The mozzie manual

Balmy nights, burnt prawns, slouchy picnics and mosquitoes. Summer must be here! I've already experienced a few nights of mozzie mania, trying to sleep with their bastardy little squeal lurking annoying close and waking up with legs covered in bites. I can't imagine anything worse than spraying chemicals in the bedroom (or anywhere else) while we're sleeping (or any other time), so I'm declaring a different kind of war. A peaceful one. Here's how I'm going to do it:

1. Buy
A study by the US Department of Agriculture few years ago compared four synthetic and eight natural mosquito repellents and found Repel Lemon Eucalyptus was the most effective of them all. The little buggers are clearly not fans. Hoorah for natural ingredients! The Aussie version is Mosi-guard. And I want it.

2. Plant
I've been researching garden books to make sure I'm doing the right thing in my new vegie garden (I'm not). They suggest planting Marigolds near the vegies as a natural pest deterrent, but I only discovered this morning that one of these pests is the mozzie. I'm also going to plant some rosemary - they hate the oils - in a little pot and keep it in the bedroom and office (it's good for memory too).

3. Burn
Citronella candles work - but might not be enough for total annihilation. Light them before you sit down for dinner alfresco (and perhaps tie some rosemary around your ankles).

4. Rub
Mosquitoes abhor citrus oils, found in the outer peel of citrus fruits. So the next time I have a BBQ I'm going to squeeze lemon juice all over my calamari and barramundi, then turn it around and rub the skin on my arms, legs and neck. It's ok, my friends already think I'm weird. If they're smart, they'll follow suit.