I'm spending 8-12 hours a day in my shop during the summer, and I'm looking for helpful home remedies to deal with mosquitoes. I was considering a Thermacell, but that's a bit pricey, so I'd love to hear if anyone has other suggestions or methods they use to keep mosquitos at bay in such an environment.
4 Answers
If it's feasible, using some citronella candles could help—they're pretty cheap and can be effective. Just place them in a metal container with a cover to avoid fire hazards. I also recommend mosquito nets around your space, as they really help cut down on the ones that get in.
Why not try planting citronella plants? I've had some success with that on my porch, and it keeps the bugs away nicely. Plus, I'd suggest checking for any areas around your shop where mosquitos might breed to minimize their presence.
Screens are probably the best long-term solution. It could be a fun project to make snap-on screen frames or magnetic screens for your shop. And if you do need bug spray, consider using something with Picaridin instead of DEET if you're sensitive to it; I hear it's preferable now.
Have you thought about DIY mosquito traps? Just set up buckets of water around your space with mosquito dunks in them. When the mosquitos try to lay eggs, the larvae will die. Adding grass clippings might make the water more appealing to them—I've seen some YouTube tutorials on how to set it up. You could also spray insecticide on bushes and grass if you're okay with that option.
I do something similar, but I just refill the buckets with clean water every week instead of using dunks. It takes a little while to see the results, but it does help!
I totally agree! DEET can be a bit gross. Picaridin is much better. I've got a bottle of that—it's a game changer!