Keeping away mosquitoes?

October 17, 2011 12:05 AM

Mosquitoes have been buzzing in my ears and keeping me awake at night. How do I either keep them away from me or block out the noise? I have good earplugs, but I imagine they'd be uncomfortable to wear while I sleep. I live in Sydney, Australia and I'm not sure why there are so many mosquitoes. I'm okay with killing them.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn to pets & animals (31 answers total)

It's easier to get used to wearing earplugs in your sleep than you'd think, especially when they drown out unpleasant noises. What about a good, insecticide treated mosquito net? Have to make sure it's set up properly and tucked in so that it doesn't drape down over your ear, because then you'll still hear them. To be double safe, set up a mosquito coil, you can get them at camping stores.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 12:13 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

have you tried those lightweight foam earplugs...just bought a box of many (a dozen?) pairs at the drugstore for cheap...
posted by sexyrobot at 12:17 AM on October 17, 2011

I run a fan at night for white noise.
posted by IndigoRain at 12:41 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Plug-in repellant gizmos from the supermarket are supereffective.
posted by dontjumplarry at 1:03 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Get rid of any standing water around your flat. Get some citronella candles or an oil burner for your room. Use DEET repellents. Fix your flyscreens (assuming you have them) Use a white noise app on your phone (fan is also a good idea) Have a look at putting some pots of mosquito repellent plants near your window (pyrethrum or lemon teatree - without a water collecting saucer under the pots)

Be merciless. Ross River Virus completely boned me.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 1:06 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Seconding a fan for white noise - also I hear that mosquitos don't like wind (not sure how accurate that is though) so a fan would also discourage them from hanging around.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:16 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

My plan of attack in summer is 1) make sure there isn't any standing water outside / near bedroom windows 2) ensure screens are mozzie proof 3) buy and plug in mozzie repellant diffuser 4) turn on diffuser 1 hour before bedtime and run all night 5) run ceiling / standing fan on low so there is air movement in room.

If mozzie's persist then I have been known to cover up pillows / bedding with towels and spraying room with non scented insect repellant before bedtime then turning on ceiling fan full blast to ensure all buzzing insects DIE A PAINFUL DEATH.

Outside of this I have also found myself leaping up and down on my bed to squish the bastards on the ceiling. Maybe one or more of these tried and tested techniques will help!
posted by latch24 at 1:33 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

I guess this is where I thank MeFi for recomending those ETY earplugs in other threads. They work great at shows. I have tinnitus, so I sleep with music on, but the bugs literally buzz INTO my ears.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 1:38 AM on October 17, 2011

Seconding plug in things and fans. Always works for us.
posted by thylacinthine at 1:52 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

There are so many mosquitoes because it's Sydney; I've always found either a net or a plug-in insecticide to work pretty well killing them. The Mortein ones work for me---just remember to keep replacing the refills when they're empty.

They also seem to keep cockroaches down pretty well.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 2:11 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

I don't think its safe to burn citronella candles indoors. Please don't do that.
posted by vitabellosi at 2:22 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I strongly recommend setting up a mosquito net.
posted by infini at 2:37 AM on October 17, 2011

Mosquito coils are better than citronella candles btw.
posted by infini at 2:38 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

This may sound very silly... but are you certain it's not your tinnitus playing up?
posted by Simon_ at 2:46 AM on October 17, 2011

Why not sleep in a net?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:53 AM on October 17, 2011

I strongly recommend setting up a mosquito net.

Second this. I live in Sweden where there are quite a lot of mosquitoes during the summer and far too few window screens. Any mosquito you hear "buzzing" is straining to fly with the weight of your blood in its belly. If you sleep under a net - it does not have to be impregnated - they can't get at you and this is safer and less noxious than any chemical.

