Club Benefits
Mosquitoes ruin outdoor evenings. You sit on your patio for ten minutes and get bitten three times. Chemical sprays work but smell terrible and require constant reapplication. Citronella candles barely make a dent.
Garlic repels mosquitoes naturally and doesn't just keep them away temporarily; it actually blocks them from mating and laying eggs near treated areas. Recent research from Yale University has confirmed that garlic works against mosquitoes, and the science explains why.
The compound responsible is diallyl disulfide, which activates taste receptors in mosquitoes that trigger immediate rejection responses. When mosquitoes encounter garlic residue, they physically can't reproduce there.
Here's how to make garlic spray that keeps mosquitoes off your patio, deck, or outdoor seating areas.
How to make a DIY mosquito-repellent
To make a spray that works well against mosquitos, start by peeling and mincing 4-5 cloves of garlic. The finer you mince them, the more sulfur compounds release into the water.
Next, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add the minced garlic and boil for 10 minutes. This extracts the sulfur compounds from the garlic into the water. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. It's really important not to skip the cooling step.
Once sufficently cooled, strain out the garlic pieces using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. You only want the garlic-infused liquid, not the solid pieces which will clog the spray bottle.
Pour the strained liquid into a clean spray bottle, and, if you feel so inclined, label it so it doesn't get mistaken for something else. The spray is now ready to use. It stays effective for about a week when stored in a cool, dark place.
During the height of mosquito season, make a fresh batch weekly.
Where and how to use your homemade spray
The garlic solution should be sprayed around the perimeter of outdoor seating areas, not on yourself or furniture. Never spray directly onto your skin or clothing. This is an environmental treatment only, not a personal repellent.
Focus on entry points and boundaries where mosquitoes enter your space. Spray near doors and windows, especially around frames and thresholds where mosquitoes fly through. Spray patio edges, deck railings, and the ground around outdoor furniture. You could also treat plant pots and planters near seating areas.
For continuous protection, reapply every 2-3 days or after rainfall which washes away the residue. Spray in early evening before mosquitoes become active at dusk. This gives the solution time to dry on surfaces before mosquitoes start searching for places to rest and breed.
The garlic smell dissipates within an hour or two for people, but the chemical compounds that repel mosquitoes linger on treated surfaces for days.
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