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Off The Grid Mosquito Solutions
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Survival Institute

Off The Grid Mosquito Solutions

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July 21, 2017

If you’re like most people, you wonder why in the world God created mosquitoes. Those annoying little blood suckers fly around you on any beautiful sunny day and leave their itchy “bites” on you after acting like vampires and sucking some of your blood. And, then, there is the concern over mosquito-born illnesses… (remember the West Nile Virus scare?)

So, how do you get rid of these irritating little pests, especially when you are in an off-grid situation (such as when you’ve had to bug out) and you know that you’re going to be there a while?

Fortunately for us, there are a few steps that you can take to get rid of them. The most important thing is to make sure that there is no standing water near (or inside of) your location. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so, if you don’t have any, you’re less likely to have an issue with a large mosquito population near you.

Also, mosquitoes hate certain herbs, so you can choose to have these planted both in your garden and around your home. Janet Wahlquist gives us a run down of nine herbs to consider:

A well-known plant credited with repelling mosquitoes and other pests is citronella. In my experience, this plant works great, particularly when you brush against the leaves. You do have to be fairly close to the plant, though, for it to be effective.

Basil is another great plant for repelling mosquitoes. Lemon basil and cinnamon basil are the best varieties for this, but I have used sweet basil, as well. Rub some leaves on your skin while you are outside.

Lemon balm is another great mosquito-repelling plant. It has a strong lemony scent that bugs simply don’t like. Use this the same way you use the basil; rub a few leaves on your skin, especially around the ankles and wrists and anywhere else the bugs seem to really like.

Ever tried catnip? It repels mosquitoes, too! But if you are a cat owner, be careful where you plant it so your cat doesn’t destroy the rest of the garden.

If you don’t like the scent of basil, lemon balm, or catnip, peppermint or spearmint are good alternatives. Mosquitoes don’t seem to like the scent of mint, so use it the same way you would the other herbs by rubbing it on your skin.

Lavender is another herb that can be used as a mosquito repellent. Plant it near your door or windows to help keep mosquitoes from entering the house. Some other plants that have insect-repelling properties are sweet woodruff, lemon thyme and rosemary.

You can also choose to use the above herbs to make insect repellents, and some people find essential oils to be very useful in being left alone by bugs.

What other natural and off-grid solutions do you have for mosquitoes? Comment below.

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