Listerine For Mosquito Repellent?
March 1, 2008
Milt Inman forwarded this email on to me and I was curious if anyone has ever actually tried this.
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children’s swing area, and the standing water nearby. ——————
OUR FRIEND’S COMMENTS:
I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors.
It works – in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89.
It really doesn’t take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn’t last 30 minutes.
So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don’t spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.
Tom Remington
Most Commented Posts
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
We feature the latest news, events and politics effecting the sports of hunting, fishing, and all outdoor activities in North America.
And they have fresh breath
[...] Tom Remington [...]
Back here in Fla. a lot of backwoods folks use S.O.S.,(Skin So Soft), a Avon product…It works, if you don’t mind smelling like a French whore…(any port in a storm, I guess)…Trouble was, I could never stand myself afterwards!!
During the hot bow season, I wear two layers of outerwear,and dab just enough deet around my face and head to keep ‘em away. The ticks and chiggers will get on you anyway. I bath in Sargents Dog Soap which kills the little ones, and the larger ones just pick off. (At least you can feel them)!
And I store my buggy clothes in a 5 gal. bucket with a cap of denatured alcohol, overnite..(that keeps them off your family) I always wondered what the indians and early settlers used..maybe kerosene? Personally, not much else really works in the natural herb catagory, I think they just moved on where the bugs weren’t…and commiserated!
Don’t know if it works but something that I know that works and is odorless is a Thermocell.
I’m down with the Thermocell myself but I did go to enough trouble to find there are a lot of mosquito repellent recipes on google with Listerene as a major ingredient.
Interesting although I think I”m sticking with the listerine.
Bounce sheets. Tuck one in your belt, another up under your hat….
Listerine, huh? Will have to give it a whirl..
Now is there a repellant for phony rappers and and “ganstas”?
Do ya pour listerene ON them or just turn on Pat Boone?
So. How long do we wait until the Greenies ask we send Listerine to Africa instead of DDT to keep people from being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes?
THIS CRAP IS NOT TRUE! THIS DOESNT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check out Snopes. Snopes says Listerine, among other stuff, doesn’t repel mosquitos …
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp
I hate the smell of listerine and maybe mosquitoes do too. I have been using deet products until I purchased a bug bam wristband. I saw this product in Archery Magazine and thought I would give it a try and damn they work great. they look like the cause bands that everyone is wearing but they are more effective than any product I have ever tried. No more lotions and sprays for me. I went to their website to purchase more for buddies to try and they are selling them at Wal-Mart. Check out the product at http://www.bugbam.com
Not true according to Snopes–always the first place to check for the facts on those pesky Internet rumors–especially before posting them so that more people fall for the lie.
I agree about the BugBam wristbands. They are completely non-toxic and effective. And inexpensive.
ok, those who replied that listerine or any other home repellent does not work according to Snopes, cant read!!!!! Snopes only says that they are not effective against west nile virus. That is NOT what these people are saying Listerine or the rest of them combat against. They are saying it is good for repelling mosquitoes, which in fact snopes says to a point it WILL combat. Open your eyes and read before you post something wrong, or I dont know maybe take your own advise………..
Brandy, perhaps YOU need to learn to read!!! Your comment was rather rude and harsh which is the only reason I’ve replied the way I have.
First let me say that nothing, other than not getting bit by mosquitos, will prevent west nile. I mean come on, that’s a given. But the snopes article went on to talk about REPELLING the pesky insects, which I believe is what the others who replied to this blog were talking about.
Reread the Snopes article under the heading “ORIGINS.” It clearly states that “home-made” products & other products NOT containing DEET, simply DO NOT WORK. Period. Unless of course you consider 10 minutes of protection equivalent to “working.” I certainly do not.
Snopes says that scientific tests were performed and ‘Consumer Reports’ said skin so soft does NOT work to repell mosquitos. The tests showed regular SSS Oil worked for approx. 10 minutes before the first mosquito bit the testers arm – Avon claims it lasts for 3 hours. Quite a difference.
