Every year we look forward to the warmer weather with both happiness and apprehension. The benefits of warm weather are great; the negatives aren’t so great.

The one major negative that all of us have to deal with are mosquitoes. They seem hard to avoid, and you’re never sure where they’ll be or how many of them will be around. But they assault your body, and you can get rid of hundreds of them a night and still have just one get through, and you’ll be itching for days.

Luckily, there are recommendations that can be made that will help you to protect your body from mosquitoes:

1. Wear clothing that covers up your skin. This is the most effective way of protecting your body from mosquitoes, but it’s not the more preferred way. If you’re out in very hot weather, keeping on a lot of clothes isn’t very appealing. Wearing netting will offer some protection, but it’s not appropriate everywhere.

2. Wear colors besides black. Oddly enough, mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, especially black, which is why, if you have dark hair, they’ll hang around your head more often if you’re wearing bright clothes otherwise. If you have both dark hair and dark clothes, mosquitoes will treat you as a smorgasbord.

3. Avoid wearing scented perfumes or lotions. Mosquitoes are attracted by the sweet smell of these items.

4. Realize that in #3 we told you about scented perfumes and lotions. That doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t, have other scents. There are many oils, herbal remedies, and foodstuffs that have scents that naturally keep mosquitoes away. Some of these scents, in alphabetical order, are: Basil; Catnip; Cedar oil; Cedarwood; Citronella oil; Eucalyptus oil; Feverfew; Garlic; Geranium oil; Juniper; Lavender oil; Lemon ecualyptus oil; Lemongrass oil; Lemongrass, citronella; Lemons; Myrrh; Neem oil; Palmarosa; Pennyroyal oil; Peppermint oil; Pine; Red cedarwood; Regular Listerine; Rosemary; Tansy oil; Tea Tree oil; Thyme oil; Vanilla Extract.

5. Try not to sweat too much, or to be out in an area with lots of mosquitoes while sweating. This seems strange to think about, but mosquitoes are attracted to lactic acid, which is excreted through your body through sweat. The more sweat there is, the more they’re attracted to it. It’s also released when certain foods high in salt or potassium are consumed.

6. If you’re going to be outside, having something burning near you acts as a natural repellent. Mosquitoes are drawn to carbon dioxide, which we all expel after we breathe in oxygen, and the smoke from something lit, such as a candle or incense, will mast the aroma.

7. Try to stay away from areas that have lots of standing water, such as swamps, ponds, and pools that haven’t been used. These are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and if you invade their space, you’ll be inundated.

8. There’s always chemical mosquito repellents if you really need them. Doctors for the most part don’t like us wearing them because of the chemicals contained in them, which can seep into the body. However, unless you’re being surrounded by mosquitoes 24/7, in which case you’d have to keep putting more and more of these chemicals onto your body, you’re probably safe for a couple of hours. However, be aware that some people are allergic to these chemicals, so if you start showing any reactions to it wash it off as soon as you can.

Mosquitoes are irritating, and they can be dangerous, especially in these days of diseases that are spread by them. Protect your body as much as you can and stay safe.