You’ve recently come across a tip on social media that says you can use B1 supplements to protect yourself against mosquito bites. Is this tip actually true? Is B1 effective against mosquito bites? Let’s find out!
The claim
The claim that vitamin B1 supplements are effective against mosquitoes has been around for many years, but it recently resurfaced on facebook. Large accounts with millions of followers started posting a guide which claims that B1 has mosquito repellent qualities. The vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine, and the guide recommends a daily B1 dose which can be found in various food items. The guide states that by following this diet for two weeks, its readers will start to see the benefits.
The research
The claim has been circulating around Facebook since at least 2017, but the science looking into this goes all the way back to the 1960s, and pretty much across the board, researchers found that thiamine has no repellent effect on mosquitoes. The most recent study took place in 2015 at the New Mexico State University which compared the effects of eight brands of commercially available repellents, a vitamin patch and two fragrances on two species of mosquitoes. They found that perfume was in fact more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the Vitamin B patch. You then had a study in 2005, which showed that vitamin B supplements had no effect on mosquito attraction. The earliest study on this issue is from 1969, which shows the same results.
Effective repellents
When it comes to effective repellents, your best bet is to stick with the classics – DEET, permethrin and others. However, there are natural alternatives out there which can work just as well, alternatives such as natural oils – lemon eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil, thyme oil and others are great alternatives if you want to avoid insecticides. You also have the option of wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves for protection.
In certain situations you can go straight to the source, and eliminate the mosquito populations that are on your property. Mosquitoes will thrive in standing water, and then buzz around your home all day and night. A pest control specialist can help you remove the population and any factors that led to the initial infestation. Contact us today for more information or if you want to set up a pest control appointment.