Fighting mosquitoes naturally

     I greatly dislike mosquitoes. I would use the word hate, but I don't like to do that. I don't like the pesky critters buzzing around my face. I don't like their bites or the horrendous itching that follows. I don't like the thought of using DEET as my best line of defense. So, this summer I am going to try a more natural approach to banning the bugs from my general vicinity. My approach starts with trying to find a citronella plant. I find the best way to explain the positive attributes of citronella is to quote an article from Earth Easy.

 "Citronella is the most common natural ingredient used in formulating mosquito repellents. The distinctive citronella aroma is a strong smell which masks other attractants to mosquitoes, making it harder for them to find you."

     I also plan to purchase citronella essential oil. This, depending on the potency of the scent, I can dab on myself or mix with water to create a spray formula to essentially hide from mosquitoes. These two options are of course in addition to citronella scented candles I plan to have on my balcony and other but repellents for those particularly nasty nights. Hopefully, my arsenal will not have to include any products containing the dangerous DEET.