Mosquito repellant for the true believer

(Credit: Brando)

Some years ago, after a particularly bad outbreak of bug bites, we purchased a $500 propane-powered mosquito-repellant system that was supposedly effective enough to be used by the military. (Is that an official gadget cliche yet?) We never got it to work, naturally, and it sits in a corner of the garage mocking us daily.

So we're somewhat dubious about any device that claims to eradicate the winged leeches unless it involves mass quantities of highly toxic industrial-strength pesticides. But this mosquito repeller claims to do just that with ultra-sonic sound in adjustable frequencies.

Please forgive our skepticism, but we can't help but notice that it comes from the same company--Hong Kong-based Brando--that gave us the massaging mouse and a pig-shaped USB card reader. But hey, it's only $9, and it doubles as a lighted keychain. Once a sucker, always a sucker.

[SlanderPanic]

Put that thing away!

Instead of surrounding yourself with an ultrasonic field that may or may not work, you could always simply eat more garlic. You can also take garlic tablets, like Garlique. Consuming garlic causes your body to release a pheromone that repels biting insects, including mosquitoes and fleas.

If you're allergic to garlic, however, you're screwed.

[togetherless]

Skeeto bite me!

I haven't tried the garlic OD method, but I did do something similar with vitamin B10. I spent a few weeks in the jungle of Bolivia and using this method worked. When you work up a sweat, you smell like a vitamin, but it's better than being bitten. For a more occasional non-lethal repellant, mix 8oz. water with 2tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of orange oil or lemon juice. A light misting won't work though, it must be liberally applied.