3 indispensable products for outdoor summer living Around My Home!
I like to imagine that there were no mosquitoes in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in our backyard.
We have three neighboring properties around our home that all have swimming pools. Where there’s water, heat, and humidity, there are mosquitoes.
I’ve discovered a handful of at-home remedies for both preventing and treating mosquito bites that are safe for all ages.
I learned of these methods while preparing for a business trip to Bangkok, Thailand.
Mosquitoes are a big problem in Bangkok year-round. The climate is hot and humid, many places do not have air conditioning, and the sanitation is not ideal – a perfect recipe for a multitude of mosquitoes.
Not only are the mosquitoes a nuisance in Bangkok, but many also carry dangerous diseases, so I was required to get a slew of vaccinations before traveling there.
Below are the tips I followed to avoid getting bit and they really worked!
Preventing Mosquito Bites:
Mosquitoes have sensitive noses. They are attracted to sweet and musky fragrances but are repelled by most herbal scents, including rosemary, lavender, and mint.
1. Use an unscented or minty shower wash. My go-to product during summer is Aveda’s Rosemary Mint Hand and Bodywash, which combines two scents that mosquitoes don’t like. In addition to being cool and refreshing, it’s also gender-neutral. For young children, stick to unscented products.
2. Skip the perfume. Mosquitoes love this stuff, so stay away from perfume during the summer and the mosquitoes should stay away from you. Keep in mind that perfume can linger on your clothing through several washes.
3. Use unscented body lotion or sunblock, which will preserve the minty scent of the body wash.
Soothing Mosquito Bites You Already Have:
1. As soon as possible, wash the affected area with any liquid hand or body soap and water. Any type will do. I don’t know why this works – it just does.
2. Apply peppermint oil (undiluted) directly to the individual bites using a cotton swab, cotton pad, or cotton ball. Be sure to wash your hands throughly so that you don’t get any of the oil in your eye.
3. Don’t scratch that itch! If you can leave the bites alone for ~20 minutes after following steps 1 and 2 above, you may not even remember that you had mosquito bites in the first place!
I was in Bangkok for two weeks. At most, I incurred 2-3 mosquito bites during the entire trip. During my stay, I walked through the outdoor market every evening and ate nearly every meal outside. I saw plenty of mosquitoes – even quite a few in my hotel room!
I did not use any insect repellent or wear special clothing. I simply followed the tips outlined above, which are the same ones I now follow at home. I hope they work for you, too.
Now go enjoy outdoor living around your home!
See my updated July 2014 post with new mosquito-fighting products I’ve discovered here.
Around My Home 
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