It's summertime which means the bugs and mosquitoes are in full effect. I was invited to Wendy's house last night for some good ol' steaks on the grill (which were delicious by the way!) But it's hard to fully enjoy yourself when you have bugs flying all around you and needless to say I came home with about four mosquito bites. I'm actually feeling itchy as I type this post. I admit I should have been more prepared but I will not let those buggers ruin the rest of my summer, and I don't want that for you! So I looked up some easy remedies to keep the mosquitoes away. Yea, you can easily go buy some bug spray or DEET but I know there are people out there who prefer natural and inexpensive ways of doing things.

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself this summer:

1) Buy or make citronella candles: Citronella is a great repellent. Last year, I bought about 3 or 4 different candles and placed them all around my balcony and it does a good job at keeping the mosquitoes away. I think it's something about the smell they don't like.

2) Lavender: This is another essential oil that mosquitoes don't like. You can add drops of it around your home or rub it directly onto your skin. Not only will it keep the mosquitoes from landing on you but you'll smell lovely at the same time :)

3) Catnip Plant: Research done at Iowa State University shows that the plant can be 10x more effective than DEET. Plus your cat will love it!

4) Garlic: Eating lots of FRESH garlic can keep the mosquitoes away. However, you might keep people away from you too. So this is up to you to decide which is more important.

5) Rosemary on the BBQ: My boyfriend did this everytime we grilled last year and it really does work! Just throw some fresh rosemary twigs on the grill and you're basically killing two birds with one stone -- tasty flavorful food and no mosquitoes!

6) Get Rid of Standing Water: It's what the mosquitoes flock to! It's where they lay their eggs so if you can eliminate it you will decrease your chances of having multiple mosquitoes in your home.

If you would like more ideas these are some good sources to check out:
Natural Living Ideas
Care2.com
Huffington Post
Pinterest (homemade repellents)

If you know of ways to avoid getting bit please share your ideas!

Andrei Krauchuk/ThinkStock
Andrei Krauchuk/ThinkStock
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