Do mosquito repellents really kill mosquitos?

Question

So, I'm home for the summer and since my room has been taken (I moved out for school), I've been sleeping on the couch for a month already.. Mosquitos seem to love me so much! (we have a pool outside). I get scared of them, so I have to literally hide under my blanket to sleep even though I can barely breathe in there (lol)... Even when I stick my feet or hand out of my blanket for a few minutes, I'm DOOMED. it even got my eyelid! oh BOY in this 100+ degree weather, I can't possibly hide under my blanket all the time when I sleep throughout the night. haha so I bought a mosquito repellent (the kind for the skin).

My question is, do they actually kill mosquitos (when the mosquitos land on your skin)?

or do they just NOT attract mosquitos to you in the first place?...but when the spot you, they still suck your blood..

or does it just cause the mosquito to fly the other direction when it gets near your skin?

haha...i know....useless question...but, it's been mind boggling..=) Than

Answer 1

It just repels mosquitoes just as bad stench keeps us at a distance. Actually talcum powder and citrus scented EDT will do just as well as they cover up the llactic acid our bodies emit and which mosquitoes are attracted to.

Answer 2

I think they just technically, allegedly, supposedly make you smell like something other than blood to the mosquitoes. Might sound real "trailer trash" but might be time to put up some bug zapper lamps, especially around the pool. Too bad you're not in an actual bed, where you can hang mosquito netting around it.

Answer 3

It doesn't kill them, it just covers your smell with a chemical that smells unpleasant to mosquitos.

Some work better than others.  Repellants with the chemical DEET (like Off, Cutter, or Repel brands original formulas) seem to work best, but some people are sensitive to DEET.  

You might look for Repel Permanone, which is an insect repellant made to spray on things (not on people).  Spray the floor around your bed, maybe even a light spray on your top blanket or sheet.  (Not on your pillow, though.  You don't want repellant in your eyes!)  It's supposed to last a week or 2 with one applaication IIRC.

Also try natural repellants like citronella oil.  Citronella candles and torches work best when burning, but help repel bugs even when they're just room temperature.

Good luck!

Answer 4

It doesnt kill them, it just keeps them away. But not all repellents work. You need to get the ones with Deet in them.

Answer 5

some mosquito repellents will kill them on contact but most do exactly what they say  "repel"  the mosquitos  the best thing in the world to use is believe it or not "listerine"  mix 2 parts listerine to 1 part water and spray on you and around you ( even on the ground)  it is amazing   GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 6

real question is....why are you sleeping on a couch OUTSIDE?

Answer 7

Mosquito repellent does not kill mosquitoes. It actually doesn't even repel them. When you use mosquito repellent it "hides" you from the mosquitoes. But no matter how much you use, if there are enough mosquitoes where you are, there will still be some that get past the repellent and bite you anyway. I know this because where I live, in the summer time, it becomes a "Bug's Life" outside. We have tried everything known to man to rid of these annoying insects. I don't know this for sure but my mother swears by it. She told me that rubbing a dryer sheet all over your body will keep mosquitoes away. It's worth a shot. : p