Anti Mosquito And Anti Insect Sprays and Strategies

 My packing list for holidays, trips, days out, includes insect repellent. 

Repellent - Lavender

Lavender is also said to repel mosquitos. I used to yo-yo between Singapore and London, before and after Covid. In London I would stock up on lavender cosmetics to take back to Singapore. Marks & Spencer stocked pefumed products in the UK and later in Singapore. But UK products were cheaper in the UK than in Singapore. A British lavender brand is Norfolk Lavender. 

I travel with lavender and lemon scented cosmetics and perfumes. As well as mosquito and insect repellent, anti-insect spray for hotel bedrooms, and sting relief.

Singapore Anti Mosquito Action

Singapore is fighting insects constantly. I remember the first time I saw white mist rising up outside my apartment block, condo. I thought it was a fire. I phoned down to reception to ask if they knew. They told me, "It is fogging, anti moquito. Shut your windows."

This happened every Friday. You would see the workers, with masks over their faces, waving machines left and right over the vegetation around the skyscraper's grounds. You could hear the noise. 

Now they are breeding mosquitos which are part of the fight against malaria and dengue fever.

Insect Inspections

In Singapore there are strict rules. If there is an outbreak of dengue fever, and people in your area are being hospitalised, inspector will coe around, looking for sources of standing water. That could be gutters, saucers under plant pots, even plastic bags lying around on balconies. Pails on balconies or in gardens could be filling up with rain water. Water from the rain in old unused boots. Toilets with lids left up.

Flower vases are banned in cemeteries.

Anti Mosquito Apparel

In Australia I bought traditional cowboy hats with corks suspended. The corks kept hitting my face and were a nuisance.  You have to get hats the right size. 

Mosiguard

For hiking trips, to Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Madeira, Romania, Spain, I bought mosquito repellent clothing. It's quite expensive. I bought second hand on ebay.

Useful Websites

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2025/06/stings-and-bites-prevention-and-cure.html

Smells of Cities and Countries - Bali, England, India, Singapore - and anti-Mosquito Perfumes

Singapore and the Smell of Jasmine 

When I am in department stores worldwide, and passing perfume counters at airports, I see Jasmine perfume and cosmetics featuring the aroma of the flowers.  I recall the colours and vivid smells of Singapore, especially the Jasmine. 

The national flower of Singapore is an orchid. The Botanical gardens has an orchid garden. You can also visit orchid farms. Restaurants often have an orchid flower in a small vase on the table. 

Singapore And Durian

Another distinctive seasonal smell of Singapore is durian. You will see signsbanning durian on the MRT (underground and overground railway). Taxis also ban durian. You can get it delivered. If you wrap it sufficintly well that nobody can smell it, then you could travel with it. That's the whole idea. You should not be carrying durian which others can smell, or which leaves a smell which lingers after you have left.

Bali and Tuberose

Is all the Far East the same? No. For me, Bali's distinctive smell is Tuberose. I encountered this in the lobby of a hotel. A huge central flower display in the hall. 

I afterwards ordered tuberose which I planted in my front garden in London. It did not thrive. So for me, the smell of tuberose is still the smell of Bali.

England, London and Lavender

The smells of London are roses. But also lavender. You can visit lavender farms. Lavender soaps and perfumes and hand creams are in supermarket, department stores and chemist shops (which Americans would call drug stores). 

Perfumes from flowers attract people, but also insects. When I realised that my perfumes from the UK were making me a magnet for mosquitos, I started stocking up on different perfumes.

Lavender is also said to repel mosquitos. I used to yo-yo between Signapore and London, before and after Covid. In London I would stock up on lavender cosmetics to take back to Singapore. Marks & Spencer stocked pefumed products in the UK and later in Singapore. But UK products were cheaper in the UK than in Singapore. A British lavender brand is Norfolk Lavender. 

France and French Lavender

France also has French lavender. I recall visiting a perfume factory in Grasse, in Southern France. I went there on holiday when I was single. After I married, I went there again with my husband.

