You enjoyed a beautiful evening out at a back yard BBQ, only to wake up and realize tiny mosquito bumps all over your body. For being so tiny, mosquitoes sure can put a huge damper on your life. The key is to know how to keep them away, and also how to treat a bite if one slips in.

There are over 3,000 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world, about 200 of which occur in the US. Learn how to not be a victim of the bite any longer. More mosquito FAQ here. 

Common Things that Attract Mosquitoes

1. Perfume and Scented Lotions: Fragrances are known to attract mosquitoes. Floral scents are especially attractive.
2. Hot body temperature and sweat: Mosquitoes are attracted to heat as well as water for breeding purposes. Try staying as cool and dry as you can to avoid the attraction.
3. Be aware that bananas may also attract. Dr. Janet Starr Hull says: “there’s something about how your body processes the banana oil that attracts these female sugar-loving insects.”
4. Any form of light: Head lamp, light bulbs, flashlights.

Action Steps to Avoid Mosquito Bites:

1. Staying inside around dawn and dusk.
2. Make sure you drain all standing water around your area as mosquitoes require water to breed.
3. Try to wear loose fitting clothes that are lite in color.
4. Stay in the breeze. Mosquito can fly only eight m.p.h., so it doesn’t take much to blow them away.

Powerful Natural Prevention

• Eat garlic: Mosquitoes are very sensitive to garlic and will stay away from skin and a body that is full of it.
• Cinnamon leaf oil: One study found it was more effective at killing mosquitoes than DEET
• Apply clear liquid vanilla extract mixed with olive oil to the skin.
• Wash with citronella soap,as well as put 100% pure citronella essential oil on your skin.
• Catnip oil: One study has shown this oil is 10 times more effective than DEET.
• Lavender essential oil is a natural and effective mosquito repellent.
• Osana All Natural Mosquito Repellent 

Naturally Soothing the Bites

Once these bites have taken over, the only desire you may have is to scratch, and scratch. . .yet scratching releases more histamines in the body, which makes the bite itch more. Try these remedies for relief and healing of the skin.

• Aloe vera: It contains over 130 active compounds and 34 amino acids that are beneficial to your skin.
• Tea Tree oil: Helpful for healing cuts, burns, infections and a multitude of other skin afflictions. It is also a good antimicrobial, including fungal infections
• Raw organic honey: An especially powerful variety is Manuka honey from New Zealand, made from bees that feed on flowers of the Manuka bush, also known as the “Tea Tree.”
• Ice: A shock of cold therapy will provide relief for itching and keep you from swelling more
• Baking Soda: Create a paste of baking soda and water to relieve itching and inflammation.

References:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/22/insect-bite-treatment.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/natural-mosquito-bite-treatment_n_1610186.html