The SSS bug guard plus repellant worked for only approx. 23 minutes. ‘Consumer Reports’ put out a statement saying SSS lasted 1 hour. Still not effective in my eyes. At any rate…. Hmmm, whom shall I believe? The manufacturer of the product who makes billions of dollars from the sale of said product or the people who were bitten by mosquitos with that product on? It’s not rocket science.
10 minutes for regular SSS & 1 hour for SSS Bug Repellant (especially at the price they charge) does NOT add up to effective mosquito repelling by any stretch of the imagination in my opinion.
I am bitten so severely when outdoors that I have literally been willing to try anything! Avon SSS didn’t work at all for me. I gave up on that years ago, long before it became popular. I practically used the whole bottle in one evening and woke up the next day with 20+ mosquito bites. (Those critters LOVE me)
I’ve tried garlic pills, vitamins, bounce sheets, citronella candles surrounding me and under my chair, a hospital paper mask over my mouth and nose because they say the bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide we exhale…I’ve tried it all, yet still get “eaten alive” … nothing works but DEET. Unfortunately, I am allergic to DEET.
I think I will try the wristbands mentioned in someones post. They seem to be cheap enough and if nothing else, I have another product to add to my “does not work” list but will try it just in case I get lucky and it works!
If you are going to be outdoors in the summer and want to be best protected against mosquito bites…..you must use a product that contains DEET. The more DEET, the better protection. You’re going to have to cover your body up, try not to sweat too much and don’t talk too much. LOL. Wow, that sounds like a fun night. NO thanks, I’ll just stay in my air conditioned home and stay bug bite free. I’m not a happy camper that’s for sure.
Now brandy, you can apologize to everyone for being so rude…although some may not need the apology because when someone such as yourself spouts off at the mouth about others being illiterate, etc. when they’ve done the same thing; making an ass of themselves…well, that just makes us giggle.
Snopes says:
“Likewise, spraying Listerine around your home or outdoor areas isn’t an all-purpose mosquito preventive. It may kill some mosquitoes on which it is directly sprayed, but it won’t serve to keep knocking mosquitoes dead for hours and hours afterwards. It may also have limited effectiveness as a mosquito repellant, but you get what you pay for DEET will repel mosquitoes more effectively for much longer than solutions concocted from commercial household products intended for completely different purposes.”
Bear in mind that “Snopes” serves a purpose, one of which it is not the ultimate authority on insects and insect repellents. Their mission – should they choose to accept it – is to prove or disprove urban myths. Sometimes that charge becomes a bit “literal”.
Refer back to the original claim that they addressed concerning Listerine. The main statement was from someone who said they attended a party and the person there used Listerine “and it worked” – subject of course to one’s idea of what “work” means.
If you look further down at what “our friends comments” says and you see this.
“I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors.
It works – in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn’t take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn’t last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don’t spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.”
So, this urban myth claims that Listerine “works”, “killed them instantly” and “last a couple days”.
Snopes, in my opinion, showed that most if not all of those claims, don’t work. However, they never said Listerine had no affect at all. They said it might kill some mosquitoes that are sprayed directly. Snopes also said it might have “limited effectiveness”.
One should also consider where this is going to be used. There is considerable difference between attempting to ward off a handful of mosquitoes at a patio party in downtown Atlanta, Georgia and finding something to keep the bugs off while on a fishing trip down the Allagash River in Northern Maine in late May and early June.
Take it for whatever it’s worth. Some people swear by Skin So Soft. By golly if you think it works, go nuts.
Vicki, your long winded comments are not worth my time, just to let you know. Next time you want my attention try something that isnt so boring and wasteful. All I saw was that I must be worth your time since you went through all that just to reply to little ol me. Thanks:)
With all the back-biting going on here, seems like you guys have bigger problems than just misquitos!
GEES!
Back in the early 60’s, a friend and I went the full length of the Suwannee River(a two weeks or more trip), without any bug dope. I found out that I could make a “glaze” of tobacco juice and spit,( a.k.a. chewing tobacco),and after a glaze formed, had no more skeeter bites. How many young squirts would try that today?
