Dealing with mosquitoes at night can be frustrating. After a long day’s work, the last thing you want is to have your sleep disrupted by these pests buzzing around and sucking your blood. It also doesn’t help that mosquitoes are more active at dawn, dusk, and night-time, but there are some things you can do to prevent these pests from disturbing your sleep.
1. Close your doors and windows
The most basic thing you can do is to close your doors and windows, especially those that lead outside. This is a particularly useful tip if you have a garden, lawn, or yard where mosquitoes tend to breed and thrive.
But there are gaps in your doors and windows where mosquitoes can go through even though they are closed. So, it’s also useful to add an extra layer of protection. For your doors, you can put door strips or weather strips around the edges. For your windows, you can install window screens.
You can buy these at home improvement stores. And many of them are designed to be installed easily. But if you are unsure on how to install them, don’t hesitate to hire a professional.
2. Clean the outside of your home
The perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes is stagnant water. And the problem is that stagnant water can easily accumulate outside your home. For example, there may be craters in the soil of your garden. There may be old containers in the garbage bin in your lawn. And there may be a children’s pool you have left in your yard. There are just so many places for stagnant water to accumulate and attract mosquitoes.
Make sure to remove the things that can accumulate stagnant water. If you maintain the outside of your home, you can be safe from mosquitoes inside. Don’t give mosquitoes a reason to live near you. This will decrease the chances of mosquitoes not just at night but at any time of day.
3. Use a mosquito net
There is just so much cleaning you can do outside your home. Mosquitoes can still go in and out of your home as you open and close passageways. In this sense, mosquitoes are inevitable, but you can protect yourself from mosquitoes at night by using a mosquito net.
Mosquito nets are more common in Africa and Asia, but you can find some too in America and Europe. Basically, they are just nets you put around your bed to shield your entire bed from pests such as mosquitoes. Some variants are just simple nets, but there are others that have been treated with an insecticide for an extra layer of protection.
When using a mosquito net, make sure that there are no gaps where mosquitoes can pass through. Also, make sure that you sleep without touching the nets. If your skin touches the nets, mosquitoes may still be able to get their proboscis through and suck your blood.
4. Cover your arms, legs, and feet
If it’s not terribly hot, consider wearing something that can cover as much of your skin as possible. The less skin you have exposed the better, as it means less space for the mosquitoes to operate on. Wear shirts with long sleeves to cover your arms and pajama bottoms to cover your legs.
Your feet are particularly attractive to mosquitoes. These body parts release an odor that seems like perfume for these pests. Wear socks to cover your feet and mask their odor.
Odor in general is attractive to mosquitoes. Aside from covering your arms, legs, and feet, it’s also a good idea to take a bath before going to bed. This will wash away sweat and all odors that may come with it.
5. Turn on the fan
Using a fan while you sleep has a lot of advantages. It can help cool you off on hot summer nights and cancel annoying sounds with white noise. And it can also help prevent mosquitoes at night.
Mosquitoes can’t stand strong winds because they are weak fliers. They simply couldn’t force themselves to fly around areas with such winds. The winds will also spread the carbon dioxide you exhale. This is a big deal because mosquitoes can detect their targets through their carbon dioxide footprint.
A ceiling fan can suffice, but many ceiling fans are too weak. You may want to buy a bedside fan instead. You can focus the fan on yourself or let it turn left to right to spread winds across the entire room. With strong enough winds, mosquitoes will leave you alone for the night.
6. Apply a mosquito repellent on your skin
There are 2 kinds of mosquito repellents you can use – the ones you apply on your skin and the ones you put in your room. The ones you apply on your skin usually come in the form of lotions that contain DEET, a chemical that repels all sorts of insects. Just apply this lotion as you prepare for bed. Make sure to follow the instructions on the bottle for maximum effectiveness and safety.
If you have sensitive skin, there are alternatives you can try. There are mosquito repellents that don’t use DEET and rely on other ingredients like picaridin. Some even have all-natural formulas.
7. Put a mosquito repellent around your room
Mosquito repellents that you can put in your room are more diverse. There are just so many to choose from. You have electric mosquito zappers that attract mosquitoes with light and electrocute them in metal grids. You have scented mosquito gels that you leave open in your room and drive away mosquitoes. And you have traditional mosquito coils that you light up and let them do their work.
If you want to go all-natural, there are also home remedies such as essential oils. You can dilute the essential oils on water and spray the mixture across your room. Their smell doesn’t sit well with pests such as mosquitoes. Some of the essential oils you should look for should contain cinnamon, eucalyptus, and lemon.