Why
does it feel like every
insect within 30 miles has you in its crosshairs, while your husband is
unbitten? Some of us attract more pests, says Kansas State
University entomologist Raymond Cloyd, Ph.D. "It depends on your unique
odors," he says — and how much you breathe and sweat: "Mosquitoes use
carbon dioxide and lactic acid in sweat to find us." DEET sprays are
your
best defense, but when you can’t or don’t want to use chemicals, these
tricks work too. 

Put a dryer sheet in
each pocket.
Gardeners told Cloyd for years that Bounce kept
bugs away, so he tested the theory and found that a dryer sheet repelled up to
36 percent of insects. "Bounce contains linalool, a plant compound that’s
toxic to bugs," he says.

 

Blend in.
Bright colors, especially yellow and blue, attract
insects. Lucky for you, neutrals are big for summer! But pick a little beige
dress over black: Dark clothes look like yummy animal hides to mosquitoes, says Sharon Lawler,
Ph.D., professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis. 

Sip iced tea.
Soda is a mosquito magnet, says Lawler. The bugs
are attracted to the carbonation. Burping also draws in bugs.

Heat them up!
Put a warm compress on the bite.  It neutralizes venom and cuts down on itching.