Top 5 Surprising Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away
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DALLAS (CBS11) - You've likely heard to follow the four "D"s to protect yourself from mosquitoes; drain standing water, dress in long sleeves, don't be out at dusk or dawn, and use DEET.
These tried and true tips however aren't the only tactics that work. Here are five more surprising ways to mosquitoes away:
Plants and flowers - While you may enjoy the smell of Marigolds, mosquitoes find the odor offensive.
They don't like the smell of mint, rosemary, or more than a dozen other plants either.
"They're not guarantee to keep every mosquito away, but it's natural," said Dave Forehead, VP of Gardens at the Dallas Arboretum. "If you don't want to use DEET, this is an alternative way to do it."
Knowing what to eat and not drink - Some people claim eating garlic can keep mosquitoes away. The science, however; is less than conclusive.
Although, what has been proven scientifically is drinking alcohol will attract mosquitoes.
Bats - A single chamber bat house placed on a side of a home can hold up to a hundred bats and it's possible for one bat to eat up to a thousand mosquitoes in an hour.
However, most bats' diets only comprise of 3-5% mosquitoes. Still, the presence of bats will keep mosquitoes out of your yard.
Vanilla - While most experts say DEET is the most effective repellant spray, a more natural alternative is vanilla.
Spray on a mixture of two teaspoons of vanilla for every cup of water to keep mosquitoes at a distance.
Don't forget the gutters - The single most effective way to control mosquitoes is to kill the larva before they become mosquitoes.
You can do this with mosquito dunks or by making sure stagnate water doesn't collect.
Where a lot people forget to check for water is in their gutters where a clog can led to stagnate water.
"If everyone would use mosquito dunks in all the standing water around town, we would almost eliminate mosquitoes all together," said Forehead.
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