We hate mosquitoes, and so companies make a lot of anti-mosquito things: candles, wristbands, chemical and herbal sprays—even electronic devices. But if you want to keep mosquitoes off your bare skin this summer, you really just need two things: bug spray and a fan.
The many alternatives either don’t work, or aren’t worth your time. Citronella candles aren’t significantly more effective than regular candles, which, as you might guess, don’t do much to ward off mosquitoes. Those light-up bug zappers aren’t helpful, because mosquitoes don’t care about light. Wristbands only keep mosquitoes off your wrists, so unless you’re weaving them into a full-body jumpsuit, they aren’t much help. You get the idea. I’ve explored these disappointing truths in more depth here.
