Does Dishwashing Liquid Keep Mosquitoes Away?
A popular folktale says dishwashing liquid will keep mosquitoes away. According to this widely circulated tip, dishes of water with Lemon Joy, Ivory or other dishwashing liquids repel or kill mosquitoes. This is a myth. Dishwashing liquid does not repel mosquitoes. This urban legend has been debunked by Snopes.com, a website reference source, and by mosquito experts. Dishwashing liquid is useful against other insects, but does not keep mosquitoes at bay.
Why Mosquitoes Bite
Male mosquitoes feed on plant juices and do not bite people. Female mosquitoes require a blood meal to complete their breeding cycle. Female mosquitoes bite people and animals to draw the blood they need. If they have bitten infected people or animals, they carry the disease and can transmit it to other people or animals. Mosquitoes carry diseases like West Nile virus, malaria, encephalitis and dog heartworm. They are attracted to carbon dioxide breathed out by people and animals. They are also often drawn to the scent of strong perfumes.
Keep Mosquitoes Away
The Center for Disease Control recommends using certain mosquito repellents to protect against the pests. The CDC suggests using products like DEET and Picaridin that are insect repellents. They also recommend products with oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD, a synthetic version of oil of lemon eucalyptus. Another product, pyrethrum, is an insecticide and repellent. This product is used on clothing and outdoor gear to repel mosquitoes and other insects. Some people think that Lemon Joy, like oil of lemon eucalyptus, is a repellent but this is not true. The dishwashing liquid is mildly lemon-scented but does not keep mosquitoes away like DEET products.
How Liquid Soap Affects Insects
Home gardeners often use dishwashing liquid to discourage and kill non-mosquito insects like gnats, fleas and mites. Liquid soap is also used as a sticking agent. Adding a few teaspoons of liquid soap to an insecticide spray helps the insecticide stick to the insects and plants for more effective control. Some gardeners use a mild liquid soap dilution as a spray to discourage plant-eating insects. The soap dries and leaves a taste that discourages chewing insects. Dog owners often put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a dish of water. When they comb fleas off a dog, they drop the fleas in the dish. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water so that the fleas drown. A mild dilution of dishwashing soap and water can be poured into standing pools of water to kill mosquito larva. The soap on the water interferes with the larva ability to breathe. Other products such as mosquito dunks safely kill larva in water pools without harming wildlife or pets.
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