Best natural mosquito repellents

While warm-weather outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and backyard barbecues are a lot of fun, chances are you may end up dealing with something unpleasant: mosquitoes. They can turn a perfectly good time into an uncomfortable, itchy nightmare. Not to mention, mosquitoes can carry diseases like Zika and West Nile virus.

You could reach for some DEET, which has been found to be both safe and effective at repelling mosquitoes. But you may also be wary of putting pesticides on your skin—or your child’s. If you are seeking to avoid chemical exposure, here are five natural mosquito repellents you may want to consider.

Want a natural bug repellent that you can grow in your very own garden? Try lemongrass. It has high levels of citronellal, a chemical compound that gives the herb a lemony scent. It possesses a flavor that mosquitoes find unpleasant. Just crush some lemongrass in your hand and rub it on your skin.

Here’s a simple trick to deter mosquitoes and cool you off at the same time: Turn on a fan. Some past research has found that using fan-generated wind helped keep mosquitoes away. Why? Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, the chemical compound you emit every time you exhale. Fans help dissipate carbon dioxide, which in turn may make you less appetizing for mosquitoes. Wind may also help prevent mosquitoes from landing on you in the first place.

Try making your own bug repellant by mixing essential oils with water and spraying it onto your skin. Choose oils from: 

• Citrus fruits like oranges or lemons, which provide the active compound limonene
• Geranium, which contains the compound geraniol
• Rosemary, which contains the compound 1,8-cineole
• Cloves, which contain the compound eugenol

These compounds have all been found to help keep mosquitoes away.

If you smell sweet to others, chances are you also smell sweet to mosquitoes. Floral scents tend to be the most appealing to them. So, skip the perfume and opt for scent-free soaps, lotions, and deodorant. You might not smell as great, but you may cut back on bites.

Think you’re a mosquito magnet? It could be due to your diet. Some research has shown that mosquitoes are attracted to people who’ve consumed beer, as well as those who’ve been eating bananas. More studies are needed to find out if all alcohol will draw mosquitoes, or if beer is uniquely attractive to these pests. 

It's worth noting that a 2021 review published in Current Research in Parasitology & Vector-Borne Diseases dispels the myth that consuming either garlic or vitamin B will help; neither seem to have any effect on mosquitoes.