Seems like they’re more concerned with what someone told them, or what some “expert” source says is true, rather than finding out for themselves!
Yea, Bug Juice that’s the stuff! Pee on your hands too. It will keep them tough.
I take care of my grandchild and I am going to try the Listerine thing. I live in and apartment complex so I will let you know if it works. Thanks
hmm Im not sure I want to have that oder in the House, last I bought something was at http://www.mosquitorepellent.eu it also worked pretty ok, but this listerine if it work why not.
I went to target and saw the Listerine next to the Off, and I decided that I would save the $1.45 difference between the two items, because I could take care of my gingivitis as well as be the talk of the neighborhood. Also, I could go to the dollar store and load up on those spray bottles that work for 6 squirts. Well my son and daughter are in intensive care from the west-Nile and/or EEE. The Email I got did not specify which type of mosquito it repelled. I will spend the rest of my days hunting down this Emailer who mysteriously types IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in hopes of seeing if Listerine snaps them out of their come.
I tried chewing tobacco juice on me and the children, and it works wonders. It smells a little nicer than that there Listerine. My wives says it burns them a little, but what do they know. They are just twelve. I think listerine also attracts bugs and ants because it contains sacharine. Oh well, I just like the way it makes things stick together after a heavy application. One of my daughter’s went into a coma too from drinking too much of it, but that’s a nother story for a nother day.
Man! Some of ya’ll are crazy!! Just stay inside if you can’t take the heat! Buy anything that contains DEET and you’ll be fine. Roll Tide Roll!
Dadgum, gal, you must have air conditioning.. I go outside to get COOL…and that dern deet makes you dizzy when you’re in the swamp skeeters as much as I am…(course, I save on electricity), and I am now immune to West Nile, EEE, viral menenigitis, rabies, mad cow and internet puppies….
Stay sweet if you’re riding the tide,but we’ve got a lot more coast in FL…
I tried Listerine tonight. Within minutes, I had three striped legged little varmits trying to eat me alive. Listerine did not work for me.
http://www.gemplers.com/product/G77380/Mosquito-Barrier-1-Gallon
We used this at our golf course and it worked great.
I have to tell you that I have used alot of products, to try and get rid of these creatures and the one I found works the best was something I bought off of this website : http://www.mosquitobarrier.com
It was easy to do and worked really well…..except the yard smelled like it but not too bad…hahaha. Hope this helps you guys.
I’m going camping near lake superior this summer and heard there are alot of wood ticks up there. Does anyone know of anything that keeps them away besides DEET? I have some skin allergy problems and don’t think dousing myself in that stuff for 2 straight weeks is a good idea
Thanks for the help!
Hey, BBT,(bugged by ticks) try Permethrin Insect Repellent, any brand…it will help a lot…you spray your clothes, not you, and anywhere they crawl, car, tent…And use tight clothing to keep them out as well. You will still have them getting on you, but not as much. And the ones on you will usually be dead before they get in you. Nothing known will keep them off for a week or two staying in the woods. Otherwise, the woods would be full of people and not woods anymore!
You need to check things out.
Don’t believe everything you receive in an e-mail or see on the Internet.
As for using Listerine for mosquitoes?
It doesn’t work! See: http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp
Granted snopes is a great guide, and service but they have no way of covering all the bases…Prectical experience comes at a cost…listen and try for yourself…even the so called authorities are going to fail you some day…and you will have to rely on “ole faithfull”.
Listerine Keeps the Mosquitoes Away-Unproven!
Summary of the eRumor:
A suggestion that spraying Listerine mouthwash around your property will keep mosquitoes away.
The Truth:
There is no documentation that Listerine mouthwash is a good mosquito repellant. The writer of the email fails to identify who he or she is or where this took place so there’s no way of verifying it.
TruthOrFiction.com contacted the folks at Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Listerine. They said there has not been any research on the effect Listerine might have on mosquitoes. All of their testing has been on germs, such as in the mouth.
