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ok - so it's mosquito season and BOY are they BIG !

Last eve Keymo was outside in the yard and I could see him snapping his mouth into the air and as soon as he stood still, I could see tons of mosquitos buzzing around his head !
He looked like he had a little halo !

Ha Ha a halo - as if !

Anyway - is there anything safe we can use on dogs to help protect them from these little nasties? The evenings are great for having our dog outside, but even I don't feel like staying out long to play with him and get eaten alive!
He'd much rather be outside than indoors with us at this time of year!

Hey guys,
I have tried rubbing my arm with Basil(fresh) and it worked pretty good. I heard about it in a natural remedy book, for people who don't want to spray mosquitoe repelant, but I never tried it on our dogs. One good thing is that they would smell more like a salad than a dog!
Give it a try and let us know how it worked, we still don't have mosquitoes where I live, so you can be the test subject for the rest of us.

I know Avon's Skin So Soft works as a mosquito repellent. Last year, I bought the largest bottle, and it lasted the summer. It is kind of greasy though.

Good Morning.

I have heard that Listerine can be used as a repellant. I don't know if it works, but hey it's worth a try.

Dale

Yep! Like Dale said, I too have heard Listerine!
We had to go in as well...they were bad! But, we have black flies...not sure what\'s worse! lol

Well I finally found the recipes for natural repellants for animals:

Lavender Oil

Use lavender oil, and dab it on your pulse points (I used it on my wrists, behind my ears, temples, behind my knees, and on my ankles). Smells wonderful, but apparently the insects don't think so. For pets, dilute with water and spray away ...(avoiding the eyes and mouth of course)


Bug-Proof Your Yard

There are many insect repellents that contain "pyrethum," which is actually a natural extract of the marigold plant. It is very safe for use around children and pets, but it is quite expensive. You may also want to regularly spray your plants and grass with a soap and water solution. This will have 3 effects: 1) it will dehydrate most bugs and kill them without chemicals, 2) it will help to keep your grass and plants clean of pollution and make them healthier and 3) it will soften your soil which mean you won't have to water as much. Use a hose-end sprayer filled with 1 cup of any cheap dishwashing soap for your grass or 1 tablespoon of soap in a hand-held sprayer for your plants.

Again, you can buy marigold oil and dilute with water and spray away ...

Homemade Recipe
20 drops Eucalyptus oil
20 drops Cedarwood oil
10 drops Tea Tree oil
10 drops Geranium oil
2 oz. carrier oil ( such as Jojoba )
Mix together in a 4 oz. container. Apply to skin as needed avoiding the eye area. Keep out of reach of children. Test on a small area of skin for sensitivities . Experiment with different percentages of essential oil.

Vanilla
One of the best natural insect repellants that I've discovered is made from the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store vanilla extract which is mostly alcohol). This is the pure vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It's cheap there if you know of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border. If not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it for you. I use it half vanilla and half water and find that it works great for mosquitoes and ticks, don't know about other insects. It's nice that you don't smell like a chemical plant but a cookie!

Marion

Really good suggestions!

Listerine? Not only will our breath be great but we'll smell Keymo coming !

Lavender ? Vanilla ?
Not sure how Keymo's going to like smelling like a girl !
We better no use any before we got to the dog park - wouldn't want to embarass him with the other male dogs !

All worth a try !

Good Morning.

I just rec'd an email regarding Bounce dryer sheets. They say that bounce repels mosquitos. Just tie it on the leash or collar and it's supposed to keep the bugs away. I might try this instead of the Listerine. At least Molly will smell better.

Dale

I got a nautral insect repellent from Healthy Paws. Smells nice, not too strong and seems to work pretty well.

got some natural mosq spray from my horsestore... most horse stores care it... EQ makes it and it contains no deet and is all natural... I tried the bounce sheets and did not work... poor guy was getting eaten alive!