Pretty much everyone will fall prey to mosquitoes at some point in their life. Absolutely persistent, nearly impossible to stop, and present pretty much everywhere around the world, these biting bloodsuckers aren’t just annoying; they can be really dangerous, transmitting terrible and even life-threatening diseases.
As it turns out, some people assert that you don’t need to douse yourself with nasty chemicals in order to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
These people swear that Irish Spring soap will repel mosquitoes. Could it be true? Can Irish spring soap repel mosquitoes?
No, unfortunately. Irish spring does not repel mosquitoes, and in fact the fragrances present in Irish Spring might make you more attractive to them.
Regrettably, this is one well-intentioned bit of advice that just does not pan out. However, there is a grain of truth in this urban legend that we will address in a little while. But in the meantime, you can maybe try some DIY mosquito traps.
Will Irish Spring Really Keep Mosquitoes Away?
No, sadly. I sure wish it was true, but Irish Spring will not keep mosquitoes at bay. There are plenty of soaps, and other products, that will but Irish Spring is not one of them. Sorry!
What is the Basis for the Claim that Irish Spring Repels Mosquitoes?
As is customary on the internet, you’ll hear all sorts of explanations for why Irish Spring is this surprising and little-known mosquito repellent that big pesticide does not want you to know about.
Usually, this revolves around some claim that the fragrance component is inherently offensive or repulsive to mosquitoes, and less often that there are ingredients in Irish Spring that just so happen to be present in other insect-repellent products or soaps.
In the case of the latter, it actually happens to be true. There is a commonality of some ingredients between Irish Spring and various insect repellent products or specialty insect repelling soaps that are on the market.
However, these are inactive ingredients that do not have any genuine repellent properties. In the case of the fragrance of Irish Spring being inherently repulsive to mosquitoes, those claims are totally false.
In fact, the opposite might be true: Irish Spring might make you more attractive to mosquitoes and other bugs.
In even worse news for the camp that believes Irish Spring will keep mosquitoes away, it turns out that floral and sweet sense are actually likely to make you more attractive to biting and stinging insects, and that possibly includes mosquitoes.
Best case scenario, though, it won’t keep them away, that’s for sure.
Can Irish Spring Kill Mosquitoes on Contact?
No. Contact with Irish Spring soap or its residue will not kill mosquitoes. See below.
Will Mosquitoes Still Bite if You Wash with Irish Spring?
Another common claim that is spouted by proponents of the Irish Spring-as-mosquito-repellent theory is that Irish Spring somehow kills mosquitoes on contact.
The idea goes that if you have a residue of Irish Spring on your skin and mosquitoes bite you, they die, and obviously will be unable to bite again.
Two major problems with this theory. First, it just isn’t true. You can wash with Irish Spring and a mosquito can bite you repeatedly with no problems.
Second, even if it was true, if the mosquito bites you it is too late: you’ve been bitten and will have an itchy welt as a result.
Can You Use Irish Spring to Keep Mosquitoes Away from Your Property?
No. You’ll see Irish Spring regularly advocated for as a method of pest repellent, insects and mammals alike, by way of grating it or shaving it into small pieces before scattering them around your property, hanging it in whole bars from pouches or other methods of distribution.
Although, surprisingly, Irish Spring does show some efficacy at repelling certain mammals when used this way the same cannot be said for insects.
If you plan on protecting your next backyard get-together or enjoyable summer evening from mosquito invasion with Irish Spring, you had better get ready for a lot of bites because it is not going to work.
There is One Way that Soap Can Help You Deal with Mosquitoes
Now, all is not lost when it comes to soap as a mosquito repellent or method of insect control. Believe it or not, there is a homebrew solution of soap that you can use for killing insects, although it will not really deter them.
This solution is simply made by combining regular dish soap with a little shot of vegetable oil and plenty of water to make a thin but full solution that can easily be sprayed onto plants and other surfaces that you want to protect from insects.
Now, though this solution will not repel insects it will kill them if they come into contact with it, particularly if they come into contact with it repeatedly.
This is because a strong detergent breaks down the waxy coating on an insect’s exoskeleton, which they rely on for keeping moisture inside their body.
Deprived of this waxy coating, their exoskeleton becomes vulnerable and they start losing moisture, eventually killing them.
Now, unfortunately this isn’t going to help you with mosquitoes because they can still bite you even if you doused yourself with the stuff, but you can spray it on troublesome sources of nuisance water to stop mosquitoes from laying their eggs or spray plants with it to protect them from other insects.
Tom Marlowe practically grew up with a gun in his hand, and has held all kinds of jobs in the gun industry: range safety, sales, instruction and consulting, Tom has the experience to help civilian shooters figure out what will work best for them.