bug bites

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
Mosquitoes love me. Aside from using repellent featuring DEET (the natural sprays don’t work for me at all), is there anything else I can do to make myself less attractive to hungry pests? I heard drinking white vinegar helps. Also, once bitten, what is the best way to calm down the itchy factor of the bites? I end up bruising myself from scratching so hard!
— Covered With Bites

I must admit, mosquitoes and bugs love me too! In fact, my husband says I must be made of "sweet meat" because bugs love to sink their teeth into me! I think this is a great question to discuss while it's still Summer, so read more

The living might be easy in Summertime, but at twilight mosquitoes seem to rule the show. These pesky bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide we, and other animals, exhale. You can't stop breathing when out and about at sunset — the time when mosquitoes seem to be most active — but you can try these evasive maneuvers to limit the feast.

• Cover up, but dress lightly: It is best to wear light colored clothes like khaki or white since mosquitoes are attracted to dark and bright colors. Cover up as much as you can with lightweight long sleeves and long pants to make it more difficult for the bothersome pests to bite you.
• Sip water not beer: A recent French study found that mosquitoes preferred the taste of beer drinkers over folks sipping on water. Other forms of alcohol have yet to be studied, so drinking wine or spirits may also make you attractive to skeeters.
• Skip the perfume: Mosquitoes also dine on flower nectar so you don't want to smell like a floral garden. Skip the perfume spritz before heading out in the evening. You might want to check your clothing detergent; it could be making your clothes smell like blossoms.
• Exercise in the morning: Lactic acid, a byproduct of working out, attracts mosquitoes, as do perspiration and body heat. Work out earlier in the day, preferably the morning, to avoid baking in the heat and to decrease the bugs ability to find you in a crowd.