Blood Suckers and How to Repel them 86 the Chemicals

Mosquitoes are natures way of suggesting that we are delicious and attractive but this selfish rude behavior will not stand, man! They crash parties, take advantage of us when we sit still in the summer night and invade our homes with open windows. 

I have found some natural remedies for repelling them because who wants to cover themselves in cancerous insect repellent every time you walk out the door. Those of you in tropical environments know what I am talking about. For the lucky ones who live in dry environments, these remedies will save your Summer vacations to the South.

Neem oil is one of natures most powerful insect repellent and one of the healthiest oils you can rub on your skin. Supermodel Christy Turlington's skin care range includes a neem night cream. Have you seen her lately? She looks at least 20 years younger than her age. We'll get into the advantages of healthy skin with neem in another post.


Lavender! It smells great and apparently these tiny vampires prefer the bitterness of your blood. In fact, they stay clear of lavender all together. This does not apply to other pretty scents; mosquitoes are attracted to most lotions and perfumes. Try a lavender scent in your body moisturizer, soap or in a mist. Lavender repels other insects as well - right on!
 

Lemon eucalyptus oil provides 120.1 minutes of mosquito protection, more than a repellent with a low concentration of the chemical DEET (Off Skintastic for Kids with 4.75% DEET provided 88.4 minutes of protection) and less than Off Deep Woods with 23.8% DEET, which provided 301.5 minutes of protection. The problem with DEET is that is damaging to your skin. It is a harsh chemical and can cause irritation. The higher the DEET content, the worse it is for your skin. But in all fairness, it does the job.

Here is a list of other natural oils which repel mosquitoes. Note that they are most effective when mixed:

• Citronella Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Castor Oil
• Rosemary Oil
• Lemongrass Oil
• Cedar Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Clove Oil
• Geranium Oil

If you would prefer to use an organic repellent internally, you can drink a tablespoon or two of organic apple cider vinegar and eat lots of garlic. Vitamin B1 taken daily is also supposed to help repel insects.

Another interesting fact I picked up on NPR this morning: fireflies eat mosquito larvae. So, leave them alone and invite them to your BBQs!