TV doctor Amir Khan appeared on ITV1’s morning show Lorraine to reveal an unusual but cheap way to keep harmful bugs away this summer.

As the weather gets warmer, more and more insects emerge for the summer season, often leaving humans with itchy bites and stings.

Dr Khan regularly posts helpful videos on his Twitter account @DrAmirKhanGP offering explainers and advice on medical conditions and health issues.

How a 1p coin can protect you from wasp stings this summer

Appearing on Lorraine recently, he told host Lorraine Kelly how a 1p coin is an effective yet simple hack to prevent wasps stings.

Speaking from his surgery in Bradford, he said: "Think about copper, these copper coins - we've probably got jars of them in our homes. But if you rub that on your skin, the smell of copper repels wasps as well."

As presenter Lorraine went on to call wasps "evil", Dr Khan exclaimed: "No, Lorraine! Wasps have a bad reputation but it's important to know that they are important pollinators for our plants and flowers."

He said they only sting as a defense mechanism and offered tips on how to not get stung.

This included viewers being told to make sure they don’t annoy the wasps because they “will win that fight” and think about the colours they wear when outdoors as the bugs are “attracted” to bright colours.

Dr Khan continued to say that wasps can’t see the colour red so it’s a good choice to wear as people can become invisible to them.

The health professional also mentioned another tip, saying: “They [wasps] don’t like cucumber Lorraine, so this kind of skin tastes bitter and acidic to them so they won’t go for that.”

Why do people get bitten by midges and mosquitos and how to treat them?

Along with Dr Hillary who was in the studio, the pair discussed ways of how to avoid bites from midges and mosquitos.

Dr Khan explained: “Midges, when they bite you, you normally feel it straight away. It can get itchy and irritated.

"Mosquitos, before they bite you they inject you with an anesthetic so you don’t feel the bite as they drink your blood, Lorraine."

"The reason some people are bitten more than others is because some give off chemicals that repel the mosquitoes which can be passed on genetically," confirmed Dr Khan.

The insects also prefer certain blood groups such as O and A but they are least likely to bite blood group B.

However, they are also more likely to bite women.

Dr Khan added: “If you do get bitten, give it a good wash with some soap and water and you can apply some antihistamine cream. It will itch for a while but it should settle down.”