Repelling Mosquitoes Naturally

Everyone hates mosquitoes: their raspy buzz and itchy bites are a sure sign of Summer. However, it's possible to keep mosquitoes away and avoid the nightly scratch-fest without using chemical products like Deet and most of the others on the market that can cause skin irritation, rashes, swelling, eye irritation and eventually cancer. The trick to keeping mosquitoes away is understanding what attracts them: sweat, chemicals in the skin, increased humidity, cooler skin temperatures, carbon dioxide, flower fragrances and laundry detergents.
They are difficult pests to avoid, but through changing some simple habits it's possible to cut down on the mosquitoes in your home. To start, plant specific herbs and flowers around your home: rosemary, marigolds, lemongrass and garlic! To repel mosquitoes from your skin use a natural mosquito spray made from witch hazel with essential oils of eucalyptus and lemongrass. Other helpful oils are citronella and geranium.