All posts by jamshaid

Tired of swatting away blood-hungry mosquitoes whenever you leave your home? These insects are a nuisance all year. And while tons of commercial chemicals are effective on mosquitoes, they’re not necessarily a great choice to use around kids and pets. DEET and other store-bought repellents come with a long list of warnings. Looking for an all-natural solution? Get ready to learn how to make mosquito repellent that you will feel good about using for your entire family.

Natural Ingredients Mosquitoes Hate the Most

Want to deter mosquitoes for good? Look no further than Mother Nature. There are a ton of natural ingredients that mosquitoes just can’t stand. Essential oils are your friend but a mosquito’s worst enemy. Here are the top 10 essential oils to consider:

1. Eucalyptus oil
2. Lavender oil
3. Cinnamon oil
4. Thyme oil
5. Tea tree oil
6. Rosemary oil
7. Chamomile oil
8. Peppermint oil
9. Cedarwood oil
10. Citronella oil

You can find these oils at most health stores or even online. Best of all, creating a DIY mosquito repellent is almost too easy. With only a few ingredients, you can whip up the perfect natural repellent for your family in no time.

The Best Homemade Mosquito Repellent Recipes

Now that you know which essential oils mosquitoes hate, it’s time to learn how to make natural mosquito repellent. These homemade mosquito repellent recipes will protect your family and pets from itchy bites. And all you need is a few oils and a carrier liquid.

DIY Coconut Peppermint Repellant

One of the most effective DIY repellents uses only coconut oil and peppermint. While this combination of scents is delightful to humans, it will chase away mosquitoes. Here’s what you need:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 15 drops peppermint essential oil

Simply mix the ingredients in a jar. At room temperature, the substance will be a liquid. But if you store it in the refrigerator, it will solidify. You can apply it with your fingers on a hot day for a refreshing way to keep mosquitoes at bay. Best of all, kids love the way it smells!

Homemade Rosemary Repellent

This effective DIY repellent has three ingredients—rosemary oil, apple cider vinegar, and water. Here are the exact measurements:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 40 drops of rosemary essential oil

Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle and give it a good shake. If you don’t like the smell of rosemary, you can also try lavender. Generously spritz yourself before going outside.

Easy Eucalyptus Mosquito Repellent

Mosquitoes detest the strong aroma of eucalyptus, so this easy homemade mosquito repellent is sure to be a winner! All you need is eucalyptus oil, water, and witch hazel. Here’s the fool-proof recipe:

• 1/3 cup witch hazel
• 1/3 cup water
• 40 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Mix all the ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. That’s it! On its own, witch hazel doesn’t really have a scent, so you can also try adding lemongrass, citronella, or tea tree oil if you don’t care for eucalyptus.

Homemade Repellents Aren’t Always Risk-Free

Just because you can easily buy the ingredients to make homemade mosquito repellents doesn’t mean they come without risk. You should always mix essential oils with a carrier liquid, such as coconut oil, olive oil, witch hazel, or vinegar. If you don’t, the essential oils may cause skin irritation.

Some essential oils are also toxic to pets. If you have furry friends, steer clear of peppermint, citrus, tea tree, and ylang-ylang. Always consult with your vet before applying a DIY repellent to your pets.

Most homemade mosquito repellent recipes don’t last very long. You should reapply every one or two hours for the best results.

What If You Still Get a Mosquito Bite?

Even the best DIY repellents aren’t 100-percent effective. Bites may still happen. If you do get bitten, you can naturally treat the spot using things you probably have at home. Ice will help reduce inflammation. You can also mix baking soda and water to create a thick paste. Apply the paste directly to the bite to pull out any toxins and reduce the itch.

Protect Your Yard from Mosquitoes the Natural Way

While a homemade mosquito repellent is a good start, you should also treat your yard to prevent mosquitoes from invading or hatching in the first place. Mosquito Joe offers a natural mosquito treatment to protect your property from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas! We use our proven barrier system to ensure every inch of your yard repels mosquitoes. Connect with us online or call 1-855-275-2563 to book a natural treatment with us.

Romping through the fields, roaming the woods, barreling through the bushes, your pup is an explorer! But all that running through the tall grass can attract some unwanted passengers—ticks!

It’s important to check your dog and other outdoor-going pets for ticks on a regular basis. But what is the most thorough way to search for these pesky parasites?
Let the insect experts at Mosquito Joe offer some tips on how to check your dog for ticks!

