Only female mosquitoes bite animal and human hosts and use the protein in blood to develop eggs.
With mosquitoes infamous for spreading West Nile disease, it's important to keep both yourself and your pets protected by using animal-friendly mosquito repellents. Unfortunately, DEET in most mosquito repellent sprays may cause cats and dogs to suffer nervous system problems. For this reason, the American Kennel club advises never to spray your pets with human insect repellents. Instead, use natural, pet-safe repellents or repellents marked specifically for use on pets. Does this Spark an idea?
Citronella Candles
The odor of a citronella candle repels mosquitoes and masks your odor, along with your pet's odor, making it hard for mosquitoes to find a host to feed on. However, to ensure these candles are pet-safe, never leave a burning candle unattended or sitting on surfaces your pets can easily access. Flame from the burning candle could catch your pet's hair on fire, while eating the wax may poison your pet, cause intestinal problems and slow the central nervous system.
Catnip
Catnip is a pet-safe herb with a pleasant odor that is often used to fill cat toys. According to researchers at Iowa State University, catnip is reported to contain nepetalactone, an essential oil nearly 10 times more effective than the synthetic repellents containing DEFT (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Grow this herb to protect your entire yard from mosquitoes, or rub fresh-cut leaves on your skin and your pet's fur or feathers for mosquito protection while you're on the go.
Fragrant Herbs
Plants such as basil, lemon balm, lemongrass and lemon thyme contain traces of citronella and other mosquito-repelling essential oils that offer minimal protection against these parasitic insects. When crushed and rubbed on the skin, these herbs produce strong odors that mask the carbon dioxide and blood odors that attract mosquitoes to human and pet hosts. Unfortunately, these animal-friendly mosquito repellent herbs only work for short periods of 30 minutes of less, requiring additional applications to work effectively.
Considerations
The best method of protecting yourself and your pets from irritating mosquito bites is to limit your time outdoors in late evenings when mosquitoes usually swarm. You can also limit mosquito populations on your property by eliminating standing water that female mosquitoes lay their eggs in. This includes cleaning out and emptying horse troughs, birdbaths and water dishes available for outdoor pets.
Tags: your pets, yourself your pets, animal-friendly mosquito, burning candle, female mosquitoes, human hosts, mosquito repellent