Mosquitoes … no more needs to be said! Julia Ferguson Andriessen provides her bug-busting tips.

Why is it that my husband and I sleep in the same bed each night but I am the one who wakes up with bites? He says I am his Mosquito repellent. I don't want the job.

Living in a country where there is rain and warm weather promotes my chances of being bit. While I realise you can't eliminate all the rain – you can store water collectors differently.

Don't leave buckets, wading pools, cans and other items outside collecting rain. Clean your gutters regularly if you can. Items such as birdbaths, fountains, troughs and pet dishes should be emptied and refilled at least twice a week.

In addition, check air conditioners, tree holes and stumps and the area beneath leaky taps. Remove, repair or fill in these water collectors. If you have a pond or water feature, stock it with a predaceous minnow or "mosquito fish". Swimming pools should not be a problem if they are properly maintained and chlorinated.

Some key tips:

• Fill outdoor potted plant saucers with sand so water won't collect and invite mosquitoes to lay eggs

• Create breezes with fans as quickly moving air stops mosquitoes from flying close to their target

• Screen windows and spray them with bug repellent every few weeks as needed

• Eat garlic and Vitamin B as they are said to mask your skin's lactic acid smell that attracts mosquitoes

• Plant a border of basil around the patio

• Burn candles with citronella or cedar coils

• Apply plant oils such as Pennyroyal and citrosa as they contain natural repellents. Simply rub the leaves on your skin to release the oils

• Go inside at dusk when mosquitoes are most active

• Wear light-coloured clothing and long sleeves and pants

• Use a mosquito net over a hammock, bed or patio enclosure

Finally, if you get bit, try Eurax, which is a medicinal cream you rub on the bite. Or you can apply a bit of toothpaste, baking soda mixed with water, Calamine lotion, cortisone cream or even a Chloraseptic throat soother rubbed on top of each bite.

If all else fails, you can always hire me for a small fee to sleep in your house. I get bitten right up through December. If there is a female mosquito in the house, she will find me.

Do you have any secret remedies to stop mosquitoes biting? Why not tell us about them?