But if you want to go the chemical way forget about those plug-in units and stinky candles. Those only work with wimpy mosquitoes. For the real aggressive ones, you have to pull out the chemical WMDs. The best mosquito repellant I have used is Wilma's Nordic Summer. I've used this in the far north of Sweden during the summer and it's super effective. It is also a bit of a people repellant, but you can't have everything you know. I understand it is hard to find outside of Scandinavia so if you need some help getting some shoot me a MeFi mail.
posted by three blind mice at 3:02 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I vote mosquito net. I experienced this when I live somewhere tropical- apparently they fly inside your ears to get you agitated so you tense and bring your blood vessels closer to the skin surface (or so I've heard). Anyways, white noise won't help because they are literally inside your ear, as you describe. If you wear earplugs, you won't hear them, but they might still bite you- hence my vote for the net.
posted by emd3737 at 3:03 AM on October 17, 2011

One more vote for a net (assuming there is no easy way to screen your windows and doors, of course). There are too many mosquito-borne illnesses (such as dengue fever) to be casual about being bitten every night.
posted by Forktine at 3:21 AM on October 17, 2011

A pedestal fan works wonders I reckon. Nets keep them off you, but they still buzz.
posted by the noob at 4:15 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

dontjumplarry: "Plug-in repellant gizmos from the supermarket are supereffective."

Which do you recommend?
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:15 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Nthing (pedastal) fan. I am a mosquito magnet. My record is around 64 simultaneous bites. Since I have been running a fan during mosquito season, I have had 3.

I'm told the buggers zero in on carbon dioxide. With a fan blowing my exhalation away, they have more trouble finding and targeting me.
posted by likeso at 7:07 AM on October 17, 2011

ack. pedestal.

One thing. I love the white noise (and the feel of cool air on my face), but is fan-white-noise better/worse/immaterial for your tinnitus?
posted by likeso at 7:12 AM on October 17, 2011

If its a countable number of them you can kill them by throwing a pillow at them when they fly up on the ceiling. It is easier than the think, just throw hard.
posted by meepmeow at 7:35 AM on October 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

If you can still hear them with your ear plugs in, could it be your tinnitus? Might be worth getting that checked out. Other than that I've had good luck using a fan, the white noise drowns out the mozzies and they don't like the moving air.
posted by wwax at 8:28 AM on October 17, 2011

Mosquito net. We didn't have any screens in Adelaide, I put some up (some bits of wood with net stapled on - Bunnings will sell you nets, and a couple of magnets to hold the mess up), solved the problem immediately. I tried the coils, but they made my eyes itch (the coil was directly outside my window)
posted by defcom1 at 8:35 AM on October 17, 2011

three blind mice, I'm assuming you're talking about those Nordic mosquitos that find themselves across the Gulf of Bothnia into Vaasa in summer? Nothing I found worked for those except Axe oil oddly enough, otoh I just discovered a fantastic moisturizing lotion version in Mombasa that was pretty effective against the hungry African beasts. Its called Ballet and the lotion version has cocoa butter and vitamin e (yes, I did love slathering it on) contains no DEET and is made in Mombasa by buyline industries ltd.

on preview I'm suddenly reminded of my copywriting days back in the last century on a different continent
posted by infini at 9:18 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I tried the fan, and it worked for a night... I may keep doing it. I guess this was the first year that mosquitoes appeared before it was hot enough for me to sleep with a fan?

One thing. I love the white noise (and the feel of cool air on my face), but is fan-white-noise better/worse/immaterial for your tinnitus?

Immaterial, I think.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 3:17 PM on October 17, 2011

This may sound very silly... but are you certain it's not your tinnitus playing up?

Nah tinnitus is a constant buzzing. Mosquito buzzes change as the mozzies get close, and are accompanied by biting.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 3:20 PM on October 17, 2011

Yeah there's no way it's tinnitus. For those of you who don't live in a place you get mosquitoes, it's an up-and-down high pitched buzz that gets louder and louder and louder and circles your ear and then... stops
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 3:43 PM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

When I lived in the forest in Central America, my home was set by a slow moving river and many puddles of water. We had open air homes and clouds of mosquitoes so thick that I once killed eight with one swat of my hand. I was bitten so many times i became.immune but that buzzing haunts me even now. Some of my coworkers used mosquito nets, but I just used a fan. I also used lemon scented soaps/shampoos and ate lots of garlic. I found it was best to set the fan at the foot of the bed, but having on my side and slowly rotating worked well too. This works for two reasons: 1. they track you by carbon dioxide so it's best to blow it away quickly. 2. they can't fly in decently strong wind. I loved windy days/sections of the forest.
posted by avagoyle at 6:39 PM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Nthing close the windows, turn the lights on, and go ape-shit with the pillow. If you don't have white ceilings, this can be more difficult. I feel for you bud, it's early in the year for mosquitos, gonna be murder by february.
posted by smoke at 6:40 PM on October 17, 2011