It’s time to hit the beach, head camping or even get married. Unfortunately, it’s also prime season for mosquitoes. Nothing’s more irritating than red, itchy, scabby insect bites all over your limbs, but applying repellents — most which contain the chemical DEET — has become less fashionable as society’s concern for toxins in products continues to grow.

The United States Army concocted the substance in reaction to buggy jungle experiences during World War II that proved nasty and harmful to soldiers. After it was tested as a pesticide on farms and then used in Vietnam, DEET became available for consumer use in 1957.

Despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s insistence that DEET is safe for skin, many natural health circles and supporters of an organic lifestyle have turned to alternative protection against pesky bugs. If absorbing a pesticide into your skin scares you or if DEET actually does irritate your skin, give these mosquito-fighting tactics a try:

White and Thick. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing and seemingly shady foliage, so wear white or light-colored shirts and pants (try to avoid camouflage). Many mosquitoes will bite through thin, tight-fighting clothing, so throw on a big sweatshirt or a pair of jeans.

Essential Oils. Eucalyptus, cedarwood, tea tree and geranium essential oils naturally repel mosquitoes and other insects. To make an effective diluted spray, experiment with the percentages and ratios of all these oils mixed with a carrier oil (olive, sunflower, jojoba or grape seed).

Garden Girl. Mosquitoes hate the smell of marigolds and also stay clear of rosemary. Brighten up your backyard and your spice rack while you keep pests away.

Don’t Sweat It. Chemicals in perspiration and the simple increase in humidity around your body when you sweat will make you a target for mosquitoes. Don’t sit around after a hot run and rinse off every now and then at the beach. Working out also releases lactic acid from our bodies, which mosquitoes love. (Eating salty foods emits the same chemical.)

The Drier the Better. Offering a chance for reproduction and breeding, even small amounts of water will appeal to blood-suckers. Stay clear of ponds, puddles and moist plants that are havens for mosquitoes.

Breathe Easy. One way mosquitoes navigate the air to find prey is by tracking carbon dioxide as well as other gases humans and animals exhale. Since ceasing to breathe isn’t really an option, try loosely tying a bandana around your mouth.

Mosquitoes have some pretty sensitive and advanced methods for hunting their prey and are quite relentless once they find you. In addition to being extremely annoying, many breeds of mosquitoes are carriers for diseases such as West Nile virus, dengue fever, and malaria. In tropical climates and sub-Saharan Africa, malaria kills millions of people each year. Whether in your backyard or traveling in Argentina, if you can avoid being bitten, you will definitely lessen your chances for contracting mosquito-borne illness — and those irritating red marks.

photo by zaser’s photography

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When my father, remarried I was eleven and incredibly anxious to move into my new stepmother’s “fancy” house. The southern wall was all windows. It was the first time I had seen a landscaped garden and I was incredulous, “No grass?!” Lore welcomed my sister and me with a blank slate: two raised garden beds. We planted vegetables and roses, settling in to grow up next to them.

I moved to the big city at eighteen, eager for a career in theater but unwilling to give up the simple pleasures of my childhood backyard. No need; with a little ingenuity even a studio apartment can harvest a delicious salad. Outside of our homes, the backlash against industrialized food is reaching the boiling point – so consider these tips a call to arms.

• Open those curtains; let in the sun and take note. If your apartment faces south, you’re in luck – most anything will grow and grow big. Western light will support a good veggie patch as well, especially when the days are long. Holed up in a basement or smacked against a brick wall? Embrace limitations: blueberries, succulents, kale and chard all thrive in partial light exposure.
• Plants that grow quickly will yield 2-3 “crops” a summer. Tomatoes should definitely make the list, because the grocery store versions are weak sauce compared to homegrown. Good light? Check. Now give it somewhere to go. You don’t have to be a carpenter to build a pretty tomato trellis. I use ceiling hooks and link chain; $5 and no tools necessary.
• Get a water meter so you can accurately gage how thirsty your lettuce gets on a June afternoon. Avoid over-watering – if you’re doing the indoor thing with pots, they can develop root rot if left to sit. How will you know if the roots are rotted? The dirt won’t soak up the water.
• It’s no coincidence that the classic Caprese ingredients go well together. Basil is a natural aphid repellent and those pesky green mites LOVE tomatoes. Stick your basil right under the tomatoes and you’ll be using the smarts nature gave you.
• Toss those powdery kitchen spices. Herbs can be kept in very small pots, concentrating the flavor.  Fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, cilantro, dill and chives will turn your kitchen into an Italian palazzo.
• Whether you rock plastic buckets for a buck fifty or spend $150 on locally thrown ceramic, some plants need at least 3 gallons to be worth the effort: bush beans, snap peas, broccoli rabe, kale, spinach and baby lettuce are best grown in 3-5 gallon pots.

But what about the blueberries you’re demanding? Who grows fruit in their 3rd story loft? Allow me to pass on the wonder that is www.raintreenursery.com. Coel and I just received a columnar apple tree and blueberry bushes for under $100. Once you’re harvesting your own blueberries, you’ll guffaw at anyone who would pay three bucks for four ounces. This dose of perspective taking root in an urban landscape is key. Be street-wise AND plant-wise, get my drift?

photo by jocelyn durston

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