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WithAllMyHeart
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| Posted: June 09 2012 at 2:13pm | IP Logged
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Hi-
Anyone know of some effective ways to keep mosquitoes away? The mosquitoes in our yard are vicious, and my 3yo and I seem to attract them (and we also have pretty bad reactions to the bites). It's making giving the kids their time outside in the fresh air difficult. We live in Georgia and have the Asian Tiger mosquitoes that feed all day long as well as the ones that feed at dusk.
We have eliminated what standing water we can find, but our yard also has a lot of "natural" wooded area that we all love.
I don't want to have to slather us all with potentially-hazardous bug spray and sunscreen every time we go outside to play. And I don't want to spray my yard with neurotoxic chemicals that may harm us and/or bees and other beneficial insects/birds, either.
Am I stuck? Any suggestions appreciated...
Thanks-
Jennifer
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Syncletica
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| Posted: June 09 2012 at 4:14pm | IP Logged
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I just found some ideas here. Perhaps you'll find something helpful. 
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"Live as though your judge were to meet you today, and you will not fear Him when He does come." - St. Augustine
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Mimip
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| Posted: June 11 2012 at 6:03pm | IP Logged
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We take vitamin B-1 and it has really helped.
Also I have a friend that swears by wearing bounce dryer sheets in her pockets. It works for her.
The reality is that while here in S. Florida we get away with warm weather year round, the mosquitos drive us in most of the July and August unless we are in our pool or the beach. During hurricane season, the government sprays because of the health issues but we still have HUGE mosquitos all summer.
I hope you find something that helps your family.
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Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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Syncletica
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 2:01pm | IP Logged
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I have to second the B Vitamins. I am usually an unsurpassed attraction target for mosquitoes. So far this year I was thinking that the pests really weren't that bad. This morning my daughters were complaining about all the mosquito bites they've gotten so far, and I just clued in that I've got none. I'm assuming it's because of the B Vitamins from Shaklee that I've been taking.
Shaklee's B Complex
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"Live as though your judge were to meet you today, and you will not fear Him when He does come." - St. Augustine
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 12 2012 at 2:16pm | IP Logged
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when I must I like using the Repel lemon-eucalyptus it's not near as toxic as most and it gets good reviews.. I find it to work quite well. The reviews (I think consumer reports?) showed it worked as well as the lower level deet sprays just for a bit shorter time frame.
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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WithAllMyHeart
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 10:52am | IP Logged
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Thanks for the ideas!
It seems like every time someone convinces me to try something, someone else convinces me that it doesn't work.  I think we're just going to have to try a little bit of everything...
I'll have to ask our pediatrician about giving B vitamins to the kids.
I have tried that Repel lemon-eucalyptus stuff, and it does work well- it's just so stinky. If we go out to play in the morning, I feel like we stink for the rest of the day. I'm trying a bottle of the California Baby stuff now. It works okay, but it's expensive and you have to keep reapplying. But it's safe for the kids and it doesn't smell too bad (and the smell doesn't linger- which is why you have to keep reapplying).
I was really hoping I could find something safe I could apply to the yard (instead of the kids). There's a spray from St. Gabriel Organics and a garlic spray called Mosquito Barrier I found online. Some people swear by them, and others say they're snake oil. I don't know if it depends where you live, or what? Anyone have any experience with non-toxic yard sprays?
One bit of good news- we have at least one bat living in our yard- so that should help, right? Maybe we should put up some bat houses... 
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-Jennifer
SAHM to a 3 yr old boy and a 1 yr old girl (hoping for more).
Looking for friends who live nearby!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 11:32am | IP Logged
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I know what you mean about the smell. Sometimes if the bugs aren't too horrible I can get away with just spraying my feet/ankles and lower arms so that I can wash it off when I go inside.
There's supposed to be plants you can grow that help repel mosquitos.. but I can't think of what they are off the top of my head.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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ShannonJ
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| Posted: June 13 2012 at 11:49am | IP Logged
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Geraniums are supposed to be repellant. I have been looking for some geranium oil to mix with almond oil to make our own repellent, but it is hard to find locally.
Catnip is also supposed to be an excellent mosquito repellent. I would think that for a plant to be effective you would have be be carrying it around with you though. Maybe crushed leaves or making your own oil might work.
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Mom of dd 12, ds 9, & dd 5
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JaysFamily
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| Posted: Aug 01 2012 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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We live next door in hot, humid Alabama, and lemon eucalyptus oil keeps the mosquitoes and ticks away. You can find commercial brands with it as the main ingredient, or you can get some pure oil and mix it in with your favorite lotion or oil. Just warning you that it is very aeromatic and may be overwhelming if you have a sensitive nose! It even works like a charm in thick, pesticide-free berry orchards that have day mosquitoes the size of bees.
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Jaysfamily
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Aug 01 2012 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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I second the plants ideas - get them all over!
Also, we cover in a lotion we make with vitamin E. I just take a basic lotion (anything that is the most basic as possible), squirt some into a small bowl (maybe less than 1/8 cup???) and squeeze/mix a couple of vitamin E capsules into it. This is enough cover myself and my 8 year old (he needs it badly). He needs coverage every 2 days or it wears off.
I've heard if you eat enough too, it will work; but he doesn't seem to eat enough of it! So lotion is the way to go for us.
This stops us from using any kind of chemical-based stuff, it smells nicer and it has multiple purposes. :)
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ShannonJ
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| Posted: Aug 01 2012 at 1:35pm | IP Logged
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I ordered some wonderful products from etsy seller Queen Bee Honey that we have been using with some good success here. I had looked into making my own, but decided to try this instead. I have mainly been using the tick salve for when the kids go in the woods. They haven't had a tick since they started using it. We also received the mosquito spray which I mainly got for dh, but he hasn't been home enough to use it yet. The salve seems to work well for mosquitoes too.
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Mom of dd 12, ds 9, & dd 5
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SaraP
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| Posted: Aug 01 2012 at 9:16pm | IP Logged
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We have been using a spray (I think it's Cutter brand) with geraniol, a plant oil, and it works well. It also smells like geraniums, which is sort of nice.
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Aug 01 2012 at 10:11pm | IP Logged
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Eating lots of garlic does not work...we road-tested this big-time during our years in Italy. Our Italian friends assured us that eating tomato and garlic pizza would help...alas, all it did was add to our waistlines!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Mosquitoes!!!
