How to Repel Mosquitoes and Prevent Mosquito Bites

Warm weather has finally arrived and along with the rising temperatures comes an age old problem, mosquitoes. Repelling mosquitoes and keeping your family safe from mosquito bites is a major concern.

With the rapid rise of cases of West Nile virus here in the US, not to mention all of the other diseases that mosquitoes can spread, we must take extra precaution to keep our family safe from mosquito bites.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• cloves of garlic
• B-1 vitamins
• Avon Skin So Soft
• citronella oil and/or citronella candles
• bug zapper

1. The first step to preventing mosquito bites is to invest in a quality bug zapper. The special light attracts mosquitoes and other bugs and then "zaps" or kills them.

2. 

   Tiki torches filled with citronella oil, when lit will effectively repels mosquitoes, thus reducing the possibility of being bitten by a mosquito. Citronella candles will repel mosquitoes just as well.

3. Avon Skin So Soft rubbed onto the skin will repel mosquitoes and prevent bites. I'm not sure why it works, I just know that it does. I have used this product personally, on myself and even on my pets.

4. 

   Fresh, crushed garlic cloves will effectively repel mosquitoes and prevent mosquito bites. Simply crush the garlic until the juice is released and rub the juice over all exposed areas of the skin.
   
   I have also heard that taking garlic capsules (supplements), on a daily basis will also repel mosquitoes and keep them from biting. The garlic "smell" is emitted through the skin as your body sweats, thus repelling mosquitoes.

5. Some swear by vitamin B-1 tablets. I have not tried this myself but I have heard that a single B-1 tablet taken once a day will effectively repel mosquitoes and prevent mosquito bites. It is suppose to work the same way as the garlic supplement. The B-1 odor is released through the pores of the skin and mosquitoes are repelled by the smell. Worth a try to prevent mosquito bites.

Tips & Warnings

• Mosquitoes are more active at dusk and dawn.
• Avoid wearing perfumes, deodorant, hair spray or anything with a strong scent, that might attract mosquitoes.

[Tfurby]

on 7/22/2009 Thank you bbkick, the mosquito expert, for your input. Perhaps you should write about repelling mosquitoes as your first article on eHow? Put your extensive knowledge to good use.

[bbkick]

on 7/22/2009 The second and third suggestions are correct but the best thing to do is avoid perfumes and deodorants. And wear dark clothing. Oh yeah and avoid breathing...mosquitoes are attracted carbon dioxide. They have evolved this method of prey location over several million years so it is a little hard to get around it.

The 4th and 5th suggestions have never been proven to reduce the incidents of bites. You can repel some humans but it doesn't work on mosquitoes.

And your chances of getting West Nile are so slim it is not worth the money to spend on repellents.

Please obtain some accurate knowledge before posting instead of posting wives tales.

[bbkick]

on 7/22/2009 The first suggestion is completely inaccurate. A "bug zapper" actually kills male mosquitoes (which do not bite). It also kills many other insects that are beneficial for pollination purposes, i.e. nocturnal (only active at night) moths, flies, etc. Don't waste your money.

[jujudy]

on 5/1/2009 Excellent article. Many people in my part of the country use Skin so Soft with great success. Better than chemicals.Thanks. 5*s.

[dalady]

on 4/29/2009 Mosquitoes love me! Thanks for the tips! I will certainly give em a try! 5*