Updated 3/8/08
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/l/listerine.htm
I’ll stick with Deet
Also see Netlore”
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/listerine.htm
There is an alternative if you are camping out in one location. Take a can of tuna and pour the juice and some of the tuna (or all of it), onto some place 50 to 75 feet away. It will draw the mosquitoes away for up to 100 feet away. It’s a good sacrifice for peace on those bad ass bug nights.
Well I must say this was an incredibly insightful blog. I heard about the Listerine thing and was going to give it a try. After reading all the nonsense, I’ve realized I’ve learned nothing and will still give it a try. It must be a area problem perhaps those it works for have few buggies and the ones that it doesn’t work for live with mosquito clouds. But it was funny anyway. Thanks.
[...] for example the blog I posted back in March about the use of Listerine mouth wash as an insect repellent. There have been over 30 comments from people who swear by it and those who will laugh in your face [...]
[...] for example the blog I posted back in March about the use of Listerine mouth wash as an insect repellent. There have been over 30 comments from people who swear by it and those who will laugh in your face [...]
[...] for example the blog I posted back in March about the use of Listerine mouth wash as an insect repellent. There have been over 30 comments from people who swear by it and those who will laugh in your face [...]
[...] for example the blog I posted back in March about the use of Listerine mouth wash as an insect repellent. There have been over 30 comments from people who swear by it and those who will laugh in your face [...]
For those of you following this conversation about insect repellent, I’ve posted another article about new discoveries of repellents that seem to work better than DEET and are less harmful. Find it at the link below.
http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2008/05/28/to-beat-deet-would-be-sweet/
It is an urban legend, unfortunately.
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp
Tom Remington is a window licking retard and his self promotion in this comment section is shameful.
[...] to Africa instead of DDT to keep people from being bitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes? …http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2008/03/01/listerine-for-mosquito-repellent/NexTechNews – Listerine… Mosquitoes, even MacGuyver would be proud!The latest technology and news [...]
This is a very funny blog, some of you are very crazy!!!
I hate the bugs too and I swell up like a baseball. I like using these little key chain, battery operated replents from Sunbeam. I swear by them! You can get them from Walgreens. They do work well for me and my kids. I also tried the wrist bands, didn’t do much. I am going to try the Listerine, Why not! I also heard that if you take a Claritin before you go out you will not have such a bad reaction to the bite. But that doesn’t stop them from eatting you!!!
Good luck to you all!!! Some day we will find something!
I will have to try it out and report my findings. I am off to experiment!
Whatever happened to RURAL legends? Do I need to start my own? Or am I already one?
Jes, not so sure about the Legend
part, but I can tell you’re rural
alright. har.har.
Skin-So-Soft works for no-see-em’s, about the only ting that does. They should bring back DDT as it was withdrawn as a result of bad data and is very effective against many pests. Tens of thousands have died by not using it.
I have it from a reliable inside contact that the marketing folks at Pfizer (makers of Listerine oral care products) were behind the blog about Listerine and mosquitoes. Notice how they specified “Listerine” brand in the blog, instead of using the generic term, “mouthwash”.
Interestingly, the false claims achieved their objectives, as Listerine’s sales increased 18% over the past 24 months.
ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT THE LISTERINE IS THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN MOSQUITOS FLY AT YOU AND VEER OFF LIKE YOUR BLOOD WAS MADE OF ACID IT WAS SIMPLY AMAZING NEVER OF TRIED IT BUT MY WIFE HAD JUST READ ABOUT IT CAME OUTSIDE WITH A SQUIRT BOTTLE AND BAM I AM HOOKED I MIGHT EVEN PUT SOME IN THE YARD SPRAYER AND CUT DOWN ON ALL THOSE NASTY CHEMICALS
I bought a small bottle of Listerine, and I’m going to try it. If it doesn’t work I’m sure I would get great
satisfaction out of watching them flutter to the ground since I have to sit outside and watch the children play. I guess I could also make the kids close their eyes and smile real big making the spray bottle into a stinging, water pic, child torturing device…. tee hee hee!
Whether Listerine works or not is irrelevant to me at this point. I got up and went into work super early this morning and needed a good laugh. This blog provided it! Keep up the good work. Some of you people are absolutely hilarious.
