What You Can Do to Protect Yourself from Mosquitos

Mosquitos carry diseases.  Therefore, they can potentially cause sickness and death.  Also, they’re just a nuisance, and can ruin outdoor recreation activities.  These tiny insects can create huge problems.

How can you protect yourself?  Keep mosquitos out of your yard, off your patio, and away from your desk.  Know where they live, how to repel them, and how to kill them.

Where Mosquitos Live

Make sure there is no standing water on your property.  That’s where mosquitos lay their eggs.  Cover or empty any standing water.  Check tires, buckets, and flower pots. Ward them off with electric fans and citronella candles, cinnamon oil, castor oil, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (sold as Repel). Keep repellent plants, such as rosemary, marigolds, sage and catnip.  Protect your yard with mosquito lamps, door screens, mosquito repellent lanterns, mosquito control rings, portable repellents, and pesticide sprays.  Use LED lights.  They don’t attract mosquitos.  Sprinkle garlic powder in areas where you don’t want mosquitos to light.

Protect your skin with lotion, liquid and/or spray repellent.  Wear protective clothing–long sleeves, long pants, socks, hats, and closed shoes instead of sandals.  Protect your baby with a baby carrier draped with mosquito netting.  Don’t wear perfume outdoors.  Mosquitos are attracted to it.  You might even want to protect your pets with mosquito netting over kennels.

Stay indoors during peak biting hours.  Treat your clothes and camping gear with perimethrin – a highly effective insecticide repellent.  Buy a mosquito trapping system–expensive but effective.  If you can’t afford that, just kill them with a mosquito swatter or rolled up magazine or newspaper.

Use Caution with Mosquito Repellents

Do not apply repellents under clothing.  Don’t spray them directly on face–avoid eyes, mouth, and ears.  Children should not handle repellents.  Bathe thoroughly after returning indoors.

Protection from Mosquitoes when Travelling

Avoid areas where there is a disease epidemic.  Check with the CDC for safe places to travel and avoid mosquito hotspots.  In the news at this time is a Zika Virus outbreak in Brazil, with some cases being discovered in the U.S.  Use bed nets in areas that are not protected.  You might want to take your own repellent when travelling to other countries, so as to have repellent products that have been registered by the EPA, and so are approved for human safety.

Diseases Caused by Mosquitos

Diseases caused by mosquitos include malaria, dengue, West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and encephalitis!

If you find yourself having issues with mosquitos and need help removing anything that may be contributing to the problem, call Preventive Pest Control – Houston today!