Bug Off! How to Keep Mosquitoes from Ruining Your Summer

There are many citronella candles, torches, and other repellents designed to clear a specific area of mosquitoes. We found them mildly effective if one stood directly in the path of the fumes. Our biggest problem as parents was that we disliked having open flames near play areas. If you don't like the smell of citronella, you can probably skip these. We did find that in combining as many bug repellent options as possible, we avoided more and more bites. The Off lantern is one alternative we didn't mind. We tried a bug repellent incense that worked as long as you were standing in the smoke, but the incense didn't last long, and again, the chances for burns worried us. These were also specialty items that we did not find readily available. One note about candles--many are packaged now to remain outdoors (you don't want these burning inside, trust us) and it was most convenient if they came with a cover to keep the rain out.