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Jun 06, 2023

What Repels, and Attracts Mosquitoes, From DEET to Beer

In the battle to keep

In the battle to keep mosquitoes from biting this summer, what you eat could make a difference.

While researching techniques to repel mosquitoes, a postdoctoral researcher in Duke biology professor Ke Dong's lab said that garlic kept the insects away. The researcher needed mosquitoes to be attracted to his hand for an experiment, but couldn't get them to come.

"His experiments were not working because he was eating a lot of Italian food with a lot of garlic," Dong told Axios. There isn't yet any conclusive evidence that eating garlic keeps mosquitoes off skin — in fact, a 2005 study on the subject found that eating garlic made no difference in whether mosquitoes were interested in biting humans or not.

Eating that garlic-laden pizza may or may not keep mosquitoes from biting, but you might want to avoid washing it down with a beer. A few studies suggest beer-drinking increases a person's attractiveness to mosquitoes.

There are several other factors that could explain why certain people are mosquito magnets, including genetics, skin microbiome, pregnancy, and propensity to sweat.

If you're looking for more surefire ways to avoid bites this summer, the CDC recommends using bug repellents like DEET and picaridin. Wearing clothing treated with permethrin, a mosquito-killing insecticide, also helps.

On days when mosquito encounters are unavoidable, consider taking an oral antihistamine like Allegra or Claritin a few hours before exposure — they're more effective at tamping down swelling and itching than topical products, and just one dose will give you all-day relief.

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