What Can You Eat Or Drink to Keep Mosquitoes Away?
WouterAdding a bit of garlic to your meals may help repel mosquitoes. Garlic is not only good for keeping mosquitoes away, it also contains many health benefits.
Another natural bug repellent is citronella oil. You can also apply apple cider vinegar to your skin. The vinegar can make your smell less appealing to insects.
Grapefruit contains nootkatone, a molecule that gives the fruit its characteristic scent. This compound is also used as an insecticide.
Garlic, onions, and chili peppers are all known to have strong repelling properties. Some of these foods also contain vitamin C, which can be helpful for treating bug bites.
One study showed that neem oil provided 70 percent protection for three hours. However, the study did not show that neem oil was as effective as DEET. The University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory advises using soybean or lemongrass oils.
Tomatoes are known to be a great source of thiamine, a vitamin B1 that is thought to be a natural mosquito repellent. This vitamin works by masking human odors and can be useful for preventing mosquito bites.
Beans are another natural bug repellent that works in the same way as tomatoes. Like tomatoes, beans produce an unpleasant odor when they are eaten.
Bananas are another popular food that is claimed to repel mosquitoes. These sweet fruits also have a moist texture that helps soothe the skin from mosquito bites.
In addition to these foods, other foods that are said to have mosquito-repelling properties are: cherries, chives, and kale.
