Most mosquito repellents can be found by simply asking for insect repellent, but it will be a big help to know which kinds of products you want before you start searching. Here are some of your options.
PLUGINS[]
Plugins
The No-Mat mosquito repellant plugins are real effective. There are some that plug right into the wall and others that have a cord so they can be placed in a more convenient spot. There are liquid refills of 30, 60, 90, or 120 days. Another type of plug in requires tabs that have to be replaced either daily or weekly. If you want the plugin to last a bit longer, be sure to turn it off when you are not using it. If you often forget to turn it off, you could always use a Christmas lights timer to do it for you.
VAPE FANS[]
Vape Fan
It is not too different from a plug in, but these are usually battery powered and use a small fan to distribute the repellent. There are even little ones that you can attach to your clothes or wear like a watch when you are running around outside or clip-ons for you bags and or clothing. There are a few products that do not require batteries though.
VENTILATION PLATES[]
Ventilation Plates
If you don't want to use electricity at all, there are a number of different products that can be used without batteries or an outlet. The plate or hanger type can be hung on a screen door or somewhere else in the home, preferably somewhere with a bit of a breeze, because that is how the repellent will spread. There are even mini models that are a clip on for hiking and camping.
AIR FRESHENERS[]
Air Fresheners
They look very similar to the liquid, gel, or solid type air fresheners for the living room or bathroom. They come in a variety of nice fragrances. They can be place around the room to smell good and repel bugs at the same time. Some brands also have refills for the liquid or gel types, which are a bit cheaper than buying a whole new air freshener.
MOSQUITO COILS[]
Mosquito Coils
Mosquito coils are incense that is burned in order to keep mosquitoes away. They come in a variety of fragrances and can be place into different containers for burning. If they are bought in bulk, they normally come in a large tin container; the lid can normally be used as the ashtray for burning the incense. There is even a portable incense burner tin that you can clip onto yourself or your tent when camping. Regardless of container, these need to be used outside in the garden, sitting on a terrace, camping, or any other well ventilated area.
PLANTS[]
Plants
If you have a bit of patience and a green thumb, you could grow a few plants that repel mosquitoes as well. Some of these plants have been known to work better than DEET. Some plants serve multiple purposes; they can be eaten, used for medicinal purposes, for fragrance, decoration, and more.
- Ageratum (grow as is)
- Basil (leaves need to be crushed)
- Catnip (great if you have cats)
- Citronella (most commonly used product)
- Geranium (grow as is)
- Horse Mint (crush the leaves)
- Lavender (grow as is or with added protection rub on skin)
- Lemon Balm (leaves should be crushed & rubbed on skin)
- Marigolds (grow as is)
- (grow as is)
- Penny Royal (grow as is on keep crushed stems in your pocket)
- Peppermint (crush the leaves)
- Rosemary (fresh or dried cuttings work, put in sachet)
SPRAYS[]
Sprays
You can buy both aerosol sprays as well as push pump spray bottles of mosquito repellants.l. There are even a few sprays that come with UV protection. Most bottles will either indicate how many days’ worth of product are in a bottle / can or how many hours as an alternative.
Regardless of brand, some sprays or lotions may mention whether they contain DEET, alcohol, essicitial oils, additional fragarences, or other natural products.
LOTIONS & GELS[]
Lotions & Gels
Similar to the spray options, there are a variety of lotion or gel products on the market. There is not all that much difference between them besides how they are applied to your skin or clothes. There is also bug repellent / sunblock combination types out there as well. This are usually marketed towards children or campers. Regardless of brand, some sprays or lotions may mention whether they contain DEET, alcohol, essential oils, additional fragrances, or other natural products.
BRACELETS[]
Bracelets
There are a couple different kinds of bracelets you can get, some with DEET and some with essentials oils. It is usually a hit of miss with these, as some of them don’t seem to do much. Most of the bracelets are for a one-time use, but some you can reseal into a plastic bag to be used again for later. There is also another kind of bracelet where you dispose of the insert, which is also normally a one-time use.
ESSENTIAL OILS[]
Essential Oils
There are a lot of things you can use essential oils for and there are several different recipes you can use to make bug repellents, so I will leave that up to Google to explain and for your own nose to decide. Some of the most common oils to buy in stores are Lavender, Mint, and Citronella. When you make your purchase, please be aware that fragrance oils are not the same as essential oils, because one is meant for contact on skin while the other isn’t.
STICKERS[]
Stickers
If you don’t want to apply anything to your skin, using stickers is another way to go. They are generally marketed towards babies and children, but anyone can use them. Stickers will usually last up to 30 hours or more, but of course they start to lose to potency the longer you wear them.
WET WIPES[]
Wet Wipes
If you want to feel a little bit fresher and repel the bugs away at the same time, then wet tissues are the way to go. They can last up to about 6 hours. During the super humid and hot Japanese summers, these can be real nice to freshen up. The only real down side is that you have to find a place to throw away the tissue once you have used it.
WORDS TO KNOW[]
- Bug Lock バグロック Bagu Rokku
- Earth No Mat アースノーマット Āsunōmatto
- Essential Oil エッセンシャルオイル Essensharu Oiru
- Fuma Killer フマキラー Fumakirā
- Insect Repellent Aroma 虫よけアロマ Mushiyoke Aroma
- Insect Repellent Barrier 虫よけバリア Mushiyoke Baria
- Insect Repellent Bracelet 虫よけブレスレット Mushiyoke Buresuretto
- Insect Repellent Net 虫よけネット Mushiyoke Netto
- Insect Repellent Plate 虫よけプレート Mushiyoke Purēto
- Insect Repellent Ring 虫よけリング Mushiyoke Ringu
- Insect Repellent Sheet 虫よけシート Mushiyoke Shīto
- Insect Repellent 虫除け / 虫よけ Mushiyoke
- Insect 虫 mushi
- Mites ダニ Tani
- Mosquito Coil かとりせんこう / 蚊取り線香 Katorisenkō
- Mosquito 蚊 Ka
- No Mat ノーマット Nōmatto
- Refill 詰め替え Tsumekae
- Skin Vape Mist スキンベープミスト Sukinbēpu Misuto
- Sticker Type シールタイプ Shīru Taipu
- Sticker シール Shīru
- Type タイプ Taipu
- Vape ベープ Beppu
- Vape Liquid ベープリキッド Bēpurikiddo
- Vape Mat (Tablet) ベープマット Beppu Matto
- Wet Tissue ウェットティッシュ U~Etto Tisshu
- Wristband リストバンド Risuto Bando