It’s no secret it has been a rainy season for us while the rest of the country has been dealing with a drought. And this season we’ve also had the biggest West Nile Virus outbreak ever in the u-s—Texas has gotten the brunt of that, but there have been about a dozen cases in Florida. So, with even more rain thanks to Tropical Storm Isaac, I started thinking about just how many more mosquitos we can expect and how to best avoid getting bitten by the little rascals…because they LOOOOOVVVVVVEEEE me!

DEET is a common active ingredient in bug repellents, but it has side effects that have been linked to birth defects and neurological damage. In addition to the unhealthy effects of DEET, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that many disease carrying mosquitoes are growing resistant to DEET. So, if you’re looking for a natural way to protect yourself, here are some suggestions:

1. Picaridin. Derived from pepper, Picaridin is thought to be more effective in repelling mosquitoes spreading dengue fever and does not have negative healthy effects.

WHERE TO FIND: Picaridin is found in Cutter, which is carried by many drug stores.

 2. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. A plant based repellent recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—it  wards off disease carrying mosquitoes and lasts up to three hours longer than DEET based repellents.

WHERE TO FIND: Look for products carrying at least 26% oil of lemon eucalyptus, like Repel HG-406T.

 3. IR3535. This ingredient, found in Avon Skin So Soft, is as effective as DEET against West Nile carrying mosquitoes, according to a Study in the Journal of Medical Entomology. It has been used in Europe for decades with no reported side effects.

 4. OTHER PLANT BASED REPELLENTS. A study in the Journal of Medical Entomology says that products containing Soybean Oil, Citronella, Neem Oil and Geranoil are as effective as mosquito repellent. Soybean Oil has been reported as the most effective of the four.