When to Check Dog for Ticks

How often you check your dog for ticks can change depending on where you live, how present ticks are in the environments you frequent, and how often you’re outside with your pet.

Tall grass, woods, and fields can all be breeding grounds for ticks and likely places for them to hitch a ride on your hound. If you live in an area with a significant tick population, your dog should be checked daily. If ticks are less present where you spend time day to day, focus on checking your dog after hikes or time spent where ticks could be present.

How to Check Dog for Ticks

Ticks can be found in your dog’s fur before they have attached themselves or may feel like a small bump on the skin once they’ve bitten the dog. The best method for checking for ticks is carefully combing through your dogs’ fur and feeling the skin for bumps.
Keep your furry friend fiend-free by following these steps for how to check your dog for ticks …

Head start

Begin at the snout of your dog and, using your fingers like a comb, run your hands over the head and around the neck. Pay special attention to the ears and around the collar.

Body work

Make a thorough search of your pet’s entire body, combing with your fingers. If your dog has thick or extra shaggy fur, take the time to really comb through his or her coat.

Nooks and crannies

Be sure to evaluate any dark or hard-to-reach areas. Check the groin, under the front legs (armpits), under the tail, and in the ears.

Bug be gone

If you do happen across a tick on your dog’s skin, resist the urge to immediately pull it out. Use tweezers or a tick removal tool and pull it out slow and gradually. Place the tick in rubbing alcohol to kill it.

Kick the Ticks

The best way to keep pests at bay is to be proactive! Check your dog for ticks, especially after being outdoors and be thorough in your search and give your dog a leg up by using flea and tick medication to help repel parasites.

Finally, making your space tick-free can be the ultimate pest preventative! Call Mosquito Joe today at 1-855-275-2563 or request a quote online to make your backyard tick-free and your pets carefree!

Whether you are spending time in the great outdoors or simply playing fetch with your furry friend in the backyard, we know that nothing ruins outdoor fun like unwelcomed pests; especially ticks in your lawn. Protecting your family from ticks is important because not only are they are a nuisance, they can also pose serious health risks, such as Lyme disease.

If you are looking for a more natural way to incorporate tick prevention in your outdoor spaces, essential oils are a great alternative. Naturally derived, essential oils can be applied to clothing or directly on the skin to help keep irritating ticks at bay. If you aren’t sure which ones to use or how to best apply them, the list below will help guide you on how to use essential oil for ticks.

What Are the Best Essential Oils to Repel Ticks?         

While essential oils are often not as potent as their chemical-based alternatives, they can be effective in providing a second layer of tick control. Here are few essential oils that have tick-repelling properties:

Eucalyptus

• A pleasant-smelling oil, eucalyptus can be used to repel ticks and pests. Be sure to dilute with a carrier oil or purchase a spray solution that has already been thinned with water. Due to the potency, use sparingly with pets or select a different repellent if you’re using it around furry friends.

Cedarwood

• Toxic to ticks and their larvae, cedarwood is a prime choice for a tick repellent. Combined with the fact that it is safe to apply to people and pets alike, this is one of the best options for essential oil repellent.

Garlic

• Useful beyond seasoning a savory dish, garlic can be easily transformed into a tick deterrent. Mince garlic, mix with mineral oil, allow to soak overnight, and then put in a spray bottle. This simple mixture can be sprayed directly on skin, pets, or even on plants to keep ticks away.

Geranium

• This oil can be a potent and effective tick repellent and is OK to apply to the skin or on your dog’s collar to deter ticks.

Lavender

• Versatile and virulent to insects, lavender can be a fantastic addition to the arsenal. This essential oil is safe for topical use on all ages, including infants, and is lethal to ticks and their eggs.

Pennyroyal

• A powerful member of the mint family, this can serve as a great tick deterrent. Pennyroyal is best applied under cushions, rugs, and fabrics in the home as a preventative measure should pets bring ticks into the home. It should not be used on the skin or on pets.

Did you know that Mosquito Joe also provides natural treatment options for your yard? Our natural treatments are an alternative to our traditional synthetic barrier treatment. There are several spray options,  garlic repellent treatment, and two variations of essential oil solutions which include peppermint,  rosemary, and lemongrass essential oils. Similar to our traditional treatment, trained technicians use a backpack sprayer in order to apply the natural formulas to the foliage on your property. , Your property will be treated on a 14-21 day cycle, depending on which natural solution you choose, to provide effective outdoor pest control. You can learn more about our natural treatment options here.

