How to Avoid Mosquito Bites While Having Fun Outdoors

West Nile virus is such a devastating illness that mosquitoes carry, along with other diseases, that it is best to try to avoid getting bitten if possible by these pests, not to mention the annoying itching and scratching involved with their bites.

Here are some tips to avoid or repel them when the warmer weather brings them to your door:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Tie a dryer sheet somewhere on your clothing for a mosquito repellent. This seems strange but it works.

2. Use citronella candles and scents around the area where you are.
   Zapping types of bug lights set up around the outside of your home help keep the mosquito population under control as well.

3. Remove any standing water around your home, such as buckets, trash cans, old tires, or wagons full of water. Refill birdbaths with fresh water daily. Dump kiddie pools out after use, and turn upside down.

4. Spray yourself with bug repellant, or if you want to be away from chemicals but still repel the mosquitoes, go with crushed peppermint, garlic, cloves, lavendar, eucalyptus, lemon grass, or rosemary, mix the dried leaves in olive oil and rub on skin at the pulse points. Pure vanilla also works well. Reapply every couple of hours to retain effectiveness, and more often if swimming.

5. Plant mosquito-repelling plants, herbs, flowers, and trees around your home, such as marigolds, peppermint and lavender, citronella grass, catnip, and cedar. Cedar chips on the flower bed floor helps as well.

6. It seems from different studies that have been done, that people who eat a lot of sugar get more bites than those that eat more garlic and onions in their diet, so this too is something to consider if you are bothered frequently by these disease-carrying pests.

[EarthMother]

on 6/24/2009 How to Avoid Mosquito Bites While Having Fun Outdoors - Dryer sheets help? I can smell good and rid myself of misquetos. Wow that's one to grow on. Smile!