As community members battle high temperatures throughout the summer months, summer activities will be taking place in the early morning or later evening which can result in dealing with mosquitos.
According to Joseph Conlon, technical advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, Zika virus, Dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, and West Nile Virus have been on the rise over the past few years. One of the main mosquito culprits? Primary transmitter Aedes aegypti, or yellow fever mosquito, which is often found in areas with high human populations and is present in most of the 50 states.
Municipalities such as the City of Levelland will or have already begun spraying in the evenings to combat the mosquitos, however, conditions have to be in the city’s favor in order for the spray to work. Additionally, individuals who reside outside of city limits within the county are more often left to their own devices to combat the insect. Mosquitoes can be attracted to different chemicals (like lactic acid) found in human skin. The skin’s chemical makeup, combined with blood type and metabolic rate, can determine whether they see an individual as a target. (Higher metabolic rates mean that your body is producing more carbon dioxide, which tends to attract more mosquitoes.)
Just because mosquitoes are likely an inevitable part of summer activities does not mean community members are left totally defenseless. Insect and mosquito repellent is a no-brainer, but looking for the necessary ingredients is key. Still water is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“Get rid of all the containers on your property, dump the water out of them, and you get rid of mosquitoes,” says Conlon. “That may not always suffice because your neighbors might be breeding them and they can come into your yard. But, the fact is, if you eliminate the breeding around your house, you’re going to reduce the chances of you getting bitten.”
Uncovered rain barrels, vases, puddles, water tanks, bird baths, and air conditioning drop pans are all inviting homes for mosquitoes.
“One misnomer that people generally have is that if they have a pond in their backyard, there are mosquitoes breeding in that pond,” adds Conlon. “That’s not necessarily true.”
Mosquito larvae can thrive in vegetation surrounding the body of water, but you won’t find the flying pests out on the pond itself. As Conlon notes, mosquitoes prefer water that’s less than one foot deep.
“If a neighbor has standing water that has not been taken care of, consider contacting your local health department,” says Will Sowards of travel health company Passport Health.
Depending on your county’s resources, the health department may be able to treat stagnant water—in drainage ditches, retention ponds, and pools of abandoned and/or foreclosed houses—with insecticide at no cost to you.
If someone is going to be applying on sunblock and bug spray, apply them in that order. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) recommends allowing the sunscreen to penetrate the skin for 20 minutes before using repellent, which can reduce the efficacy of sunscreen. When it comes to insect repellents designed for skin application, Conlon recommends using an EPA-registered spray, lotion, or liquid repellent that contains 2530% DEET or 15% or more of picaridin. Check the label to confirm the product’s EPA approval, which guarantees up to two hours of complete protection. (Repellent lotions will take a bit longer to kick in than sprays, Conlon notes).
A 2016 study of commercial repellents found that OFF Deep Woods insect repellent (with 25 percent DEET) attracted just 6 percent of mosquitoes, while natural and organic solutions attracted between 9 and 57 percent. Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus spray was the only effective DEET-free option. Conlon attests oil to eucalyptus’ natural insectrepelling powers, but warns that it’s not yet approved for use on children younger than three years old.