How Does Fire Pits Keep Mosquitoes Away

Mosquitoes are known for ruining our good times with their bites and potential diseases they spread. There are many methods which people have tried and tested against mosquitoes. One such method which people usually asks and enquire about its effectiveness is – Using fire pits to keep mosquitoes away?

Does fire keep mosquitoes away?

We will now explore how actually do fire keep mosquitoes away. As we have discussed the behavior of mosquitoes and how they find and locate humans and what attracts them. In the article, What Foods can you Eat to Repel Mosquitoes, we have explained the cause and factors that attracts mosquitoes.

So, we know that human releases carbon dioxide, lactic acid, ammonia, body heat, sweat and other chemical compounds, along with these there are some environmental factors also that contributes to this attraction. These are humidity, climate, temperature, sunlight, air quality, and color of the hosts surface, etc.

Altering any of these favorable conditions for mosquitoes, may provide different extent of mosquito repellency. And, using fire pits for keeping mosquitoes away is one such method that really works and quiet effective.

However, the effectiveness of how actually fire pits repel mosquitoes, can be extended by taking care of certain things like –

• what type of wood to be used,
• using some fire-starter logs,
• strength/intensity of flame,
• amount of smoke produced,
• use of additives like special herbs,
• known mosquito repellents like citronella oil, or even
• burning coffee grounds for increased effectiveness.

How does fire pits repel mosquitoes?

Fire pits create an unfavorable and hostile environment for mosquitoes where they find it difficult to locate hosts. The fire pits usually work by releasing four of its main components, Heat, Smoke, Carbon dioxide, and Open Flame. Let us understand in detail below, how do fire pits keep mosquitoes away.

1. Intense Heat

Mosquitoes like heat and they sense human body heat to locate them. The intense heat that comes out of fire pits is much more than moderate body heat of humans which mosquitoes find attractive. It creates an inhospitable environment for mosquitoes and so they stay away from fire pits. This heat causes mosquitoes to repel and restricts them from coming closer to the pit.

2. Strong Smoke

Smoke is generally considered as a natural mosquito repellent. It interferes with the mosquitoes smelling sense and they fail to locate human hosts as the human scents and body odor are get masked with the smoke. It becomes difficult for mosquitoes to detect the carbon dioxide, sweat and other emissions, and body smell of humans, which are primarily the factors how mosquitoes find and locate human hosts. The smoke gets filled in the vicinity around the fire pit which mosquitoes finds unbearable and leave.

3. Carbon Dioxide from fire pits

The carbon dioxide released here from fire pits is massive in volume as compared to what humans exhale, and it covers a huge area. This confuses mosquitoes in finding their human targets.

4. Open Flame

The open flame causes huge area to light up which attracts the mosquitoes but the heat and huge carbon dioxide levels around disrupts the mosquitoes navigation and so they prefer to stay away.

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Fire Pits to repel mosquitoes

As like other methods, this one is also not completely reliable and so some additional measures should be taken to improve its effectiveness. A combination of methods or using natural known mosquito repellents in conjunction may boost its effectiveness.

What to put in fire to keep mosquitoes away?

We can use certain herbs and additives in the fire pit to get impressive results. Find below the list of some natural herbs that can be used, however their availability, cost, and side effects, should be considered first.

What to burn in fire pit to keep mosquitoes away?

List of herbs and additives to enhance Fire Pit effectiveness in repelling mosquitoes:

