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In a word, no. Dr. Jonathan Day, the resident expert of mosquitoes.com, doesn't think so: "We've tested many home remedies like garlic, bananas and vitamin B," says Dr. Day. "While they may offer other health benefits, repelling mosquitoes and other biting insects is certainly not one of them." Instead, Dr. Day recommends any repellent featuring the chemical compound DEET, which has been on the market for over 40 years. But seeing as how Dr. Day is in the employ of the OFF! repellent company, we decided to double-check our sources. A rather technical article from the Annals of Internal Medicine
agrees with Dr. Day, calling DEET "the most effective, and best studied, insect repellent currently on the market." The article also gives the rest of the usual suspects the thumbs down: "Ultrasonic devices, outdoor bug 'zappers,' and bat houses are not effective against mosquitoes." And on the vitamin B issue, it asserts, "Despite the obvious desirability of finding an effective oral mosquito repellent, no such agent has been identified." So stick to the spray, Lisa.
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