Keeping mosquitoes OUT
Mosquitoes and bugs are extremely attracted to me. In a room full of people I always happen to be the only one (well, most of the time) who gets bitten by these pesky little creatures among the lot. Living in a tropical country notorious for mosquitoes isn't helping me in anyway but, I've stayed in Africa and the United States and have been targeted there as well, so it's not the location. No matter where I am, they will find me and they will bite me. But that isn't the most pressing issue here, our kids acquiring Dengue fever by far is at the top of my list actually. Achieving a mosquito/bug free home was a goal Mr. D and I definitely had our sights on.
There are tons of products out there that can be readily purchased in stores, claiming they could get rid of our bug problems in an instant. But at what cost? Well, after thoroughly reading the labels and checking out the hazardous ingredients they added to the mix, it's very safe to say that the health risks are high. I personally wouldn't want to expose my family to any of those toxic chemicals no matter how "safe" their marketing and sales team claims them to be. I have learned through the years not to trust companies when it comes to my family's safety, that is solely up to us.
There are tons of products out there that can be readily purchased in stores, claiming they could get rid of our bug problems in an instant. But at what cost? Well, after thoroughly reading the labels and checking out the hazardous ingredients they added to the mix, it's very safe to say that the health risks are high. I personally wouldn't want to expose my family to any of those toxic chemicals no matter how "safe" their marketing and sales team claims them to be. I have learned through the years not to trust companies when it comes to my family's safety, that is solely up to us.
Did a bit of digging around (which is what we do best) and found out about citrus mosquito repellents. Apparently, lemon doesn't work which is fine since it's a bit pricey here, but lemon grass and our very own Philippine lemon or "calamansi" are quite effective in this subject. Mr. D suggested that we add it to the water and baking soda mix we always use for everyday moping and even wiping dust off the surfaces around the house. As expected, it worked like a charm. There were visibly no mosquitoes around the house after adding calamansi juice to the mops and cloths for cleaning. When we do miss on doing this, they come back haha. So better make it a daily habit. An additional tip is also to add it to the bucket of water you'll use for your final rinse during baths or showers. Bugs will stay clear of you and you'll smell of citrus as a bonus.
