Outsmarting Mosquitoes

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But don't give up the fight for comfortable, safe outdoor space. One good way to help shoo mosquitoes off your deck or patio is to use a fan. Mosquitoes may be great smellers, but they are weak fliers. If you often sit on an unscreened porch, install an overhead ceiling fan: you'll be cooler and have fewer bites.

You also can reduce your personal attractiveness to mosquitoes. Avoid using highly perfumed soaps and shampoos, wear loose-fitting clothing, which forms an air barrier between you and the bugs, and use an herbal repellent.

The key to using any plant-based repellent is to watch how it's working. Immediately after application, mosquitoes will not light on your skin; as the effectiveness wanes, they will light but not bite. That's your signal to go inside or to apply more repellent because the third stage is near — when the mosquitoes light and bite.

If mosquitoes are numerous, you may want to invest in mosquito-net shirts, hoods or pants, and you may want the protection of a chemical repellent, too. Numerous studies show that products containing DEET are the most effective for the longest time, usually more than four hours.

Despite some reports of adverse reactions, the CDC considers DEET to be safe when products containing it are used according to label directions. For a child, apply only repellents with 10 percent or less concentrations of DEET, and don't put the repellent on the child's hands. For adults, research shows that products with no more than 35 percent DEET are as effective as those with higher concentrations.

The best idea might be to keep a bottle of DEET-based repellent on hand for emergencies only, such as hiking in a swamp or at sundown in the middle of summer, and rely on plant-based repellents for everyday use. In a 2002 study conducted at the University of Florida's Medical Entomology Laboratory, three plant-based repellents were found to be effective for at least an hour . These were Bite Blocker, which contains soy, coconut and geranium oils (and which now has had citric acid added and is called Bite Blocker Herbal Spray), Repel's Lemon Eucalyptus and Fite Bite Lemon Eucalyptus, both lemon eucalyptus-based lotions. (The study found citronella products, Avon Skin So Soft and wristbands laced with DEET provided protection for only 20 minutes or less.)

Barbara Pleasant, a regular contributor to MOTHER EARTH NEWS, is the author of The Gardener's Bug Book. Her most recent book, Garden Stone, received the Garden Globe award from the Garden Writers of America.

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