Indian Spices in India, England and Worldwide

India has different spices in different areas. Meats are in muslim areas and markets and restaurants. Vegetarian dishes are in Hindu areas. In England you will find tandoori foods in almost every high street (Americans would say main street). Tandoori is from northern India and Pakistan. Many vegetarian restaurants are well known in India, Singapore and in London, such as in Rayners Lane near the Rayners Lane tube station.

Italy, Lemons and Citronella

In Italy I discovered that lemon aromas repel insects. The lemon scent is in citronella. 

Singapore's Little India

Singapore is tropical, high temperatures. Eternal summer, bright flowers, strong smells of flowers. My previous post was about jasmine in Singapore, which I smelled daily in my walk to Cashew station.. 

I previously lived in Singapore's Little India. Strong smells of spices waft from the flower sellers selling garlands in the markets of Little India. You also get aromas from treading on petals fallen onto the five foot ways, covered paths along the shops. Also strong smells of curry and spices from the restants and stalls in Little India.

I travel with lavender and lemon scented cosmetics and perfumes. (As well as mosquito and insect repellent, anti-insect spray for hotel bedrooms, and sting relief.

Plants To Repel Mosquitos - How To Remember Them

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Citronella From Corona Florist and Nursery 388F Clementi Road, Singapore. Photo courtesy of Trevor Sharot.

Problem
I want plants to repel mosquitos on the balcony in Singapore and now that we have global warming, even in London, UK, in the house and garden.

I keep learning the plants which repel mosquitos. How can I remember them if I want to replant part of an existing plant from a garden or balcony, ask a friend for a cutting, buy from a gardening shop, advise another person?

Answer
Start with the lemons, acidic plants, which the mosquitos won't want to suck?
citronella (citron - Ella)
lemon balm (lemon on a balmy night)
lemon thyme (time for a third lemon plant)

What else is strong smelling?

garlic - keeps away your friends but keeps away your enemies - those mosquitoes. Frightens off the devil and witches and also mosquitoes.

More food plants:
mint (no time - just a minute, time is money, mint it). Make a mint drink, mint tea.

Lavendar - lovely lavendar has a lovely aroma
marigold - golden colour - will Mary marry you?

Rosemary and Basil (Romantic girl Rosemary, smells sweet as a Rose, and her boyfriend Basil)

Catnip
Last but not least, Rosemary is cuddling her cat and I hope it won't nip her

I can now reconstruct the list using my memory aids:

citronella
lemon balm
lemon thyme
rosemary
basil
garlic
catnip
lavendar
marigold
mint
thyme

Let's put them in alphabetical order:
basil
catnip
citronella
garlic
lavendar
lemon balm
lemon thyme
marigold
mint
rosemary
thyme

Garden Centres
Singapore
Corona Florist and Nursery, 388F, Clementi Road, Singapore. (We bought a citronella plant, also balls to put on compost in pots and troughs to stop the sandy stuff blowing away.)
Goodwood Florist , 565 Thomson Road, Singapore. We bought balcony pots and compost.)

UK
Squires, Stanmore and other locations. Huge garden shop with gardening gloves, books, toys, cafe and outdoor area with plants and mini-trees and fencing and amusing plaques for the garden wall or outdoor house wall.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and other languages. See my other posts on plants, gardens, garden centres and destinations.

What Fogging To Kill Mosquitos Looks Like And Sounds Like

Anti-mosquito Fogging In Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
You hear a loud droning sound. What is it? Fogging. If you are in a block of flats, the sound echoes around. The white mist rises up.

Out in the street, the man moves along with a trail of white billowing behind him. The local people don't stop to look. For them it's a regular occurrence.

What can the citizen do to help? Remove stagnant water. Remove items which could collect stagnant water such as trays under plant pots on balconies which collect rainwater.

Citronella plants are popular in Singapore to repel insects.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

More information from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito#Control

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Anti-mosquito plants to help when travelling

Before setting off, if you have no anti-mosquito spray, consider growing one of these plants, or grabbing some as you leave home.

If you are staying with others in the UK or overseas, ask if your hosts have any of these plants in their garden: lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, etc.

Rosemary, lemongrass and garlic are also plants which you can use in cooking. I can't help repeating the old joke: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but garlic each day keeps everyone away.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Plants-to-Keep-Mosquitoes-Away