bloodsuckers have filled your house or apartment. How to deal with unpleasant guests?

If you want to combine insect control and sports, go hunting with the STOP FLY electric fly swatter with or without a flashlight.

You can use fumigators, examples of which were given above. Or means for treating rooms and areas, for example, your farm Kra-deo aerosol against flying insects (150 rubles), Tsifox solution (350 rubles) or Help Boyscout (320-370 rubles).

Electric insect killers and traps are also suitable:

1. Insect exterminator Komaroff D30 - RUB 1,373.
2. Insect exterminator Miru 2203 — 1490 rub.
3. Mosquito trap Tefal Mosquito Protect MN4015F1 — RUB 3,990.
4. Xiaomi Dragonfly Mosquito Killer trap - 5000 rub.
5. Anti-mosquito lamp Rexant 71-0056 — 3950 rub.
6. Insect exterminator KomarOFF GA-80 Light Sensor - RUB 13,800.

To combat bloodsuckers on terraces, checkers and candles are suitable:

1. Checker Your farm Mukhoyar - 170 rubles.
2. Repellent candle Gardex Family - 365 rub.
3. Samuro smoke bomb - 340 rubles.

Folk remedies will also come in handy in the war against flying bloodsuckers. Instead of a fumigator, you can place lemon halves in the room, with 10 cloves stuck into the pulp. If you have a picnic in your garden and you have a source of open fire, you can throw a juniper branch there or drop juniper oil or oils of orange, geranium, mint, tea tree, anise, lavender, and cedar onto the hot coals.

Look for a few more recipes in the video:

Here's a video on how to make a mosquito trap from a plastic bottle:

Lifehack from huntsmen - tinder fungus

During one of my hikes in the forest, I met rangers. Each of them had a strange-looking amulet hanging around their neck - a can of stew, suspended on a thin rope. As I got closer, I noticed another oddity - a thin stream of smoke was wafting from each can.

Being intrigued, I could not resist asking what kind of device this was, to which I received a simple answer. Since rangers have to visit places every day where mosquitoes literally hover in clouds, they do not want to use “chemicals” that are hazardous to health. Instead of sprays, aerosols and creams, they use tinder fungus. This mushroom is found in the forest (most often it can be seen on birch trees), cut into slices like bread, set on fire and placed in cans. And in order not to carry these cans in their hands, they hang them around their necks. True, there is one condition: the tinder fungus must be “dead” and moist inside.

From that moment on, I myself began to use this method. Sometimes, knowing that there are a lot of birch trees growing in the place where I’m going, I deliberately don’t take repellent with me.