How to Make Your Own DIY Mosquito Repellent Device

By Emily Stears, from

Unplggd.com

Summer may be almost over (gasp!), but it's never too late—or early—to work on your anti-mosquito strategy. Courtesy of

Uplggd.com

, here’s a creative, eco-friendly, non-toxic way to keep your home mosquito free! It also doubles up as a pleasant fragrance while keeping those bloodsuckers away...

Instructions

You need never buy refills for your plug-in mosquito killer again, nor worry about what toxins and chemicals are being expelled into the air by sprays or smoke coils.

Tried and tested...the peel of an orange or tangerine, cut into the shape of the refill, does a perfect job as an insect repellent (orange peel extract is used in

spray solutions

). Orange oil is pretty fragrant, as anyone who stands in the same room when someone is peeling citrus may notice. Just place the peel in the slot, plug in the mosquito killer and enjoy a peaceful sleep guarded by a non-chemical solution!

What You'll Need

a plug-in mosquito killer device

an orange


a knife

a used refill to use as a template

How to Do It

  • The first thing you'll do is peel the orange. Try avoid getting too much of the white part. Set aside flesh (or just eat it), as you'll be using the peel.

  • Cut the peel into a rectangle to fit the plug-in device, or, if you’re a perfectionist, use the old refill as a template to cut around.

  • Place your refill-sized piece of orange peel into the slot of the plug-in device and plug it in.

  • Enjoy a peaceful sleep.

As far as I'm concerned, Better Farm is the perfect testing ground for all mosquito-deterrant-related-things. Stay tuned for results!

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Nicole Caldwell

Nicole Caldwell is a self-taught environmentalist, green-living savant and sustainability educator with more than a decade of professional writing experience. She is also the co-founder of Better Farm and president of betterArts. Nicole’s work has been featured in Mother Earth News, Reader’s Digest, Time Out New York, and many other publications. Her first book, Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living, is due out this July through New Society Publishers.