How To Prevent Mosquito Bites
Mosquitoes are small flying insects common throughout all parts of the world. There are over 3500 known species of mosquitoes. Of these many types, not all feed on human blood.
Moreover, not all mosquito species spread disease. Some mosquito bites will just leave you with itching, swollen bites.
Despite most mosquitoes being harmless, it is important to prevent mosquito bites. Who would love to have itchy skin anyways?
There are several scientifically proven ways to discourage mosquitoes. They include...
Blow them away with a breeze
When you are sitting on your balcony enjoying a glass of wine or juice, all you want is peace of mind. If night has fallen, then that's when mosquitoes come alive. You will fall, victim, if you are wearing thin clothing or have exposed skin.
The simpler thing to do is to blow the mosquito away immediately after they land on your skin. You can also wear long pants and other protective clothing to protect your skin.
Spraying the mosquito with a bug spray also works if it's in an awkward spot that cannot be blown away.
Get rid of standing water around your home
Stagnant water is mosquito paradise since that's where they can lay eggs. within a short while, the eggs will hatch to form mosquito larvae and that causes a significant increase in the number of mosquitoes.
The simplest thing to do is drain the stagnant water but you can also pour a little amount of oil to suffocate the larvae. Soap is also known to kill mosquito larvae. You can pour a spoonful of dish soap or shampoo into the standing water. However, if the water is little, you should drain them.
For areas with terrible terrains where water cannot easily get drained, the long-term solution is planting trees so that when it rains, the trees can absorb water.
If you have storage containers outside your house, ensure that they are tightly covered with lids. This will prevent mosquitoes from getting inside the tanks and laying eggs. For the tanks without leads, you can cover them with a wire mesh with very tiny holes. the holes should be tinnier than the size of an adult mosquito.
Plant trees that repel mosquitoes around your house
You should Be wary of "natural" remedies that prevent mosquitoes. Just like other insects, mosquitoes are very specific with what they inhale. Growing plants in a flower pot that repel mosquitoes is a natural disease control strategy that is effective and healthy.
What types of natural repellents can you plant around the house
Some natural repellants include basil, lavender, marigolds, catnip, and citronella. Their scent won't kill mosquitoes but would definitely drive them away, and that's what you want!
Apply sunscreen before insect repellent
Using the right insect repellant is a very effective way to protect your skin from mosquito bites. However, most apply repellent before sunscreen, and that's a terrible mistake.
The sunscreen will prevent the scent from the repellent, therefore, exposing you to mosquito bites.
Apply DEET before you head outdoors
Deet is an insecticide that interferes with the receptors found inside the antennae of a mosquito. This active ingredient prevents mosquito bites by entering a mosquito from landing on your skin.
When the receptors are interfered with, a mosquito won't be able to detect body temperature, carbon dioxide, and other skin chemicals that a mosquito uses to seek prey. Use other effective mosquito ointments or repellents if you're allergic to DEET.
Sleep under a mosquito net
Mosquito nets are vital in the fight against malaria, yellow fever, and other disease related to mosquito bites. If you reside in areas where mosquitoes are found in plenty, a net offers more protection compared to any other method.
Moreover, some people are allergic to mosquito repellants; therefore, nets are a better and more secure option. Some nets have active ingredients that kill mosquitoes, while others just prevent the entry of mosquitoes into your area. You should ensure that the whole family has bed nets, and before you sleep, make sure that the kids' nets are properly tucked in.
Sleeping under treated mosquito nets is the perfect option if your blood type is O because researchers have established that it's a mosquito's favorite. That said, it does not mean that you are susceptible to bites if you are of a different type.
How to use a Mosquito Net
After buying any mosquito netting, air it outside for 24 hours. This reduces the effect of active ingredients that can make you have irritated skin. You can also Give your mosquito net some glamour by buying metallic stands to make your room look prettier.
Hook it up to the roofing or a mosquito net holder. When you get to bed, tuck it under the mattress to keep mosquitoes out. When buying, consider the height of the mosquito net because you do not want it to touch the ground. Moreover, you can straighten the sides of the mosquito net if you do not want your skin to come to contact with the net.
Protect Yourself and Your Family from Mosquito Bites
Mosquitoes are among the deadliest insects in the world. According to WHO, this insect kills 750,000 people annually, with malaria accounting for 600,000 of that number. Other killer diseases that mosquitoes spread include the Zika virus, dengue fever, and yellow fever.
These figures alone show how important protecting your loved ones from mosquito bites is. You should therefore ensure that you use the right insect repellant, drain stagnant water, and ensure proper air conditioning to minimize moisture content around the home.
When buying stuff, always be keen to Look for DEET or Picaridin on labels. This works best with curtains, sprays, furniture, and other household items.
Use Insecticide
Another way to prevent mosquito bites for yourself and your family is spray your yard for mosquitos. Ensure that you use the right mosquito insecticide.
To prevent water from stagnating on the compound, install rain barrels. Clearing bushes around the house also helps as it eliminates the habitat of adult mosquitoes.
Avoid peak mosquito hours when you can
Stay indoors at dusk and dawn because that's when mosquitoes are very active. If you must be out during these odd hours, ensure that you wear long sleeves and apply repellent to keep mosquitoes away.
you can also use Avon's skin insect repellent, which gives optimum protection against mosquito bites for up to two hours. During these peak hours, it is also important to wear socks and closed shoes, not sandals, to minimize exposing bare skin.
Apply lemon eucalyptus oil on your skin
There are several natural insect repellents, like the oil of lemon eucalyptus, that you can apply on your skin when you are out during these peek mosquito hours. If there is No oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD10, you can use Avon's skin, so soft bath oil, or any right insect repellent on your skin.
Wear properly woven clothing with bright colors
Did you know that mosquitoes use antennae to sense heat when scouting for prey? Now that from physics, you know that dark colors absorb heat while bright colors reflect heat, you know how this works.
How light coloured clothes help prevent mosquito bites
A mosquito is more likely to notice people tweaking dark cloth than those wearing darker garments. This is because darker clothes retain more heat, therefore giving this insect an upper hand in detecting you.
But why tight woven clothes?
A mosquito has a strong sharp-pointed mouth, called a proboscis, that is used to pierce through the skin. It is made up of very soft tissue that cannot penetrate tight woven cloths.
Send your clothes away to be treated
For Insect Shield, Wear pre-treated clothing. Permethrin-treated clothing repels mosquitos and other insect bites because they hate the scent secreted by it. Even after multiple washing, this insect repellent remains effective, making them a good preventive measure to consider.
Use treated fabric for house items
Building your furniture with pre-treated fabrics is a perfect way to keep mosquitoes out of your home. The mosquito repellent on the fabric will keep the mosquitoes out, and this helps prevent mosquito bites.
Wear pants tucked into socks
Mosquitoes are ferocious hunters; even if you are dressed properly, they will find a way to suck your blood. When you are on a camping trip or in deep woods, ensure you are fully protected because those are mosquito paradises. Wearing pants tucked into socks and long-sleeved shirts is the perfect way of preventing bites.
Another proper alternative if you do not want to stay suffocated by tucked socks is wearing permethrin products. permethrin-treated clothing repels mosquitos, therefore, offering optimum protection.
Thermacell Use a portable mosquito repeller
There are several mosquito repellents that you can clip on devices like baby carriers when jogging around with family. These products can also be positioned in different rooms around your house to deter mosquitoes.
Don't want to deal with mosquitoes yourself? No problem, hire professional mosquito exterminators instead at Secret Agent Pest Control & Wildlife Removal.