Itty-bitty, pesky mosquitos may seem harmless, but they are responsible for the cause and spread of several serious diseases. Life-threatening, mosquito-borne illnesses include malaria, Chikungunya, West Nile Virus, Zika virus, Dengue fever, and yellow fever.
While mosquitoes live in predominantly warmer areas, no one is really safe. For this reason, you can never be too careful, especially when the kids are involved. Little children are the most vulnerable when it comes to mosquito bites. Their skin is soft and easy to penetrate.
Mosquitoes are attracted to a person’s scent, heat, and humidity. Considering how active kids are, it’s easy to see why they are prone to getting mosquito bites more than the adults.
So, how can you protect your kids from mosquitoes in a natural way? Here are some effective ideas.
Use Essential Oils
Organic essential oils are excellent mosquito repellents. Some of the most effective ones include,
- Cinnamon oil
- Lavender oil
- Lemon eucalyptus oil
- Thyme oil
- Tea tree oil
- Soybean oil
- Greek catnip oil
- Citronella oil, and so on.
Such oils are up to 95% effective at repelling mosquitos. Apply a little bit of oil on all exposed areas, including the face, hands, lower legs, and feet. Expect the oils to work for at least three hours before you need to reapply.
Avoid applying the oil on your little one’s skin in its pure form. Owing to how strong these oils are they are likely to irritate your child’s skin. Mix the oil of your choice with another mild carrier oil like olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, or coconut oil. At least five drops of the essential oil mixed with an ounce of any carrier oil is ideal.
Get Rid of Stagnant Water;
Stagnant water makes the best breeding ground for mosquitos. Stagnant water doesn’t have to be a pond or a puddle, items like trash containers, old tires, and idle buckets collect water over time. One mosquito only needs a small amount of still water to lay its eggs.
Throw away all the trash or containers lying around in your yard. Empty all the outdoor vases, birdbaths, rain barrels, and other containers where water easily collects.
If you have a pond nearby, how about plant some herbal mosquito repellents in and around your pond? In most cases, it is not the pond water that mosquitoes like to hide in as much as the surrounding vegetation. Plants such as the Bacillus thuringiensis may not repel mosquitos, but they do a good job of killing their larvae. When mosquitos can’t reproduce, they soon fade away and cease to become a problem.
Let Them Sleep Under a Mosquito Net
It may seem outdated to sleep under a net, but when the topic is your kid’s safety, then there’s no room for compromise. Mosquito nets have been proven time and time again as an effective way to protect you and your kids from mosquitos.
Be sure to tuck in the net around the mattress and leave no room for mosquitos to enter. After several washes and constant use, mosquito nets grow old and develop tears. So, remember to replace your nets every couple of years for maximum protection.
Plant Plenty of Herbs
Do you love gardening? It can be anything from those little indoor plant pots right at your kitchen window or a flower garden on your lawn and back yard. Either way, it is always a good idea to plant herbs along with your flowers and vegetables.
Herbs like Basil, peppermint, Pennyroyal, lavender, eucalyptus, citronella grass, lemon, and feverfew are just a few of the types of plants mosquitos can’t stand. These plants work well with other plants and are friendly to the environment.
They don’t need much effort to grow. If your kid’s skin is allergic to essential oils, then planting such herbs in and around your home is the second-best option to keep mosquitos at bay.
Takeaway
Going for a hike, a walk in the park, camping, or hanging out at your back yard? These are all scenarios that expose you and your kids, putting them at risk of incurring mosquito bites. A single mosquito bite is more harmful to babies and young kids because they are more sensitive.
From itching, swelling, and skin reddening, their reaction is quite intense and may irritate the child immensely before any remedy works. To save your kids from all the trouble, it is better to use one or more of the effective natural ways featured above to protect them from mosquito bites.
Natural remedies are the better option because, unlike chemical repellents, they are environment-friendly, safe for use on children and much more effective.
While there’s no question about the effectiveness of the methods listed above, it is wise to always remain vigilant. If, after a mosquito bite, you notice sudden nausea, difficulty breathing, fever, and your child complains of headaches, rush to the hospital right away.
Best is to get consultation from professional pest removal company in London like Empire Pest Control to get rid of mosquitoes safely.