DIY Life

Yesterday was Canada Day up here, which is to us northerners what the Fourth is to you down there. Canada Day: day to head out to the cottage, or perhaps just to the back yard; there to kick up your feet, kick back a few beverages (and maybe a few grown-up popsicles), and ... swat a few mosquitoes. Ugh. Vile blood-suckers. Who invited them to the party?

It's been a very wet summer so far in my neck of the woods, and the mosquitoes are loving it! Thankfully, Howcast has a terrific video with several practical tips on dealing with the itch-inducing varmints.

I wasn't surprised to be told to get rid of any standing water, though I was a little appalled to hear that a small plastic lid with some pooled stagnant water could be breeding ground to thousands of them. Doesn't the very thought make you itch?

Nothing ruins a cool summer evening like mosquitoes. Unless you're a bat, you take cover at the appearance of the annoying, buzzing villains.

Here at DIY Life, we've written a lot about how to banish mosquitoes. Tips like reducing standing water, not wasting your money on the Mosquito Magnet, eliminating mosquito hiding places, and wearing light-colored clothing have all been mentioned before.

This season, the mosquitoes arrived with a vengeance at my house, and even applying all of the tips didn't help the mosquitoes stay away. But something finally did....

Spring has sprung, and for that I am thrilled beyond words. Like Anna, though, I detest bugs swarming around me, ruining a good outside moment.

Anna's fly trap is a good start, but if the flies, mosquitoes and ticks still want a piece of you, making your own all-natural insect repellent with essential oils is easy to do.

You may have on hand many essential oils that will work, and after the break we will discuss those and give some recipes that are bug-specific, but we'll also learn about some essential oils that are proven to deter mosquitoes better than DEET.

It's been a wet, hot Summer over much of the world, which means the mosquitoes are going to be plentiful, hungry, and ticked off. (Little known fact: all mosquitoes are angry. Always.) So what can we do to protect ourselves from being attacked by swarms of bitter bugs? The easiest thing to do, of course, is stay inside; well-sealed windows and doors do a terrific job keeping out unwanted, blood-sucking guests. However, if you absolutely MUST go outside, you'll need to be prepared with some sort of bug repellent.

When faced with the proposition of being blitzed by a battalion of biting bugs, most people make a beeline to their local store to pick up some OFF Spray, or similar DEET-laden repellent. Store-bought bug sprays are fine, but some people have serious skin reactions to DEET, which if sprayed directly onto plastic can cause it to bubble and warp. Would you want to put that on your skin? If you're like me, and you enjoy rolling your own bug-off juice, here's an effective recipe that I find keeps the mosquitoes away just as well as the name brand stuff.

We all hate those pesky insects. They buzz, they bite, then we itch. If you are like me, chemical solutions aren't an option for you. Neither is the supposedly effective but very expensive Mosquito Magnet.

Then what's a person who respects the integrity of their itch-less skin supposed to do?

Check out our own Gary Sattler's suggestions or the article on Ten Thrifty Ways to Deal with Mosquitoes over at Thrifty Mommy.

She's got great tips to eliminate standing water and resting places for mosquitoes.

Certain plants will deter mosquitoes, among them marigolds and lavender, so plant them and feel confident. Also, did you know that mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing? It gives new meaning to the term "summer whites," for sure. If you implement some of these great tips, you are sure to end up with less mosquito bites and more inner peace.

Do you have any inexpensive tricks on how to repel mosquitoes?

It's that time of year again, when "The Big Feed" begins. I'm referring to the attack of the mosquitoes of course. There are a about two hundred species of mosquitoes that inhabit the United States. The chances are good that you will encounter several different species in your area.

There are several things which you can do yourself to thwart the mosquitoes attempts to munch on you. Apart from having a professional come and lace your entire yard with toxic chemicals, you're pretty much on your own. Try the following tips and you may find that your mosquito problems will be noticeably diminished.