I exit my back door to get to my little garden area. Lately, I've had to stop around 5 p.m. because that's when the mosquitos swarm the area. Not nice as it's daylight until around 8 p.m. and cool--a great time to garden! But those darn mosquitos not only bother me while I'm outside, but every time I open my screen door to get out there, some fly in. They tend to buzz around that door and all my open windows as well. It got to the point where I just avoid going out there from 5 p.m. onward.

This evening, it occurred to me--I have some great bug repellent. It's Deet free and smells really good too! Why not spray a bit on the screen from inside? So I did and it had an immediate affect! The mosquitos simply left! Since the repellent isn't oily, there's nothing sticky on my screen either! I just went outside (it's almost 7 p.m.) and not only are there no mosquitos anywhere near my door, there are none within a very large range either!

So try spraying a squirt or five of your favorite bug repellent on your screens from inside and see if it works this well for you too!

Great idea Joanna! I hate when the skeets sneak in too. Will try that tonight (right away).

Frenchy21 said:Great idea Joanna! I hate when the skeets sneak in too. Will try that tonight (right away).

Hope it works as well for you as it does for me!

Well it just started raining hard so I will have to wait until tomorrow.

Frenchy21 said:Well it just started raining hard so I will have to wait until tomorrow.

Well, maybe the rain will at least deter them.

Which non-sticky nice smelling repellent did you use? While I hate to ask you to plug a name brand, I can't stand most of the bug sprays and would appreciate a suggestion.

No problem. I find that most of the natural ones that are made with essential oils tend to be non sticky. The one I'm using this year is called Bug Out! Insect Repellent, deet-free herbal guard.

I've noticed that there are a lot of recipes online if you want to try making one of your own. I haven't tried any though so I can't vouch for them.

Thanks - I'll try it. I use magic screens for both front & back doors and have to keep the lights out in my living room as the evening darkens. The bugs somehow get in no matter how good the doors are (and I do love them!). I'll try to remember to pick up some spray and try it.

for the recommendation for Bug Out! I have had a wasp sting and spider bite this summer with quite inflammatory results. For the wasp sting I had to take steroids for 7 days and the tiniest spider I ever saw caused a blister the size of a quarter and a quarter inch high on the top of my foot. It fell from a weed I had pulled. I spray myself when I remember but would rather use something natural. That was the one day I went outside with flip flops instead of shoes and socks.

Samlav said: for the recommendation for Bug Out! I have had a wasp sting and spider bite this summer with quite inflammatory results. For the wasp sting I had to take steroids for 7 days and the tiniest spider I ever saw caused a blister the size of a quarter and a quarter inch high on the top of my foot. It fell from a weed I had pulled. I spray myself when I remember but would rather use something natural. That was the one day I went outside with flip flops instead of shoes and socks.

OMG! That sounds awful! Hope it won't happen again.

for a great idea. I'm all over this one, because I have also had my fair share of sketer bites. It's just a really good year for them.

katesflowers said: for a great idea. I'm all over this one, because I have also had my fair share of sketer bites. It's just a really good year for them.

It sure seems that way, doesn't it Kathy?!

Bugs don't like yarrow. In army tests it worked better than DEET and Yarrow is not poison.

Yarrow is considered a weed so it is very tough and it grows over most of the whole country. If you want a supply at home, you can pull up a clump and transplant it to your garden.

A simple recipe is to put it in some witch hazel or alcohol and put it in a spray bottle. Don't get it in your eyes! There are better recipes online.

We get huge mosquitos in Alaska, so we call them our state bird. They are the only mosquitos in the world that burrow into the ground and hibernate.

Does it work against wasps too?