As the weather warms up, many shoppers heading outdoors will want natural solutions to rid themselves of mosquitoes. An article on ABC News by Ki Mae Heussner asked scientists to separate fact from fiction when it comes to natural ways to repel these pesky summertime bugs.
The article starts with garlic, saying legend has reported it can cure the common cold, help determine a baby's sex and ward off witches. But when it comes to keeping bugs away, the experts quoted in the article say the science isn’t compelling. Heussner quotes Joe Conlon, technical advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association, as saying eating garlic may not do any good, but applying it to skin will repel mosquitoes for 20 to 40 minutes. Of course, that isn’t a long time and the garlic smell will stay a lot longer than that.
B vitamins also fall short on science when it comes to keeping bugs at bay. Conlon said double blind studies have found no evidence, but noted many people swear taking B vitamins keep bugs away.
Bananas, on the other hand, may attract and repel mosquitoes. The article spoke with Susan Paskewitz, an entomologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who said a study in her lab didn't prove a link between bananas and mosquito attraction, but found some subsets of people, with or without bananas, attract several mosquitoes at one time and fewer mosquitoes hours later.
The article also talked about not-so-natural solutions, such as Listerine, noting some Web sites have said the antiseptic mouthwash doubles as an effective bug repellent. Paskewitz said some of the product's ingredients have been shown to be repellent, Listerine itself has yet to prove its power to science. Dryer sheets and Lemon Joy are in the same boat with many saying they work, but no science to prove it.
Alcohol may make more bugs come, as Paskewitz said a couple of studies have shown that drinking beer could make a person more attractive to mosquitoes.
To really keep mosquitoes away, the article says it’s important to remove standing water; dress in loose-fitting clothing in a light color; and use a known mosquito repellent like DEET, picaridin, or, for a more natural repellent, lemon eucalyptus.