Barbeques and pool parties are the highlight of summertime. However, uninvited guests, especially mosquitoes, are sure to ruin the fun. Many people turn to mosquito repellents to keep the pesky bugs away. Check out how mosquito repellent works to keep you safe from unwanted bugs.
A Mosquito’s Agenda
It’s never fun to come inside and find an itchy, red bump from a mosquito. Unfortunately, these bugs love to use you as a snack. Only female mosquitoes will actually bite. They need the nutrients found in blood to produce their eggs.
Mosquitoes rely on their sense of smell to track down their victims. They use their antennae and maxillary palp to pick up odors. Mosquitoes are greatly attracted to carbon dioxide, which we happen to release every time we exhale. Sweat and other skin odors also lure in mosquitoes. They smell these odors and head straight in our direction.
How Repellents Work
Since mosquitoes need to smell in order to find their next meal, it is important to target their odor sensors. This is where repellents come in handy. Repellents are designed to repel bugs, not to kill them. They work by disrupting a mosquito’s sense of smell. When they are applied to the skin, they act as a barrier, hindering the mosquito’s chance of picking up on your scent. By blocking their odor sensors, mosquitoes struggle to find you. These sensors can be confused in several ways and different ingredients have varying results.
Essential Oils in Repellents
While some products are made with synthetic chemicals, our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control Products are formulated with essential oils and natural ingredients. Plants evolved over time to produce compounds to protect themselves from insects, mites, and diseases. When these essential oils are extracted from them, this repellency is transferred with the essential oil.
Many of these oils, like clove, geraniol, and lemongrass, have scents that repel insects. Mosquitoes especially find the fragrance unpleasant and choose to keep their distance. Other oils, like citronella oil, work a little differently. This oil masks scents that attract mosquitoes. Another oil that effectively repels mosquitoes is corn oil. It can actually block emissions from your skin, which helps to keep you hidden from mosquitoes.
Our Natural Insect Repellent contains these essential oils as well as skin moisturizers, hemp seed oil, and vitamin E. Not only is our product effective, it is also more environmentally and family friendly. It deters mosquitoes from biting you, your family, and even your dog.
No one wants to deal with mosquitoes or their annoying bites. Using a natural mosquito repellent is a great way to keep these pesky blood-suckers away. Don’t forget to protect yourself before your next outdoor adventure. Check out our mosquito control products.