Nobody likes mosquitoes, but the mosquitoessure do love us.
Some of themmighthelp, but none are reliable.
If youre only worried about itchy bites, you might be okay with a partially effective product.
But its a different story if youre trying to prevent disease.
TheCulexmosquitoes found throughout the US can transmitWest Nile virus.
Complications are rare, but its still good to avoid.
Dont wait for nightfall, eitherAedesmosquitoes bite during the day.
Ultrasonic devices dont work, but they are still on the market in some places.
Bugsdo not care if you play high pitched noises at them.
Onepeppermint oil wristband, when tested, only reduced the rate of mosquitoes landing on the persons lower forearm.
Other types of wristbands dont fare any better.
Astudy published intheNew England Journal of Medicinefound that both DEET and citronella wristbands offered no meaningful protection.
(One citronella wristband got its wearermorebites compared to an unadorned arm.)
These devices, like theTerminix Sidekickand theOff Clip-On, have a battery-powered fan that helps to circulate the repellent.
If youre moving, or if its a windy day, the repellent wont be able to surround you.
But in the right conditions, both devicesreduced mosquito landingsby about 90 percent.
Thats not perfect, so dont rely on it to prevent diseases like Zika.
The devices cost around $8, with refills going for $1-2 apiece.
Other plantsreputed to have mosquito-repelling propertiesinclude catnip, peppermint, lemon balm, and a variety of geranium calledCitrosa.
But itsnot enough to just have the plant nearby.
Again, this wont eliminate mosquitoes, but if youre interested, try a trap in addition to repellents.
Better yet, convince your neighbors to put one intheiryard.
Short sleeved shirts only provide partial protection to exposed skin.
Its also fine to spray your clothes with whatever repellent youre using on your skin.
you might use it alongside a skin spray, of course, just like werecommend for ticks.
Better traps could also make repellents obsolete, if researchers can manage to design a trap thats good enough.
For now, though, the spray is the way.
Illustration by Sam Woolley.
Citronella candle photo fromRoger Ward.
Permethrin treated clothing photo by theUS Navy.
Bug spray photo fromFairfax County.
