4 Ways to Protect Your Children from Mosquitoes

[caption id="attachment_3084" align="alignright" width="300"] Image courtesy of John Tann via Flickr CC by 2.0[/caption]

Mosquitoes carry a number of serious illnesses that can affect your children including West Nile virus, and St. Louis encephalitis. Mosquito bites can also make your children itchy and uncomfortable. One of the best ways to avoid the complications that come with mosquito bites is to help your children to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes completely.

Dress Your Children to Protect Them

Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so you should dress your children in light colored clothes. Loose fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants can reduce the number of mosquito bites that your children receive. There is the option to treat the clothing with an insect repellent or to buy clothing that is already treated. This option is good if you know you are going into an area that is heavily populated with mosquitoes like on a camping trip, but it may not be practical for every day clothing and use.

Use Mosquito Repellent

An important step is to use an effective mosquito repellent on your children. There are a number of different options that you can use. DEET is very effective and will work against ticks as well. Picaridin is another very effective option. It is safe to begin using these repellents on your babies as soon as they are two months old. The dangers of mosquito borne illnesses can outweigh any worry you have about using the repellents on your children. For babies in strollers or baby carriers, you can use a mosquito net when you are outside to keep them outside of your home.

Avoid Peak Times

Mosquitoes tend to be more active in the early morning just after dawn and in the early evening at dusk. This is also a time when many people spend times outside because it is a bit cooler than during other times of the day. If you stay in during these hours you can reduce the number of mosquito bites. If you need to be outside during this time, you need to be sure to use insect repellent and to reapply it as needed for the protection.

Address Your Backyard

One of the most common areas to be bitten is in your backyard. You can address standing water in your backyard and set up a fan to reduce the number of mosquitoes that can land, but the most effective way to do that is to have your yard professionally treated for mosquitoes. This will protect your yard and home from mosquitoes and it means that you do not have to worry about constantly applying mosquito repellent every time you send your children out to play.

Comments

Hurricane Florence increases Mosquitoes in Raleigh

Although the Research Triangle was spared the devastating winds of a Category 3 or Category 4 storm when Hurricane Florence made landfall on Friday 9/14/2018, heavy rains have caused widespread flooding throughout southeastern North Carolina and has drenched the Raleigh area. Even though the main effects of the winds and rain have diminished in Raleigh, the saturation of the rain has left the area prone to mosquitoes that normally breed where water is prevalent and both heat and humidity are extreme. Raleigh is already listed at #6 in the top 20 worst mosquito cities in the United States , and with the current conditions left from Hurricane Florence, it's predicted that there will be a major increase for mosquitoes not only in Raleigh, but in most North Carolina cities and towns. Saturated Ground Makes Uncommon Locations Perfect for Mosquito Breeding Most Raleigh based mosquito control companies will typically address mosquito breeding locations where water tends to collect nat

Will the East Asian Tick Spread to the Arlington Area This Year?

The East Asian tick has made the news in the last few days because it is a new tick species that was identified as being in the United States this year. It was first identified last fall, but efforts were made to eradicate it. Unfortunately, scientists have determined that those efforts did not work, and the species has been established in New Jersey. Why Are People Concerned About the East Asian Tick? It is an extremely invasive species that originated in Asia. When it first spread to Australia it causes significant problems for farmers there. The ticks are often found around farms animals, but they can also be found on large animals like deer. The East Asian tick does carry the SFTS virus, which is a new virus that was first discovered in 2009. It has potential for serious complications and scientists worry about a potential outbreak. How Does the East Asian Tick Spread? The experts are not sure how the East Asian tick made its way to the United States. However, once it is

Norfolk Flooding from Florence Increases Mosquitoes

Norfolk residents were spared the brunt of the damage when Hurricane Florence made landfall along the North Carolina coastline, but unfortunately the storm was so large that the rain bands extended well into the Virginia Beach and Norfolk area. Flooding in Norfolk has not only made some of the low-lying areas impassable for traffic, but the excess water is also proving to be a haven for mosquitoes that thrive by breeding in water when temperatures and humidity are high. Increased Mosquito Breeding Locations Even though Norfolk is already surrounded by water, the saturation of rains has opened up new areas for mosquitoes to breed that normally remain dry around homes and businesses. Most mosquitoes tend to lay their eggs in areas where water collects naturally such as ponds and along the edges of lakes and streams, but now they can reproduce within wet yards that are closer to buildings. Professional Mosquito Exterminators can Lessen Breeding Cycles Normally a mosquito control technici

Mosquito Tek

Search This Blog