Citrus! Honestly, drink plenty of lemon juice—embrace it! Turn yourself into a walking lemon! Smear things containing lemon everywhere, toss some in your shower gel, maybe even diffuse an essential oil...
And apparently, there's also lemongrass (
http://journeytoforever.org/edu_homer.html):
We finally stumbled upon a solid solution. We planted three stalks of lemongrass (Lemongrass citratus) that we picked up at the local grocery store, and after a few months of growth... well, it turns out it actually keeps the mosquitoes at bay. It’s packed with
citronella oil, which acts as a safe, natural repellent that performs just as well as those harsh chemical sprays you find at the drugstore—especially when the plant is fresh. Actually, lemongrass holds more than just citronella oil, making it even more potent than pure citronella itself.
Rubbing those long, grassy leaves against your skin does the trick, but the stalk? That’s the real secret weapon. Just grab a single stalk of fresh lemongrass (hold it close to the soil and give it a quick, sharp yank to pull it from the cluster), strip away the outer leaves, and snap off the blades right behind the thick base. Bend the stem between your fingers to loosen the fibers, then rub it hard between your palms until it breaks down into a sort of juicy, fibrous pulp. Slather that mixture all over any exposed skin—make sure you cover everything thoroughly at least once. It feels wonderful on the skin and works brilliantly: I'd say you get 98% protection while hanging out at the Beach House at sunset, and a full 100% any other time of day. Plus, the effect sticks around for about four to five hours. In most areas, where the mosquitoes aren't quite as aggressive, you can probably use less and still have it last even longer.
By the way, thank goodness we don't have too many of them here in the States yet—just whatever you do, don't cross that bridge over to the city outskirts.😉
