For Christmas this year I am buying my parents a three month supply of vitamin B complex. Why you may ask? Well I’ll tell you….. It has been proposed that taking vitamin B complex (which includes B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12) can help prevent mosquito bites. My folks are off to Kerala early next year where mosquitoes are notoriously bad so I thought I’d test the theory as my old man is a firm favourite with those nasty little nippers.
So why Vitamin B? B1 & B12 are excreted through the skin. It is proposed that mosquitoes hate the taste of these B vitamins and therefore they won’t come near you. So is it really as simple as that? Sadly not….. Some suggest that mosquitoes actually like the taste of B12 and by taking it (supplements or foods) you are in fact attracting mosquitoes. Bit of a gamble by the sounds of things.
Perhaps it’s as simple as some people have tastier blood? It has been supposed that blood from group O is their favourite tipple, followed by A and finally B. Not a lot you can do about that then if you are blood group O – good luck!
Mosquitoes are known to be attracted to the smell of perfume, so refrain from using it on holiday. However it is well known that citronella as well as castor oil, rosemary oil, lemongrass oil, cedar oil, peppermint oil, clove oil and geranium oil are repellents. These oils tend to vary in effectiveness as the results depend on the individuals using them and how often they are reapplied. In other words, these products aren’t consistently effective and require a lot more work to maintain.
If you are not interested in the more au natural methods, you could just opt for the hardcore DEET. As a synthetic agent DEET is not as kind to the skin but certainly the most effective and long lasting. If you are feeling really angry and fed up, you could even set up a trap: put a white saucer or plate with a mixture of lemon dishwashing liquid and water where you are staying. The mosquitoes are attracted to the lemon scent, land in the bowl and drown. Ha ha ha take that mosquito!