11 Ways To Get Rid of Mosquitoes Indoors
By Dumb Little Man
January 10, 2024
Mosquitoes are one pest you’d be glad to see leave, and this is especially true when the mosquitoes end up indoors. However, there are several things you can do to clear out your home, so it’s free of these annoying pests. If you’re wondering how to get rid of mosquitoes indoors, you can run through these tips and see which ones work best for your situation.
Basil
If you prefer natural tips for getting rid of mosquitoes, basil is a very versatile plant. You don’t even have to do anything special for it to go to work. You can plant it inside or outside of your home in areas where you don’t want mosquitoes. Basil has a very pleasant scent attached to it, and you can make it stronger by using an essential oil or crushing the leaves of the plant. It’s a popular cooking herb so that you may have already warded your kitchen against the flying pest.
Create a Garlic Spray
Did you know that garlic has mosquito larvicidal properties? You can create a garlic spray to use around your house by crushing a few cloves of garlic, adding them to a pot with water, and boiling them for 10 to 15 minutes. The longer you let them boil, the more pungent your spray will be. Once you shut them off and the water cools, pour the water into a spray bottle. Spray it around your home and watch the mosquitoes vanish.
Tea Tree Oil
If you want something a little more pleasant smelling than garlic, try tee tree essential oil. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties, and a few drops go a long way. You’ll add a few drops of the oil into an eight-ounce spray bottle. Spray it around your home. You may have to repeat the process every day or so until the mosquitoes vanish. You can also create a natural bug spray by adding a few drops to a carrier oil and rubbing it into your skin before you go outside.
Coffee Grounds
Stagnant water is a huge attractant to mosquitoes because they breed here. It may even surprise you on how much you have inside or outside of your home. If you see smaller puddles of water, get some coffee grounds and sprinkle them into the puddles. The coffee grounds will force any eggs to the surface. It will kill the eggs because it’ll deprive them of oxygen, and this means you’ll have fewer mosquitoes hatching.
Ultrasonic Bug Repeller
These mosquito and bug deterrents have been around for a while. They emote a frequency that is very unpleasant for any bugs to be around, and these devices can also work on mice. You won’t pick up this frequency, and your pets can’t hear it either. It doesn’t release any chemicals, so you may want to try putting it in your most-used rooms first and see if it drives them away.
Camphor Oil
Camphor essential oil has long-lasting effects when it comes to repelling mosquitoes. All you have to do is get a diffuser and add a few drops of the oil. Let it run for 15 to 20 minutes to clear out any bugs. However, it does have a scent that many people find unpleasant. If it’s too strong, try adding a few drops to a bowl of water and letting it evaporate by itself. It’ll still be effective relatively quickly for your pest problem.
Light Citronella Candles
Citronella candles are very popular for outdoor use, and you can get them on those big tiki torches. There are also slightly smaller citronella candles. You can set them around your home and let them burn. The light scent shouldn’t bother you too much, but any mosquito that gets relatively close to it won’t like it. You can burn them all of the time or just when you see mosquitoes.
Lavender Oil
Lavender oil is a very flowery and strong scent, but it has nice relaxation properties that can make you drowsy and help you sleep. You can start by spreading lavender oil around the outside of your home. Move inside and use diffusers or make a spray and spritz it throughout your home. You won’t need a lot to make a big impact. A few drops are usually more than enough.
Alcohol or Beer
If you stop and think about it, you’ll realize that you rarely have mosquito problems in bars. This is because they hate the smell of beer and alcohol. All you have to do is set a glass of beer or alcohol in a few rooms in your home and watch the mosquitoes vanish. You can swap it out every day or so if you don’t notice a big improvement.
Mint
Mint has a very sharp and pungent smell, and this goes for both the essential oil and mint plant. If you have mint plants, take a few sprigs and crush them between your hands to release the oils. Set these sprigs in bowls in your rooms. Another option is to create a mint spray to freshen up your home and shoo the mosquitoes out. Just like with the lavender, a few drops goes a long way.
Tulsi
You may have heard Tulsi called Holy Basil. This is an Indian herb that is very popular in cooking, and it works to kill mosquito larvae and ward off adult mosquitoes. You can place one of the plants by your windows or doors to prevent the mosquitoes from entering and killing off any larvae that are around. If they’re inside, bring a few small pieces in to chase them out.
Bottom Line
Now you know 11 ways how to get rid of mosquitoes indoors. We invite you to try them and see which ones work best for you. You should start to notice fewer and fewer mosquitoes very shortly after you start using these methods.
Dumb Little Man
At Dumb Little Man, we strive to provide quality content with accuracy for our readers. We bring you the most up-to-date news and our articles are fact-checked before publishing.