Jewls (who relishes squashing the lil bast**ds with her bare hands)
All these comments prove is that there is no god.
No drinking Listerine, Lawree.
One hot evening as I began to retire for the night, I opened my screened windows to catch the small breeze passing through. I was awakened at 3am by a constant need to scratch my butt and thighs. I turned on my lights to see over 8 mosquito bites in those areas. I figure they must’ve been interested in the “meater” portions. I remembered a recent email to use original flavored Listerine on mosquitos, so I grabbed a spray bottle and filled it with Walmart brand of original mouthwash. I began spraying throughout the room to include dousing myself with it. I left my windows open and went to bed. The next day the bites were practically gone and had stop itching and I there were no new bites. I use it every other day or so now. I’m a believer!
Holy crap! Yeah! That stuff rocks on bites!!!! I usually suffer from them for about three days, and if I apply the Listerine after being bitten, they are gone in a day! My dad says I’m a nut, but his only last a day to begin with. My children and I have issues with bug bites. We have welts forever, and my girlz scratch themselves open in their sleep. So even if it’s mosquito repelling is only meteocre. I got some cheap after bite stuff! We use that stuff by the gallon, so it helps on the pocket, its hard to find that stuff in large quantities, and its like two to five bucks for a little container the size of a chapstick stick, depending on where you buy it. So HAIL! To The Listerine!
Geeze, I just wanted to know if I could substitute Listerine for a cheaper brand. After reading all of this I’m dizzy!!
I have done some extensive research into mosquito repelling properties at Texas A&M University. Listerine contains 2 main ingredients that have been kept a secret by scientist until the cdc has allowed them to publish their findings.. The ingredients are Eucalyptol and Menthol and both have been proven to paralyze the mosquitoes receptors. These ingredients are also derived from natural sources just at a concentrated level. We have also evaluated many different products and tested one that has the same paralyzing properties with some unknown extras. Check out the results of this ALL NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENT
We sprayed a knock off brand of Listerine around our blanket at the fireworks last night and we only had one mosquito land on us the whole night. I put a concoction of Melaleuca products claimed to repel mosquitos on my son also. (He is only 2) Just as a precaution. We had no trouble with bugs.
Would it be effective for being deep in the woods or in a heavy bug area? I can’t say. But for a basic thing like a BBQ or a picnic, I figured it was worth a shot. I would definitely use it again and see how it works again next time.
Well I’ve tried a lot of different things too, but I have a great solution that works every time guaranteed!!
Before I go outside in the backyard for a little play time, or deep into the bush for a little hiking, I always make my kids have a bath with the most perfume smelling soap I can find and then give them a bag of candy floss and a can of coke.
I do the same with my wife, but when she isn’t looking I usually rub some sort of meat product on her clothes just to make sure…….(hey you never know where those bears are hiding)!!
Anyway aside from the wife or the kids getting too far away from me at any point, I usually have a great day and no bites at all. Sure the dental bill gets a little high, but one of these days the insurance money will kick in when the bears show up!!
And you know what they say……you don’t have to run fast, you just have to run faster than your wife or kids!!
Oh well enjoy the summer, I know I will!
Happy Camper.
Well, I bought some Bug Bam wristbands last week and yesterday got my first chance to try them out.
Damn impressive!! There were definitely mosquitoes around when we got outside, but not one came near my son and I when we put the wristbands on. Not to mention, the wristbands didn’t eat into our beloved fishing gear like DEET does.
Now I’m going to order a couple of Bug Bam grids and see how they work with a group of us. Stay tuned people!
John
PS: I bought them from the Bug Bam website: http://www.bugbam.com and when I sent an email with a question (if the smell was strong) the inventor emailed me back personally! Great customer service. BTW, he explained the smell IS strong, but that’s how it works. The smell is lemony. Better than using DEET any day!!