If your yard is still being overrun with ticks, it may be time to contact a professional tick exterminator.  Call Mosquito Joe today at 1-855-275-2563 to explore tick control options near your location or contact us online and kick the ticks for good this season!

It’s a peaceful summer night and you are slowly drifting off to sleep until you hear it—the obnoxious whine of a mosquito in your ear! It leaves you asking how these pesky mosquitoes got in and, more important, how to get rid of mosquitoes inside your house.

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Inside the House

Once you determine that you have mosquitoes inside your home, the first thing you want to do is get rid of them, especially before you turn in for the night.

Consider these options for taking care of mosquitoes that are already in your home:

• Use an indoor insect fogger or insect spray to kill mosquitoes and treat areas where larvae may develop. Mosquitoes will gravitate toward dark, moist places so be sure to check in closets, under the sink, or around the laundry room.
• Purchase mosquito traps and place them around your home, focusing on the areas where mosquitoes are most prevalent.
• Put plants to work! Fill your home with mosquito-repelling herbs such as tulsi, catnip and feverfew.

The best way to keep their intrusion to a minimum is by being proactive and working to keep them out from the start.

Keep Mosquitoes Out of the House

Mosquitoes are effective at finding their way into homes. They actively seek out cracks, gaps, and broken screens. Use these tips to seal up your home and keep mosquitoes where they belong: outside.

• Inspect window and door screens for gaps and holes then either mend the tear or replace the screen.
• Inspect windows for gaps or weathered sealing and shore up these openings with caulk.
• Ensure weather seals on doors do not have any gaps. If they do, replace the seals.

What Type of Mosquitoes Are In Your Home

Have you ever wondered exactly what type of mosquitoes are likely to be flitting around your home? Culex mosquitoes are known as the Common House Mosquito because of their tendency to want to make their way into homes. While other types of mosquitoes may end up in the home, these are the only ones that seek out the indoors.

The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your home is also keeping them out of your yard. Contact us online or call Mosquito Joe today at 1-855-275-2563 so we can make outside fun again for you and your family!

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Particularly for northern areas, the arrival of cooler temperatures provides a significant relief from the presence of pesky mosquitoes. However, come spring, as predictable as the blooming of flowers, the buzz and bite of the mosquito returns, turning your outdoor fun into a swat fest.

While the number of mosquitoes during the winter decreases, they are still able to survive cold temperatures. But how do mosquitoes survive winter? Let Mosquito Joe provide some insight and answers to this common question.

How Do Mosquitoes Survive in the Winter?             

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded so one would think that the arrival of cold weather would spell their demise. Not so!

Mosquitoes have two main techniques to ensure their survival:

Hibernation

Mosquitoes prefer temperatures in the 80-degree range, and once the mercury falls below 50 degrees many species shut down for the winter. The adult females find holes in logs, animal dens, or even human habitats (such as cabins or homes) where they will stay dormant in anticipation of warmer weather, emerging again when temperatures reach 50 degrees.

Laying Eggs

Some mosquito species will lay eggs as a type of future security. The adult females will lay eggs in cold waters—ponds, bogs, wetlands, etc.—where the eggs remain until warmer water temperatures prompt them to hatch. While this does not secure the survival of the mosquitoes that lay the eggs, it does allow for the repopulation of mosquitoes come spring.

Having survived for millions of years, mosquitoes have proven to be a hardy species able to thrive even after long winters.

How to Prevent Overwintering Mosquito Eggs

Eliminating any potential places for mosquitoes to lay eggs in preparation for the following spring is one way to decrease the number of springtime mosquitoes in your yard. This means making sure your yard is free from standing water in the fall and winter months.

Consider these tactics to decrease mosquito egg habitat:

• Empty any kiddie pools and toys by turning them over and leaving them upside down to dry.
• Repair leaky outdoor faucets.
• Clean out any standing water in flower pots.
• Keep garbage pails tightly covered.
• Change or drain tarps for firewood and outdoor pools, as well as check your barbecue cover daily for any pooled water.
• Get rid of or regularly check any items that could hold pooled water, such as boats, canoes, kayaks, old tires, buckets or cans.
• Regularly clean gutters to prevent standing water in them.
• Change the water in bird baths daily.

Warm weather is right around the corner! Call Mosquito Joe at 1-855-275-2563 or contact us online so you can start springtime itch-free.