Can people spray (off or deep woods) be used on dogs ?
could a horse product be used?
the mosquitos are horid this spring, literaly hundreds of them on the dogs today,
when wiping them off the poor dogs fur turned red

I could be very off here, but what about spraying them with citrus? I have done that before for fleas.
Boil orange rinds, cool, then drain water into a spray bottle. Mist the dogs well before going out to play and periodically while outside.

All natural and smells pretty. I know it works with fleas, I would love to hear how it works on mosquitos.

I cheated this year, I set up purple martin houses and stuck goldfish in the little pond. I am hoping to remove all biting and stinging critters as naturally as possible.

Best wishes!

I haven't had a mosquito problem in a long time but Avon's Skin-So-Soft used to work quite well in repelling them. I wonder if it still does?

I use this, made from neem oil. Also safe for people, and it works as an ant border repellent pretty well, too. It has a strong, citrusy smell, so I usually squirt a little in my hands and rub on the dog as opposed to spraying directly on her. I bought a couple of bottles at VitaCost, online.
http://www.ghorganics.com/ArkNeemSprayforpets.html

I have yet to get some of this, but plan on ordering some today.

It's called Whup a Bug, an all natural spray for humans and dogs.
http://www.whupabug.com/index_files/Page435.htm

Check this page out as well:
http://www.whupabug.com/index_files/Page390.htm

I will post back when I get it and let you know how it works.

We used to grow the herb Pennyroyal. I would just pull a handful of leaves and crush them up in my hands and rub on my arms and legs and then on the dogs. Seemed to work pretty well. I think you can get Pennyroyal collars, but I don't know how well they work.

I used to use skin so soft on the horses. You have to dilute it to 1/2 strength or it will take the hair off. Used it on the horses legs for flies.

Works for mosquitos on people(full strength). Never tried it all over on the horses..would be way too expensive. But it may work for the dogs.

Remember to dilute it.

ETA...Also Quantum 100% Natural Herbal Coat Conditioner does a good job with fleas, ticks, & mosquitps. I have used it for years when I am going to work my dogs in wooded areas or high grass or out in the evening or early am. Especially that window of 1 hr after dusk & 1 hour before dawn with mosquitos are at their worst.

Used DEET with my dogs for deep woods stuff, not alot. I was with a cubscout troop, even with the DEET on the kids ticks got on them. None on the dog tho, the kids would sweat and the DEET would get wiped off but Erika didn't get any on her at all. Of course we all had serious scrub downs afterwards

A very timely topic. I was thinking myself of asking others on the board what they use.

I remember doing a lot of research on this last year, as we had a really bad mosquito season, and this year seems to be shaping up the same way. What I found was you should not use human bug repellent with DEET as it can cause neurological problems in dogs. I did not get as far as researching the level of exposure there would have to be, etc.

Products containing pyrethrins (a natural, plant-derived substance) or permethrins (the synthetic version) are supposed to be safe for horses and dogs (but not cats!). I have used this product for many years on my horses and occasionally on my dogs:

http://www.unitedvetequine.com/sprays-and-wipes/ultrashield-ex/

It says it is made for and safe for horses and dogs; however, with the dogs, I'm always concerned about them licking themselves and ingesting it, so I have only used it sparingly. The odor is not too offensive, and I'm a person who can't stand the smell of "Off" or any other human bug repellent, even the unscented varieties.

I really wish I could find something completely safe, non-toxic to the environment AND effective. Haven't found such a thing yet.