Cooler weather this summer has helped keep mosquitoes at bay in Winnipeg, but as it warms up, people are searching for ways to battle the bloodsucking bugs.
Mosquito experts say Deet is the best way to protect yourself from culex tarsalis mosquitoes, the breed that carries West Nile virus.
However, Darlene Bouchard, a homeopathic doctor at Kas-Sky Wholistic Health Care, says there are some natural ways to guard against the biting bugs.
Garlic, cinnamon, lemon, limes and oranges can help skin emit a foul smell that turns mosquitoes away naturally, Bouchard says.
"Acidic they won't want to bite you. So if you eat a bunch of oranges? Yeah, all you need is just one or two oranges a day," says Bouchard.
If Deet gets into a person's blood supply, Bouchard says, it could lead to long term health problems.
It's not enough of a warning for Chris Richter. He lost some of his brain function when he contracted West Nile virus in July 2007. With encephalitis, he had to sleep about 20 hours a day and was off work for months.
"I didn't come back to work full-time until January 2009. That was only because I had difficulty concentrating, I didn't have enough energy," Richter says.
Richter says he wouldn't count on oranges or garlic to keep mosquitoes away.
"Bathe in Deet, bathe in Deet. That's what I tell people all the time. I know Deet has its problems and there are concerns about what Deet can do to a person but you don't want to get this," says Richter.
"You don't want to be stricken with West Nile -- this is so much worse."
Health Canada has studied Deet and found no immediate health concerns, but it recommends using Deet with no more than 30 per cent concentration.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg's Rachel Lagac�
