How to Prevent (and Treat) Mosquito Bites, According to Experts

The easiest way to avoid mosquitoes (and in particular the female ones, who are the biters) is to make sure there is no standing water anywhere near you. “I’m talking about clogged gutters, tree holes, kids’ toys, tires, bird baths, drip saucers that are under plants, even a pile of leaves,” says Dr. Stan Cope, a.k.a. Captain Stan the Mosquito Man, a retired medical entomologist in the United States Navy and currently the vice president of technical services at pest management company Catchmaster. But there are some folks, standing water or not, who are just more susceptible to bites than others. While carbon dioxide is the number-one thing that mosquitoes are attracted to, your “own unique chemical signature,” as Cope calls it, might also contribute to your appeal. (And contrary to what you might have heard, diet has nothing to do with it.) But according to Dr. Michael Bentley, entomologist for the National Pest Management Association, why a female mosquito, which has very sophisticated senses, might be attracted to one person over another, is really a mystery. “Scientists are still working out the specifics,” he says, “for what combination of the over 200 different chemicals and compounds produced through human skin that make some people more appealing to mosquitoes than others.”

And since you can’t change your genetic makeup, some of us will always need repellent. Below, expert advice on the most effective treatments and personal repellents for keeping mosquitoes from nipping at you this summer. Find the full article written by Lauren Ro & Jenna Milliner - Waddell here.