Herb/Additive (Mosquito repellent for fire pit)	How it Works	How to use in Fire Pit
Citronella	Contains natural oils that masks human body odor and smell of sweat, and makes difficult for mosquitoes to detect and locate hosts.	Can add citronella leaves directly in fire or place citronella candles around the fire pit.
Lavender	Releases a pleasant aroma that is unappealing for mosquitoes.	Can add dried lavender leaves directly to the fire pit.
Thyme	Releases strong unpleasant smell that keeps mosquitoes away	Fresh or dried thyme twigs can be used
Sage	Releases pleasant smell which has mosquito repelling properties	Sage bundles or leaves can be directly added to the fire pit
Rosemary	Strong fragrance which keeps mosquitoes away	Can add Fresh or dried rosemary branches and twigs to the fire pit
Pine Needles	Aromatic smoke that has helps in repelling insects	Add a handful of pine needles into the fire pit
Eucalyptus leaves	Known for its mosquito repelling properties, has certain compounds which are very effective against mosquitoes.	Burn eucalyptus leaves directly in the fire pit
Cedarwood	Releases strong aroma that is unattractive for mosquitoes.	Add cedarwood chips or logs to the fire pit for a long lasting effect
Lemongrass	It efficiently repel mosquitoes as it has got rich source of citronella, a well known mosquito repellent	Add fresh or dried lemongrass to the fire pit
Peppermint/ Mint Leaves	Strong menthol based smell deters mosquitoes away	Burn dried peppermint leaves and stems in the fire pit
Clove	Contains eugenol, an efficient mosquito repelling compound	Add whole cloves into the fire
Basil	Contains aromatic oils repel mosquitoes	burn fresh or dried basil leaves directly into the fire pit
Garlic	Produces a strong pungent odor that repel mosquitoes away	Add garlic cloves or garlic powder to the fire
Marigold	Releases a refreshing scent that is not attractive for mosquitoes	Add dried marigold leaves in the fire pit
Tea Tree leaves	Contains compounds that has mosquito repelling properties	Add dried tea leaves into the fire
Bay Leaves	The strong aroma of bay leaves repel mosquitoes away	Can add dried bay leaves directly in to the fire
Cinnamon Sticks	Contains cinnamaldehyde that repels mosquitoes	Burn cinnamon sticks directly into the fire
Onion Skins	The pungent smell of onions helps in keeping mosquitoes away	Add leftover onion skins to the fire pit
Juniper Berries	Emits a strong scent that repel mosquitoes	Add few juniper berries to the fire pit
Coffee Grounds	Releases strong odor with smoke that mosquito finds unpleasant	Dried coffee grounds can be sprinkled over the fire pit
Orange Peels	Contains limonene that naturally repel insects due to its citrus scent	Add dried orange peels in to the fire pit
Coconut Husk	It releases smoke that causes mosquitoes to leave from the vicinity	Add dried coconut husks to the fire pit for long lasting smoke
Walnut Shells	It releases smoke that causes mosquitoes to leave from the vicinity	Crush walnut shells and add them in to the fire pit
Bayberry Wax	On burning releases a strong scent that deters mosquitoes away	Bayberry wax or candles can be added directly to the pit

The above naturally available mosquito repellent for fire pit can be added to your fire pit routines that will surely enhance your outdoor experience with added safety and protection from mosquitoes.

Additional benefits of using Fire Pits to repel mosquitoes

• Natural Light: It provides natural light in the outdoors where proper lighting setup may take time to arrange. Also, the light provided does not require electricity so, can be setup in wild or campsites.
• Ambience: It gives a perfect ambience to a outdoor gathering and relaxation. Maybe a Saturday night or eve party, etc.
• Warmth: It is most desirous to spend evenings in winter outside in outdoors. A fire pit can provided that much needed warmth in winters, where people mostly stay indoors due to chilling temperatures outside
• Cooking along: Many commercial fire pits are available that has an attached barbeque or grill. This makes the outdoor gatherings with hot and spicy meals more enjoyable and comfortable.

Safety tips while using fire pits to keep mosquitoes away

Although, fire pit routines are not new to anybody, but still people are advised to take some safety preventive measures to avoid any fire accidents. Here are some safety tips to be taken care of:

• Choose a safe location: Always Place fire pits on ground instead of any elevated table or setup. Remove any flammable substance from the nearby areas and check if there are any low hanging branches, etc.
• Keep safe distance: Maintain a safe distance from the fire pit to avoid any accidental burns, and avoid seating closer.
• Have a fire extinguisher ready: Keep a fire extinguisher, Water drum or buckets filled with water ready. Keeping such tools handy will help in taking control over any uncertain accident without any major loss.
• Keep First-Aid box handy: Small burns and minor injuries can happen with anyone anytime. Burn injuries are healed when proper care is taken on the spot.
• Never leave the fire alone, unattended: Always leave the area after extinguishing the fire pit and till it cools down completely.

Do Gas Fire Pits repel mosquitoes?

No. Unfortunately gas fire pits do not repel mosquitoes as they don’t release smoke to that extent as a wood fired fire pit does. So there is only the heat factor that may deter some of the mosquitoes that too very near the fire pit. People still face mosquito bites and inconvenience while sitting at a distance from Gas Fire Pits.

Without smoke there is not much repelling effect against mosquitoes. However, you can use herbs and additives to compliment the mosquito repelling effect.

Conclusion: Can fire pits repel mosquitoes away effectively

Fire Pits alone cannot be that effective against mosquitoes, as in outdoors due to greenery, the population of mosquitoes will be too high. So, this method should be complemented with other methods and additives as mentioned earlier, like mosquito repellent herbs and bubble machines can be used if it is a celebration. This method needs proper yard or lawn maintenance.

The intense heat and smoke released from a fire pit may also shift the swarm of mosquitoes in nearby surroundings, and cause disturbance to your neighbours.

With proper knowledge and additional methods you can restrict these unwanted guests to enter your gatherings and keep them away, without bothering your guests.