I started reading this and it didn’t take long before people were name calling and backstabbing and all over a bottle of listerine LMAO I seriously think maybe somebody isn’t busy enough if they have nothing better to do..I was just curious if it worked or not..I didn’t want to see a civil war…..find something to do ya’ll that has some meaning..read to a kid..take a walk…enjoy the beautiful outdoors..(don’t forget your listerine)
The native (first) Americans along the Eastern coast coated themselves with bear fat to keep bugs away.
Now you’re talking! Bear fat is now on my agenda for all my hunting trips…now if I can just find a bear…And just how do you keep it from getting rubbed off? Oh yeah, just don’t wear any clothes….sounds good to me! And a whole lot cooler! Comehere, bear…..
Just an eye opener to anyone using Tobacco on their children as an insect repellant – you are aware that all the harmfull chemicals such as nicotine (which is used as an insect repellant and kills insects in house plants)gets into your child’s system. Nicotine the the most adictive drug out there – worse than heroin. Carefull with that one.
We tried mosquito barrier and it did not work for us. maybe we have a different kind of mosquitos.
Got a hold of a grid in the multi-pack of Bug Bams from BJ’s Club. Had to buy 5 wristbands to get 1 grid, but damn cheap, so was worth it.
Man-o-man!! Either the mosquitoes have suddenly started hating my family and I, or these things actually do work. It’s been 4 days and it’s STILL going strong.
I’m going to write a testimonial on their website as I’m really impressed. http://www.bugbam.com or just head to BJ’s Club stores http://www.bjs.com/ and grab the $9.99 multi-pack to save some dough.
Hmm. I should get these guys to sponsor me now that I’m giving them free advertising hahaha.
JW
I used the listern, around the ground where I was sitting, also I decided to spray my arms, also my neck with the listern spray. Now I have a red rash, that itches really bad, is there anything I can use to help releive the itch and make the rash go away?
Shirley
Try to stay away from poisen ivy, Shirley….and use lots of calamine lotion…and quit scratching, it spreads it all over you….and next time, don’t sit on it….
We tried the generic, “regular” flavor, Walgreen version at our campsite last weekend in Wisconsin, where the mosquito is the official state bird. It worked well. We used a minimal amount in a sprayer that atomized the solution into a very fine mist. We sprayed the enire campsite and it appeared to repel the mosquitos for 1-1/2 to 2 hours after which we reapplied.
I tried it directly on the skin as well, but it had minimal effect in that application.
I will have to say that reading everyones posts I must say that Listerine works for some and for some it will not..
Personally, them little blood suckers love me, and recently I was at a family runion in northern Ontario Canada and was getting eaten alive but I was the only one (like always) anyhow. A relitive told me about the Listerine and told me to stand still and get sprayed. So I did so, it repelled them little guys for hours until I went to bed. I believe in it and will use it on my self and my child. Im not a fan of the smelly bug sprays that DO NOT WORK even if you bathe in them..
I spent a lot of money on sprays that dont work and am now upset I spent so much when Listerine is so cheap and works so well.
Thanks for letting me know to use it straight I was going to water it down..
Cheers
Amanda
Ok… Now I ahve read all the different ideas and am so confused that I am going to try them all. Going camping in Idaho mountains this weekend and will tell you what worked for me.
Haven’t tried the listerine but plan to. A friend of mine has a son who reacts horribly to mosquitoes and she discovered they don’t like garlic. Her son take the no-scent garlic pills and mosquitoes don’t touch him. Apparently they can smell the no scent stuff. Worth a try if you or your kids don’t mind taking a pill. My kids are too young to try it on unfortunately. They are also too little for a lot of the sprays which is why I am willing to try Listerine. Skin so soft from avon does appear to work too but is a little pricey.
I am an avid hunter/fisherman/outdoorsman and can attest that the Thermacel’s do work extremely well. However, I recently found a bunch of bushes on my brother’s hunting land that had bright green leaves and beautiful clusters of purple berries. I googled them and found them to be Amercan Beauty Berry Bushes. I read that they make great wine and jelly, great food source for birds and other wildlife, and (this is the part that intrigued me) they are a natural insect repellent, especially usefull against mosquitos, ticks, and deerflies. Apparently there has been a scientific study on the Amercan Beauty Bush (Calicarpa Americana) that identified three compounds in the plant that are excellent repellents. Many articles say you can crush the leaves in your hands and rub them on your body and clothes to repel. I’m curious to try some type of extract from the bushes. For all you Snopesers out there, I didn’t find any info (positive or negative) on this on Snopes.com .
