Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- During mosquito season, we'll do just about anything to get rid of these blood-thirsty pests.
A Facebook post that seems to go viral every year says spraying Listerine around your property can ward off mosquitoes. The post says you can spray the lawn and deck with the popular mouthwash, "...and voila! The little demons disappeared."
But is it true? Can a $2 bottle of mouthwash really repel mosquitoes?
The News 19 team set out to verify the claim.
First, we called the experts:
- Joel Mitchell, Operations Manager at Mosquito Squad of Columbia
- Andre Booker, Owner & Operator of Ridge Pest Control, LLC.
Experts say most mouthwashes, no matter the brand, typically have some type of flavoring.
"Peppermint, spearmint, something like that. Those products actually act as a natural mosquito and insect repellent," said Mitchell.
The bugs hate the smell.
The problem is, once you spray the Listerine in your yard, the chemicals in the mouthwash won't last very long.
"It's probably not going to be very long, especially if there's a lot of environmental conditions like rain, extreme temperatures or something like that. Maybe 5-7 days max," said Mitchell.
"Mouthwash is mostly alcohol and water. So it's going to evaporate quickly. You spray it, and once it dries up, it's no good," said Booker. "It has eucalyptus oil in it, which is a deterrent. It will help, but nothing long-term."
The most effective way to deter mosquitoes is to get rid of any standing water.
"Getting rid of standing water, tires, plants, potted plants that hold water, cleaning out your gutters, cutting your grass," said Mitchell.
"Pet dishes, anything that sits outside for the mosquitoes to form a bacteria," said Booker. "That's how they continue to reproduce, lay more eggs, and therefore you have more mosquitoes."
So, we can verify that Listerine can repel mosquitoes, but its effects are short-lived.
"It's football season. People are cooking on the grill and watching football, and mosquitoes come to the party, too," said Booker. "[Listerine] will help a little bit. A lot of times, we just want small relief."
"That's why most people hire professionals," said Mitchell, who says Mosquito Squad of Columbia also offers peppermint oil-based and cedarwood oil-based options for customers. "It's because they don't want to do it themselves, they don't know where to do it, how to do it, or they don't know what to use."
For more information on how you can protect yourself from mosquitoes, click here.
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