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:
- Stay indoors at dusk when mosquitoes are out and about. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved tops, and tuck long pants into your socks.
- Stay away from black and white fabrics, which seem to drive the bugs wild.
- Turn on an outdoor fan - the wind can help keep the bugs at bay.
- Try oils such as soybean oil, and mixtures of essential oils, such as pennyroyal oil and eucalyptus.
- These are moderately effective if you're not dealing with really thick swarms of mosquitoes.
- In places like Alaska, Canada or the northern Midwest, where mosquitoes can be overwhelming, regularly apply insect repellants containing geraniol, a plant-derived compound, or neem oil, from the Indian tree Azadirachta indica.