Alan
Why would anyone use listerine as a repellent, just use mosquito repellent instead.
Just another Urban Legend by and for dumb asses, as documented by Snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp
I was trying to find out about if Listerine really works on bugs. Haven’t tried it yet, but after reading all the responses, I might as well try the Listerine. If it doesn’t work, we can always use it for it’s original use. I also, think I might try the Bug Bams too.
Can’t have to much protection, right!!!
Before deployments to the North Florida pineys, my USAF unit used to take
large doses of vitamin E. Made us feel pretty good and once in the blood stream… the bugs didn’t care for the blood, sweat and tears……….
I read emails regarding Listerine working as a bug repellent. My first mistake was not to check Snopes. My second mistake was to try it.
I got dozens of bites. Painful, swollen, itchy bites. I tried old standbys such as Witch Hazel, Alcohol, vinegar, ice …. nothing aleviated the pain or the itching. After a sleepless night I had no choice but to go to an emergency room for treatment.
Lesson learned. Listerine is for cleansing your mouth, NOT for repelling bugs!
I’ve never tried listerine for mosquitoes, but i do know that it kills and repels head lice. If if works on them then it makes sense that it would work on mosquitoes. I personally cannot handle the strong smell of deet. Makes me very sick and understandibly so, it is an insecticide. I’m going to try the listerine to knock back and repel the mosquitoes! Smells so much better than deet also!
What’s that got to do with the price of eggs?
I was working in the yard yesterday and the mosquitoes were terrible, so I Tried Walmart brand (equivalent to Listerine) sprayed it in the grass around the area I was working and I was surprised at what happened next. I watched the little buggers fly up to the area where i sprayed the solution and they stopped dead in their tracks, hovered for a minute and flew off in the other direction. I would have to say that it works at repelling them.
I was working in the yard yesterday and the mosquitoes were terrible, so I Tried Walmart brand (equivalent to Listerine) sprayed it in the grass around the area I was working and I was surprised at what happened next. I watched the little buggers fly up to the area where i sprayed the solution and they stopped dead in their tracks, hovered for a minute and flew off in the other direction. I would have to say that it works at repelling them.
I was working in the yard yesterday and the mosquitoes were terrible, so I Tried Walmart brand (equivalent to Listerine) sprayed it in the grass around the area I was working and I was surprised at what happened next. I watched the little buggers fly up to the area where i sprayed the solution and they stopped dead in their tracks, hovered for a minute and flew off in the other direction. I would have to say that it works at repelling them.
if bug bam really works, where can buy that from a store, rather than from the website,which is costly with S&H charges
Hey I just wanted to let everyone know that I tried the Listerine treatment and it worked!!!
Okay so it didn’t so much keep the mosquitos away from me, but I was able to tell when they were around as their breath smelt really good and that gave me enough warning to smash the little buggers heads in with my free hand!
Man camping season is great!
How kind, giving fresh breath to your mosquitos, too funny
Despite all the life danger, with one selfless act from one common person, someone is saved, A hero is made.
Listerine is the best repellent for mosquitoes, period! I’ve used the most expecsive hunter’s deet and the bugs bit me threw my clothes and hat. With listerine, they don’t come near me all evening!
Wow….so many varied responses to this. I remember leaving my comment way back in March. Getting updates on this periodicly. There are no simple solutions to this question. It works for some but not for others. Like loggers using dryer sheets to keep the black flies off of them. Works in the big woods, but maybe not in your backyard. (Use the original scent type, lavender is just not very manly.) But mosquitos ignore them completely. I suggest a two-fold method. A dryer sheet and lotion yourself with listerine.
Fresh breath,fresh from the dryer scent and the bugs stay away!!!!!