How to Stop Attracting Mosquitoes on Your Skin, in Your Home, and in Your Yard

Female mosquitoes bite because they need blood to develop eggs, and they are drawn to human cues such as sweat, floral scents, and exhaled carbon dioxide. Cleveland Clinic also lists factors such as dark-colored clothing, body temperature, and time near stagnant water as possible bite prompts.

Use unscented soap, lotion, deodorant, hair products, and laundry products when you expect to be outdoors. Mayo Clinic specifically recommends selecting self-care products without scents as part of mosquito bite prevention, and it lists floral scents and sweating among mosquito-attracting factors.

Wear loose-fitting long sleeves, long pants, socks, and shoes when mosquitoes are active. The CDC recommends loose, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and Cleveland Clinic notes that mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing.

Use a repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency and follow the label for where, how often, and on whom it can be applied. The CDC lists proven active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, and 2-undecanone, while the EPA repellent search tool lets you choose by insect type, active ingredient, and protection time.

Check the garden, patio, balcony, and porch for water in buckets, plant saucers, birdbaths, toys, pools, tires, trash lids, gutters, and rain barrels. The CDC advises people to empty, scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out water-holding items once a week because mosquitoes lay eggs near water.

Repair torn window and door screens, keep doors closed, and use air conditioning when available. Indoors, the CDC says mosquitoes rest in dark, humid places such as under sinks, in showers, closets, laundry rooms, and under furniture, so empty indoor water containers weekly too.

If you cannot empty or cover a non-drinking water source, consider a larvicide product that is labeled for mosquitoes and follow the directions exactly. The CDC says homeowners can use mosquito dunks, bits, tablets, pellets, or granules in water where mosquitoes lay eggs and where the water cannot be removed.

Most mosquito bites are itchy and temporary, but get medical advice if a bite looks infected, symptoms worsen, or you develop warning signs such as high fever, severe headache, body aches, hives, swollen lymph nodes, or a large spreading reaction. Mayo Clinic says to contact a healthcare provider for warning signs of a serious condition, and the CDC says infected bites may feel warm, look red, or show a red streak spreading outward.