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The 5 Best Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites

With the global pandemic keeping many of us indoors for extended stretches, outdoor excursions have started to feel more like therapy than leisure. Whether you’re by the beach, camping, or in your backyard, not much can disrupt a late-summer idyll quite like a mosquito buzzing incessantly in your ear.

Mosquitoes are, of course, dangerous too, carrying diseases like Zika, West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of vector-borne diseases, which include those transmitted by mosquitoes, more than tripled in the United States between 2004 and 2016. They also note that the vast majority of vector control organizations “lack critical prevention and control capacities.” In other words, you’re on your own.

Thankfully, there are now more options to handle mosquitoes than just covering yourself head to toe with a smelly DEET-based repellent. I’ve been covering bug and mosquito control products for Wirecutter (The New York Times Company that reviews and recommends products) for over two years, interviewing researchers, academics and manufacturers along the way. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the American Mosquito Control Association and I’ve tested dozens of mosquito-related products — some successful, some not. Here are a few that I’ve found to be effective.

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LAST UPDATED

May 6, 2022

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New York Times

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The New York Times is an American daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership. It was founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones, and was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company.

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MEDIA MENTIONS

A 20% DEET Premium Controlled-Release Lotion will work well against mosquitoes, but Dr. Zimring says he prefers the 20% Picaridin lotion since it also protects against ticks, gnats, chiggers, and flies. (In both instances, he recommends Sawyer brand.)

Rachel Schultz
Editorial Director

MEDIA MENTIONS

Part of spending time outside means battling ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting insects. For this, Nelson swears by permethrin.

Wirecutter

MEDIA MENTIONS

And out of the products we tested, Dr. Zeichner highly recommends Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent.

Samson McDougall