Best Way to Keep Mosquitos away? About This Page:

[JoanneS]

Does anyone have a proven method of ridding yourself of mosquitos? I've been using Off! with Deet and I worry about poisoning myself. Plus, I'm still getting bitten. Short of wearing a suit of armor, is there a better way to stay bug free?

[B.M.]

Change your blood type !?! Just Kidding.... Kinda.... I am personally convinced that mosquito are attracted to certain blood types.... My sister gets eaten alive by mosquito and so do her boys... My children and I can be sitting right next to her; we will see the mosquito but get zero bites.... I really think it's the blood type...

[Starwind]

I cannot use DEET because it gives me rashes and such.

I have had success wearing bug net clothing (REI sells some nice stuff), however, that is not particularly attractive or practical for, say, being out and about in normal public :-)

I have also had success just wearing normal clothing, or sun protective clothing -- long pants, long sleeves, long socks, hat.


You are in the US, so a variety of DEET-alternative repellants are available to you.

I have personally used the following with success:

Natrapel ( Deet Free Repellents - Insect Products - Tender Corporation - Makers Of Active Outdoor Products ) which uses picaridin. IME it does NOT melt plastics like DEET does (and it is not supposed to, per the manufacturer). Note there are other companies that make picaridin-containing products, but a caution: some have fragrances and such added to them.

All terrain Natural Insect Repellants ( Natural Insect Repellents ). i have used the Herbal Armor and Kids Herbal Armor sprays. Note for one of their options they have their spray bottled in a bottle with Disney characters ! :-) Active Ingredients: Oil of Soybean 11.5%, Oil of Citronella 10.0%, Oil of Peppermint 2.0%, Oil of Cedar 1.50%, Oil of Lemongrass 1.00%, Oil of Geranium 0.05%. DEET and GMO free.

Both are available from a variety of sources. I buy the All Terrain from iherb.com and have been pleased with their service.

I have read various articles cautioning against the use of some of the products that heat a pad containing chemical repellent -- either that you wear in a device or via lamps, because of concerns about the fact that the humans are breathing in the chemicals and that may not be a good thing. You should be able to find articles about those easily via Google.

Also, it is important to follow the instructions re: minimum age to use, how often to reapply, and keeping it away from certain things (e.g. DEET + plastic = BAD BAD BAD).

Some articles about repellents:

Consumer Reports: Insect Repellent: Consumer Reports and more recently Best Way to Stop Bug Bites | Prevent West Nile and Lyme - Consumer Reports News

Here is a Good Housekeeping article on the issue: Best Natural Insect Repellents and Homemade Herbal Bug Sprays - Good Housekeeping

From Mother Earth News, an excellent article: How to Keep Mosquitoes Away - Nature and Environment - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Note the discussion of what actual studies have shown in terms of the repellent abilities of various items. E.g. Citronella and wristbands only lasting 20 minutes.

Hope this helps.

_SW

[Starwind]

A few articles about why some people are more attractive to mosquitoes (apparently about 10-20% of people are "highly attractive"):

Smithsonian: Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others? | Science | Smithsonian

(and yep, Blood Type is part of the equation!! read the Smithsonian article above)

Mosquito Magnets: Who/What Attracts Mosquitoes?

That bites: Mosquitoes might be more attracted to you than others

[Fortissimo]

If you have O blood like I do you are loved by bugs.

[GingerJ]

I've heard Avon Skin So Soft is good for repelling mosquitos. Also, OFF makes a little fan-type thing you wear on your belt...it has replaceable pads with the repellant, so you're not putting it on your own skin.

I used it at Boy Scout summer camp a few years ago, but don't know if it actually worked. I'm not normally that tasty to skeeters (knock on wood), despite having Type O blood....could be that DS14 is drawing them all away from me, since he apparently tastes like Mosquito Ice Cream and leaves camp covered with bites.

[DisneyWitch]

Ok...lemme just say thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have O Negative blood (and am stalked by the Red Cross), and bugs will seek me out to feed. I used to live in MN where the mosquito is the state bird, and ended up in the hospital after a camping weekend - they stopped counting after about the 120th bite. I have tried a lot of products, and I hate DEET because my skin is sensitive.

You guys are amazing. Starwind - thank you for those ideas!! I love the natural one!

Again, you guys prove to me why this list is way superior than "other" lists. Good people here all around. And danged smart too!

[JoanneS]

Yes, I'm type O blood. Today, I counted 41 bites. I'm using the Off! Fan thing in addition to the spray. They're biting me through my clothes! I think my only hope is an early frost.

Thanks for the articles and suggestions. If I find something that works, I'll let you know.

[Starwind]

for those considering the Off Clip-On device (or similar critters, for that matter), you may wish to read Consumer Reports' "Claim check" article about it:

Clip-on repellent: Consumer Reports Claim Check

In addition to the poor repelling results, this little piece is also a consideration:

" Its active ingredient is metofluthrin, a neurotoxin. The label says, "Avoid breathing vapor," but it's hard to imagine how, with the repellent swirling around you. "

There are other organizations who have also raised concerns about breathing in the vapors from these and other devices that emit them (think the lanterns and other things, too). Of course, the concerns may or may not have validity. In our house we have decided to err on the side of caution and not use such devices -- and yes, this meant throwing out a couple unused ones.

[Starwind]

ExOfficio makes anti-insect clothing. I have not tried it myself, but it may be something to look into: ExOfficio | Bugsaway Insect Repellent Clothing

As an example, they have a lightweight jacket that one could layer over normal clothes (like is to REI's page for it): ExOfficio BugsAway Damselfly Jacket - Women's - Free Shipping at REI.com . They and other manufacturers of similar clothing also have direct clothes themselves (pants, tops, etc).

-SW

[Ashli]

I don't have O blood (A+ here), but I get eaten alive by mosquitos. I've read that it has most to do with how much CO2 your body produces, because that is what attracts mosquitos. Who knows, but I know they love me. I have the best success with DEET (at least 40%) but it still doesn't keep them away completely.

[Ariel in a doom buggy]

Let's hear it for the O- out there acting as the family bug light! But in all seriousness, I get eaten alive and I'm starting to notice that my 21 month old gets devoured too... Both O-... I guess we are keeping the Mosquitos alive. Everyone has a purpose, right! Hahahaha


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[KMB733]

Does your veterinarian sell any VertiScience products? I know it sounds weird, but the vet's office I work for just did a lunch and learn about VetriScience products and one of them is called Vetri Repel Wipes. It is an all natural product and it works wonders! My coworker used them and she said everyone else was getting bit and she wasn't. I bought some for my dad since he is working outside in his garden and he swears by them.

[Tigger71]

You could try using tea tree oil - I am allergic too and use a product sold in Australia called "Aeroguard" and when I run out I will use the tea tree and rub some on my neck, arms and back of my knees and ankles. Mozzies do not like it.

[Huntermom]

My son who spends lots of time in swamps (he's a wildlife biologist) and also a big eco person, uses the repellent clothing or buy a spray to put on hsi clothes. He is O blood type and does not get an huge number of bites.

When my eie was young, she was allergic to bites and would take one of the B vitamins to keep them away. It worked, although she had a bit of an unusual smell. She was a toddler so I donn't know if it made a difference.

I am A and get a lot more bites than my O son.