When I’m out enjoying nature, it seems a little weird to spray synthetic chemicals all over my body. So I always take a look at the “natural” insect repellents when I’m buying bug spray.

Some are legit, with EPA-registered ingredients that effectively repel bugs while being safe for skin. Others are made of nice-smelling herbs and wishful thinking.

My dad likes to tell a story of a beach holiday my family went on when I was about five years old. We lived in North Carolina and had gotten up super early to drive to the coast, which was about four hours away. As the story goes, my exhausted father looked over at me at some point and thought, "Wow, she's started to get really hairy legs for a five-year-old." When he took a closer look; however, he realised that rather than hair, my legs were actually covered from top to bottom with mosquitoes.

You're in bed, cosy and comfortable and ready to sleep -- then you hear it. A high-pitched buzzing. You swat it away and turn on your lamp, but it's too late. You've been bitten by a smooth mosquito. Here's how you find the bastard.

In this week's roundup of health news, we'll look at whether you need to do anything differently about your choice of bread, the place your baby sleeps, and your attitude toward mosquitoes on your holiday.

First one, then another. Bite! Slap! Bite! Before you know it, mosquitoes are descending from the skies to disrupt your backyard summer soiree. How can such a tiny, fragile insect cause so much pain, suffering and annoyance?

[image url="http://edge.alluremedia.com.au/m/l/2016/12/spray.jpg" description="
The best (and worst) ways to beat mosquito bites
December 28, 2016 8.02am AEDT
Insect repellents can keep biting mosquitoes at bay but they’ve got to be used correctly. Dr Cameron Webb (NSW Health Pathology/University of Sydney)), Author provided" align="center" size="xlarge" licence="Supplied" nocrop="true"]

First one, then another. Bite! Slap! Bite! Before you know it, mosquitoes are descending from the skies to disrupt your backyard summer soiree. How can such a tiny, fragile insect cause so much pain, suffering and annoyance?

Mosquitoes aren't just annoying, they can be dangerous. Even so, before you go buying pricey clothing with built-in insect repellent, you might want to consider cheaper, and possibly more effective, options.

Nobody likes mosquitoes, but the mosquitoes sure do love us. Spraying your skin with DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus keeps them at bay, but stores are full of wristbands, candles, clothing, and other products that claim to repel bugs without those nasty "chemicals." Some of them might help, but none are reliable.