6 Ways To Minimize Mosquito Bites This Summer

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The best remedy for mosquito bites – including those that transmit disease – is to prevent them in the first place. Use these tips to help stay bite-free this summer:

1. Stay indoors at dusk when mosquitoes are out and about.
2. Cover up by wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved tops, and tuck long pants into your socks.
3. Stay away from black and white fabrics, which seem to drive the bugs wild.
4. Turn on an outdoor fan – the wind can help keep the bugs at bay.
5. Try oils such as soybean oil, and mixtures of essential oils, such as pennyroyal oil and eucalyptus as non-toxic approaches to keep them away. These are moderately effective if you’re not dealing with really thick swarms of mosquitoes.
6. In places like Alaska, Canada or the northern Midwest, where mosquitoes can be overwhelming, regularly apply insect repellants containinga maximum of 10 percent DEET, 20 percent Picaridin or 20 percent IR3535. Previously thought to be more toxic, the Environmental Working Group now has these as top choices, even for children. One note from EWG, if using DEET in an area known for ticks’ carrying Lyme disease bacteria or for Zika outbreaks, a concentration of 20 percent to 30 percent may be appropriate.

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