Yes, mosquitoes can be a significant nuisance in Majorca, especially in summer and autumn, with the aggressive tiger mosquito increasingly common, but you can manage them with repellents, nets, avoiding standing water, and staying in breezy areas or town centers, though rural stays (Fincas) and areas near lakes/greenery are worse.
As for prevention, there are mosquito nets or electric mosquito diffusers in addition repellents. There are chemical sprays which are effective and widely as well as natural repellents- although they have variable results. Fernandez de Alba told El Pais that tests have shown good results in some natural products.
Should I take antihistamines before I go on holiday for mosquitoes?
Yes. Take a once a day, non-drowsy antihistimine starting 2-3 days before you travel and every day that you're there. This will minimise reactions. Otherwise, if you do get bitten, take 'Piriton' every 6 hours and apply hydrocortisone cream, found in our Independent Medical Kits.
Boogie® Insect Repellent Lotion effectively repels mosquitoes and ticks for up to 14 hours. It contains 20% picaridin, is odorless and has a non-greasy feel that moisturizes skin.
“Essential oils high in Citral include lemongrass, may chang, lemon tea tree, and citronella.” Wooley also agrees that citronella is a great oil to help repel insects. “Lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint are [also thought] to have insect-repelling properties,” she says.
Mosquitoes tend to prefer larger people (both heavier and taller) because they release more carbon dioxide (CO2) and have larger visual targets, but other factors like body heat, lactic acid, sweat, dark clothing, and blood type (Type O) are also major attractants, making it less about being fat versus skinny and more about a combination of these cues. Overweight individuals produce more CO2 and have higher metabolic rates, making them more visible and attractive.
Mosquito bites are the itchy bumps that form on the skin after mosquitoes feed on your blood. The bumps usually go away without treatment in a few days. Some mosquito bites may get very swollen, sore and inflamed.
Travel tip: We find that agua de colonia is a great mosquito deterrent, although it's not marketed for this purpose. It's available in the baby section at supermarkets in Spain, it has a lemon fragrance and normally costs under €3 for a large bottle.
Areas particularly vulnerable to mosquitoes include the irrigation areas between the CV-905 road and the shores of Torrevieja's pink lagoon, including the urbanisations of El Limonar, Punta de la Víbora and various phases of Las Torretas; or the flooded areas between the N-332 road and the shores of Torrevieja's lagoon ...
Mosquitoes can bite through clothing, especially if the material is thin. If possible, use 0.5% permethrin to treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents), or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear ahead of time.
Mosquitoes hate strong, natural scents like citronella, lemon eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, basil, and catnip, which disrupt their ability to find hosts, with essential oils and plants being common ways to use them as repellents, though DEET-based repellents remain highly effective. Coffee grounds, garlic, tea tree oil, and cinnamon also deter them.
So the less you move, the more likely mosquitoes are to think you're a tree and no good to bite. Of course, if making like a tree isn't your style, you can try to decrease your silhouette. Wearing light colored clothes make you much harder for mosquitoes to see.
Does spraying an Irish Spring soap and water mixture on your skin repel mosquitoes? Spraying Irish Spring soap on your skin could potentially work to repel mosquitoes. “It would temporarily mask indicators for mosquitos, however a DEET product is best,” says Price.
Japanese people keep mosquitoes away using a mix of traditional and modern methods, focusing on physical barriers, natural repellents like chrysanthemum-based coils (katorisenko), potent sprays (DEET/Icaridin), and air movement, all while embracing a philosophy of minimizing harm through repelling rather than killing, using products like pig-shaped holders for coils and hanging repellent sheets.
Repellents with the best track records include the following: DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD). The three non-DEET compounds each seem to work as well as or nearly as well as DEET when they are used at higher concentrations (20%).
