How to Ward Off Mosquitoes & What to Eat

Summertime means outdoor time. Cookouts and pool time provide opportunities to spend quality time with friends and family, but can attract unwanted guests.

Mosquitoes never receive an invitation to a cookout. These insects bite and can carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitis and malaria. The most effective way to ward off mosquitoes and prevent disease is through a chemical repellent. For those unable to use chemical repellents, care in what you eat and wear can help ward off mosquitoes and their itchy bites.

Instructions

• 1

  Wear light-colored clothing to ward off mosquitoes. According to mosquito.org, dark colored clothing attracts some species of mosquitoes. Light-colored clothing is also cooler than dark during the summer months, a peak activity time for mosquitoes. Choose long sleeves on shirts and wear long pants to cover as much of your skin as possible.

• 2

  Essential oils, made with oils from plants, can ward off mosquitoes. Choose oil of citronella, catnip oil, geranium oil, lavender oil, eucalyptus, lemon oil, clove oil or neem oil. Try several to find the one that works best for you. Pick one with the scent that you like. Find these oils in aromatherapy or perfume departments of your local stores or order them online. Always test oils on a small patch of your skin to check for an allergic reaction. Follow the directions for using your essential oil to avoid adverse reactions.

• 3

  Eat garlic and take a Vitamin B supplement to repel mosquitoes. The smell of garlic not only wards off people -- mosquitoes don't care for the odor, either. While Vitamin B has not been scientifically proven to repel mosquitoes, some people have found that taking Vitamin B wards off mosquitoes, possibly again due to an odor offensive to the mosquito. While Vitamin B is safe in the correct dosage, consult your doctor before adding it to your supplement regime.

• 4

  Avoid bananas and alcohol. The lactic acid that the potassium in the banana produces may attract mosquitoes rather than ward them off. Alcohol consumption causes a chemical reaction, making an odor that attracts mosquitoes to some people. Other foods that you eat may interact with your unique body chemistry, making you irresistible to mosquitoes. Note what you've eaten the next time you're covered with mosquito bites and try avoiding those foods when out of doors in the future.