There has been a great deal of interest shown recently, in the use of natural insect repellents. And for good reason: DEET, the most commonly used chemical-based insect repellent is considered by some to be a toxic health risk.
Citronella oil, lavender oil, neem oil, soya oil and lemon grass oil are natural mosquito repellents. You can mix these oils (6 drops each) with any oil or moisturizer (30 ml) and rub a bit on your skin. Remember to use organic stuff or else it could harm your skin. Use less drops of lemon grass oil as it may irritate the skin. Eucalyptus oil can also be used. Though some of these oils smell very strong, they are very effective in keeping away the bugs/insects and can also be sprayed in your rooms to bring instant freshness.
You can also try catnip oil or/and garlic juice. Use one part of catnip oil or/and garlic juice and four parts of water. Mix well. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray at places where you feel is required.
Herbs are useful in keeping the bugs away. Crush few leaves of lemon balm, lavender or peppermint and apply on your skin. Herbs can be easily grown in pots. One can use fresh leaves of basil, crush them in a spray bottle with water and spray every hour. Applying them on the skin is quite effective to keep the nuisance out.
If you don’t want to dab these smells on yourself or on your clothes, you can try planting them in your garden. Because that’s the place where mosquitoes thrive and enter your home. You can plant citronella, lemon balm, lavender, peppermint, marigold, trachyspermum ammi commonly known as ajowan/ajjwain or catnip at all the corners of your home . You may brush these leaves often for more effective aroma release. Try pyrethrum it is a member of the daisy family and is a natural insect repellent, if grown in large clumps. They need to be dried first and then grounded and mixed with water for spraying. It can be used even on animals, but in small quantities regularly.
Dadima ke nuske says to put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. Use pure camphor not the synthetic ones which are easily available in the market.
Other preventive measures would be: remove standing water, wear long sleeves dress/pants, keep the doors and windows shut, use nets on the window seals etc.
Sources:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-natural-mosquito-repellents.html
http://homes.yahoo.com/news/10-ways-to-combat-mosquitoes-naturally-160831018.html?page=all
http://dadimaakenuskhehomeremedies.blogspot.in/p/cookin-tips.html
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3855/#
Download the Dhyan Foundation – Sanatan Kriya App for Android here and for iOS here.