- Repellent for adults and pregnant women
- Homemade repellent for babies and children
- Electronic mosquito repellent
- Homemade fly repellent
Repellents should be applied to the body, especially when there are epidemics of dengue, zika and chikungunya, because they prevent the bite of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits these diseases. WHO and the Ministry of Health warn of the use of repellents containing substances such as DEET or Icaridine above 20% for adults, and 10% for children over 2 years of age.
In addition, homemade repellents are also good options against mosquitoes, especially for people who cannot use chemicals. However, it must be borne in mind that the effectiveness of homemade repellents is very low, which makes it necessary to reapply them very often, so there is a risk that they will not be as effective.
Repellent for adults and pregnant women
An example of a homemade mosquito repellent, which can be used by teenagers and adults, including pregnant women, is that of cloves, widely used by fishermen because it is rich in essential oil and eugenol, with insecticidal properties, that keep mosquitoes, flies and ants away.
Ingredients
- 500 ml of cereal alcohol; 10 g of cloves; 100 ml of almond or mineral oil.
Method of preparation
Place the alcohol and cloves in a dark bottle with a lid, protected from light, for 4 days. Stir this mixture twice a day, in the morning and at night. Strain and add the body oil, shaking slightly and place the repellent in a spray container.
How to use homemade repellent
Spray homemade repellent on the entire region of the body exposed to the mosquito, such as arms, face and legs, and reapply several times a day and whenever you practice sports, sweat, or get wet. The maximum duration of the repellent on the skin is 3 hours and, therefore, after this period it must be reapplied on all skin subject to bites.
Another important guideline is to spray this repellent over your clothes as the mosquito's stinger can pass through very thin fabrics, reaching the skin.
Applying this lotion to surfaces that usually have ants is also a great way to keep them away. If ants tend to stay in sugar, what you can do is put some units of cloves inside the sugar bowl.
Homemade repellent for babies and children
Another homemade repellent for babies, after 2 months of life, is the moisturizing cream with lavender essential oil. This repellent should not be used by pregnant women.
Ingredients
- 1 container 150 ml of Proderm moisturizer; 1 spoon of lavender essential oil.
Method of preparation
In a glass container mix the contents of each of these packages very well and then store them again in the Proderm bottle. Apply to all areas of the body exposed to the mosquito, daily, about 8 times a day.
Complex B has an aroma that keeps mosquitoes away, preventing their bites. See more homemade tips in the video:
Electronic mosquito repellent
A great electronic repellent against mosquitoes and other insects is to place 1 rectangular slice of lemon or orange peel inside the reserved place to place the electronic repellent refill that is placed in the outlets and change the peel daily.
This repellent may not be enough to keep mosquitoes away and, therefore, the person should also use a repellent on the skin.
Homemade fly repellent
An example of a homemade fly repellent is to put 15 to 20 cloves skewered in half a lemon or an orange.
Ingredients
- 10 g of cloves; 1 orange or 1 lemon.
Method of preparation
Stick the cloves on the outside of the fruit and leave it outdoors. To enhance the effect, you can also cut the orange or lemon in half and stick the carnations inside. In addition, if the fruit is squeezed a little, the juice becomes more evident and has greater action in conjunction with the cloves.
Cloves have properties that irritate insects and these properties are most evident in contact with these citrus fruits.
In addition to these natural repellents, there are also some commercial repellents such as Exposis or Off, which can be used by pregnant women and children and which help to protect against mosquito bites. Find out what industrial repellents can be used by pregnant women.
