Non toxic insect repellents ARTICLES

1. Non Toxic
Insect Repellents

2. • Ang lamok! With the rainy season upon us,
those damn mosquitoes are out again. It’s
one of the perils of living in a tropical
country; you have to deal with coin sized
mosquitoes that carry dengue and other
disease.

3. • The most popular solution in our country is
to spray ourselves with OFF lotion or the
house with Baygon mosquito spray or use
Katol. It’s a convenient solution, but keep
in mind that OFF lotion has DEET, with is
a strong chemical agent that can cause
rashes and skin and eye irritation. You
may have lathered yourself with OFF lotion
and lit all the Baygon katols but still find no
relief.

4. • When I was younger, I accidentally
managed to spill OFF lotion on my mom’s
varnished/lacquered dresser (mom, I’m
sorry I never told you. It wasn’t the dog, it
was me). The formulation of the OFF
lotion was strong enough to wash the
varnish away, so that when I tried to wipe
off the OFF lotion with a piece of tissue, I
managed to wipe the varnish and the
underlying paint clean off. I don’t know if
they’ve changed the formulation of the
lotion since then, but from then on, I’ve
been leery of using OFF lotion.

5. • As I often seem to find myself in locations
where mosquitoes are of the carabao variety
– meaning, that they’re vicious enough to
pierce carabao skin, and bite through
leggings or tights, or arm warmers – I’ve
been hunting around for tips and non toxic
solutions to my mosquito bites vs. keeping-
my-own-skin-intact dilemma. These are
simple tips, I know, but it’s amazing how
much they help:

6. • Keep your home sealed. Make sure that
your windows and doors have screens to
let the breeze in but keep the mosquitoes
out. This is an inexpensive solution and it
works and it’s chemical free. The gold old
kulambo or mosquito net is inexpensive
and still works. Use it in place of drapes if
you have a canopy bed.

7. • Remove attractants. Mosquitoes love
shallow stagnant water so remove these
from your home. Turn over any empty
basins and buckets, keep trashcans
covered and throw out old tires. Clean out
your gutter so there’s no place for
mosquitoes to lay their eggs. These bugs
only need less than in inch of water to
make it a viable habitat to lay their eggs.

8. • Surround yourself with neem plants. This
locally grown can be as small as a shrub but
can grow as big as a tree. The more the
merrier and it smells like citronella. This is a
natural repellant that contains sallanin,
which the mosquitoes and bugs don’t like.
Another alternative if you can find is Thai
Lemon grass (it’s actually a plant). Place
pots of the neem plant at the entrance of
your home, or plant it in your garden near
the windows. Neem plants like sun so if you
bring it indoors, you will need to take it out
regularly.

9. • Use citronella candles and oils. This is the
most popular of non DEET based
repellents but it may not be as strong
warding off mosquitoes compared to
commercially available products. Use it for
young children, especially if you have
asthmatics or children with allergies since
it is milder. It leaves a soft lemony scent in
the air.

10. • Use Lemon Eucalyptus based products. I
find this to be more effective than citronella
based products. One that I personally like
is Repel Lemon Eucalyptus. It’s available
at Target in the camping or outdoors
section. A bottle costs about $6 but lasts a
year but it’s rare that I see some sold
locally. It is effective up to six hours. It’s
safe to spray on clothing and for use with
young children.

11. • Wear light colored clothing and avoid
perfumed sprays and body products. Dark
colors and strong perfumes attract
mosquitoes so avoid it.
• Install a mosquito zapper. Or get one of
those tennis racquet mosquito zappy
things, sold at most stalls and tiangges.
They’re powered by AA batteries, and
believe me, when you manage to zap a
mosquito that’s been guzzling your blood;
the satisfaction is like a mosquito-proof
warm blanket over your itchy mosquito
bites

12. • Alternatively, you could get an Imarflex
device that kills any bug or mosquito that
goes near it. These can be purchased in
hardware stores. The bigger the better. At
least if any mosquito gets past your
defenses, it can get zapped before it bites
you.
• Try these and see what works for you. If
you get desperate, eat garlic and avoid
bananas. You may need to try a
combination of approaches to get the best
solution.

13. • Article and Powerpoint By
• Green Home Philippines , Housekeeping
Tips Website