Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents, including citronella, peppermint, cedar, catnip, patchouli, lemongrass, lavender and more. You can add some of these plants to your landscaping to fend them off.
Natural mosquito repellents
If you prefer natural ingredients, there are some products that are thought to repel mosquitoes and prevent mosquito bites. Those include OLE and PMD as described above. Other products include geraniol, catnip oil, cinnamon oil, and others.
Basically, to avoid being a mosquito-target you should stay as scent-free as possible, wear light clothes, avoid bogs and use an effective repellent (such as those containing DEET or icaridin).
There is simply no evidence taking vitamin B will offer any significant protection from mosquito bites. In reality, if there was even moderate scientific evidence that taking a vitamin supplement could prevent mosquito bites, our supermarket shelves would be full of “mosquito repellent pills”.
Wear protective clothing
Wear clothing and gear treated with permethrin. Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes. Permethrin-treated clothing provides protection after multiple washings. Do not use permethrin products directly on skin.
Other factors such as blood type and breathing patterns also seem to play a role. Type O blood appears to attract the pests. So does breathing heavily — such as after a workout — which exudes more carbon dioxide around you, which attracts mosquitoes.
A study in Nature found that a compound in deodorants (isopropyl tetradecanoate) repelled mosquitoes by preventing them from landing on the surface coated in deodorant. In fact, there was a 56% decrease in the number of mosquito landings.
3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion
Another top-selling mosquito repellent lotion is Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion from 3M. This lotion contains about 34% DEET to repel not only mosquitoes, but biting flies, chiggers, deer flies, ticks, gnats, and fleas.
Many dermatologists now recommend that the skin can be made much less attractive to biting insects by taking Vitamin B supplements whilst at risk. So, we recommend that Vitamin B complex, 2 tablets twice a day, or Vitamin B-1, 100 mg daily, is a good way of helping to reduce the risk of being bitten.
Blood Types Mosquitoes Love Most
Type B: Type B placed second in popularity. Type A: Type A Blood Type apparently tastes the worst to mosquitoes. The study found that those with Blood Type A are 50% less likely to receive a mosquito bite than those with Type O.
DEET is a reliable and highly effective insect repellent. The chemical has been in public use since 1957. The repellent is sold under numerous brand names and comes in lotion, spray and many other forms. Concentrations of DEET range from about 5% all the way up to 100%.
Here are some of the reasons you might get bitten more than other people. You're Type O blood. In a 2004 study, researchers released Aedes albopictus mosquitoes to a buffet of humans and watched what happened. The mosquitoes landed on people with Type O blood nearly twice as often as those with Type A.
More Heat and Moisture: The prime reason for mosquitoes to bite our ankles and feet is that these are comparatively warmer areas of our body and they are also more hydrated. Heat and moisture are the two main things mosquitoes look for, hence they attack these body parts.
They're often marketed as providing “natural” protection from mosquitoes. But unfortunately, they aren't a reliable way to prevent mosquito bites.
It seems that coconut-scented soaps are among the most repulsive to mosquitoes, although the most foolproof way to repel the pests is to use a proper repellent. “Multiple publications show that coconut-derived chemicals tend to have a repellent effect on blood-feeding insects.
Anything that has a scent resembling orange, grapefruit, and lemon will keep mosquitoes at bay, and that includes lemon balm. This plant, which isn't actually a lemon plant but rather closely related to mint, is a favorite of gardeners for its bold lemon fragrance and its use in the kitchen.