Here in Texas, we call mosquitos the yard bird of the south. They’re inevitable and I’ve spent my entire life covered in mosquito bites. I’ve finally said NO MORE and have found the best mosquito fighters out there! I’m sharing them with you today!
We’ve officially reached that part of summer where the air literally sticks to you because of humidity, you sweat just by looking outside, and the environment is RIPE for mosquito breeding. In other words, my least favorite part of summer. Yippee!
I’ve spent my entire life covered in mosquito bites – in every picture of me as a child I’ve got little red scabs all over my legs. It’s quite attractive, let me tell you! As an adult, (and with the presence of West Nile Virus a very real thing) I’ve finally just gotten over being itchy and annoyed by them all summer long. After a few years (literally) of looking for the best solution, I’ve finally got a few products to share with you that I trust to keep these pesky buggers away from me and my family!
The Best Mosquito Fighters
The first, and best, defense from mosquitos is to keep your yard dry and mowed short. They love to lay their eggs in low-water places (think standing water after rain) so the more you can prevent those opportunities, the less mosquitos you’ll have to contend with in the summer.
Luckily for me (sarcasm) I have low spots on BOTH sides of my house, and our neighbor incessantly waters her backyard, which is built up higher than ours, and water leaches into our back yard constantly, which keeps it just moist enough to provide a hotbed for the survival of the species.
So, needless to say, I’ve been waging war and mosquitos with a new fervor for the last four years. I had a mosquito abatement company come out and give me an estimate for quarterly spraying and thankfully, she was an honest human and said as long as I have those low spots and standing water, spraying would essentially do nothing for us. Yay.
While I’m not a HUGE fan of using chemicals directly on my family’s skin, I am not a stranger to it, and I’ll throw some Deet in here and there as needed to keep them off of me. I also have a few all-natural and non-invasive solutions for you as well! So let’s get to it!
Environmental Treatments
When it comes to creating a mosquito-free zone around you, I have trusted my Thermocell for years. This little machine uses a tiny butane tank and a repellant soaked pad to create an area (around 15ft) of mosquito free-ness. I usually have two of these running (I have this one and I also have a lantern version) whenever we are outside as a first line of defense.
You insert a little blue pad under the black grill, screw in the butane tank, and use the ignitor button to light it. It takes a couple of tries sometimes, but once it gets going it runs for several hours. It doesn’t have a strong scent either, which I appreciate it.
If you have a yard that is conducive to a spray treatment, this Cutter Backyard Bug Control is the best one I have found! My Aunt Martha uses it about a week before we all arrive for the family reunion in Austin (she sprays it all on her bushes, in her mulch, around the pool, everywhere!) and it does a great job of keeping the mosquitos away for weeks!
Wearables
If you have little ones who won’t stand still long enough to be sprayed with anything, let alone sticky, smelly bug spray, these Bugable Spiral Wristbands might be the answer for you! Jett has always loved them and wears them without messing with them too much! I usually put one around his ankle and one around his wrist for a little extra insurance!
Sometimes he puts them around his neck too, but I won’t endorse that here. Little too risky BUT if he will wear it there and leave it alone, I don’t say anything as long as someone has eyes on it! They are not tight and stretch easily so I’m not super concerned about him being strangled by it but I won’t let him get in the water with it for sure!
Another wearable option for bigger kids and adults are these Bugable Wristbands! They are like a watch that come with a replaceable pad of repellant. That pad lasts up to 72 hours and they can be worn in the water, which is a great option for lake weekends or pool parties! The only negative thing I can say about these is mine slipped off a couple of times, but they are large enough to notice that it is missing it if does.
Jett also wore and liked these as well! They are a tiny bit big for him at six years old, but I think they’ll be the perfect option for him next year!
Sprays
If you’re looking for a more natural option, this REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent is the ONLY one I have found that works for me – and mosquitos tend to be able to find me unless I’m covered with the strongest of sprays (think OFF, deep woods lol)
This one soaks in quickly and doesn’t leave that weird residue and has a pleasant smell as well. For times when I’m only outside for a few minutes or I’m in a place that has been pre-treated with yard spray I have found that this works really well for me.
When I need to break out the “big guns” so to speak, Cutter Skinsations is my go to product. It has a pump spray, so I have more control over where it goes on me and my family, where an aerosol always seems to get in eyes and mouths and I’m not about that life. It also soaks in quickly, doesn’t have a weird grimy residue, and smells really nice. It does not have DEET in it, so I usually use it in combination with another method, like a bracelet or my ever-present Thermocell.
I am still testing a couple of other products too and I’ll update the post when the time comes with those as well! What have you found that works best for you to keep the mosquitos off of you? I’d love to have some other recommendations to try out!
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