Recipes, Projects & More

Topical Mosquito Repellents

• Oil of lemon eucalyptus (orPMD, the man-made version) can be very effective and is safe. It shouldn’t be used on children under 3 years old, however — it’s not well-studied enough. Some repellents in the United States that contain it include Repel Lemon Eucalyptus and Off! Botanicals. 
• Garlic oilrubbed onto the skin has proven to be effective in some studies. Some people swear garlic works and swallow slivered garlic to ward off these summer pests. Others take garlic tablets or rub garlic juice directly on their skin.
• Many readers claim that rubbingapple cider vinegaron your skin helps to repel insects. If you take in enough apple cider vinegar by putting it on foods you eat, you’ll develop a body odor that will repel insects, including black flies. One great and refreshing summer drink for this purpose isswitchel, made from apple cider vinegar.
• Catnip oilwas reported to repel mosquitoes by some studies.