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When you’re looking for an easy DIY mosquito repellent or repellent to try around your home or garden, you may have come across a hack that involves rubbing alcohol. Some online sources claim that spraying mosquitoes with rubbing alcohol can kill them, but our experts say that’s not the best way to get rid of the pesky insects. I explained. Mosquito Control Entomologist Emma Grace Crumbley told House Digest exclusively that rubbing alcohol can kill mosquitoes, but this method of control is not the most effective.
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Crumbley explained that spraying isopropyl alcohol on mosquitoes is likely to kill them because it dehydrates the pests. “Rubbing alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol and other highly volatile chemicals can also desiccate and kill insects. These compounds quickly evaporate, and desiccation dries out the exoskeleton,” she says. say. However, Crumbley noted that household rubbing alcohol is not made to kill insects, so you may not know how much to spray or the concentration of rubbing alcohol. “As an industry professional and professional entomologist, I do not recommend this DIY mosquito control strategy,” she says. To keep mosquitoes out of your home, Crumbley suggests avoiding alcohol and using more tested and true control methods.
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Why rubbing alcohol is not the best mosquito control
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Emma Grace Crumbley explained exclusively to House Digest that there are some benefits to using rubbing alcohol as a mosquito treatment, but unlike DEET repellents, it’s cheap and It doesn’t leave behind any odor, but there are additional potential downsides. One reason why spraying mosquitoes with rubbing alcohol isn’t very effective is because you have to wait for the bugs to land before spraying. This means you’ll be dealing with one mosquito at a time and you’ll need to keep your spray bottle ready at all times. Additionally, even if you do get hit by a mosquito, if the alcohol isn’t strong enough or you don’t drink enough alcohol, you might survive, Crumbley said.
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If you use rubbing alcohol indoors, keep in mind that it’s highly flammable, and be careful where you spray it. If you’re trying to get rid of mosquitoes in your garden, Crumbley emphasized how important it is to consider the effects of chemicals on plants and other insects. “The high percentage of rubbing alcohol required for this hack can damage nearby plants and grass… (and) spraying any chemicals on flowering plants can harm pollinators. “There’s a danger,” she said. It’s best to skip the rubbing alcohol hack to keep your home, lawn, garden, and nearby beneficial insects safe.
Things to keep in mind to get rid of mosquitoes
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Although Emma Grace Crumbley doesn’t endorse the rubbing alcohol hack, she did give House Digest some special tips to stay safe if you decide to give it a try. She suggests making sure to store alcohol out of reach of pets and children, labeling the bottle with the type and strength of alcohol, and wearing protective equipment such as gloves. Rather than trying your luck with this hack, Crumbley explained, it’s better to take steps to make your home, patio, and garden less inhospitable to pests. “We encourage readers to try other DIY strategies, such as removing standing water and installing deck fans or screens to control mosquitoes,” she said. This will help keep mosquitoes away without harming others. Trying it out is an easy first step.
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For those who have already tried to clear standing water and use physical deterrents to ward off mosquitoes without seeing improvement, a DIY solution may be beyond you. “In some cases, the mosquito problem is too complex for you to deal with on your own,” Crumbley says. Instead of trying dangerous or unproven control methods, she recommends contacting a pest control professional to make sure these nuisance blood-sucking insects are free from your property. I am.
