Paper lanterns are great things to use outdoors, such as in the backyard or in the garden. It is too bad that, in humid areas, mosquitoes can ruin such lovely places. Bug spray only works so well; it stinks, and it makes your skin and eyes burn. Let us take a look at another option.
You can use paper lanterns to repel mosquitoes. All you have to do is buy a mosquito repellent candle and place it in your flame-lit paper lantern. You can buy these candles in many different stores, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes; they have different ranges of effectiveness, usually anywhere from five to fifteen feet.
When you are using paper lanterns to fight against mosquitoes, you must set them up properly and use an adequate number of them. First, you need to know the range of the candles you are using. If you do not know, check on the box the candle came with; if it did not come in a box, and there is no information on the packaging or label, then check with the manufacturer. Once you set up the candles, ensure that there is a one-foot overlap in the radii of the effective ranges. The last foot has the weakest protection, and by overlapping, you are strengthening the weakest point in your defense.
You will need to make a border around the area that you are going to be protecting against. However, there are some special situations. When you are protecting an area with chlorinated water, you only need to place half the number of candles around the area; you can double the distance between the candles. Since chlorine is a natural mosquito deterrent, you do not need as much protection from the paper lanterns.
Unfortunately, regular, non-chlorinated water is the opposite case. You need to halve the distance between the lanterns if there is non-chlorinated water in the area you want to protect; use double the number of lanterns. This is true because mosquitoes are very attracted to water. In fact, it is their breeding ground; mosquitoes are born in water, so they very much like it. Because of this super attraction to water, you need to double the number of lanterns.
Paper lanterns, when used properly, can provide a source of light safely. You can enjoy their peaceful, dim light wherever you are, such as a dinner outdoors with your family on your deck, and you can thank their mosquito repelling properties for keeping you and your family bug-free.