We never liked them, but we put up with them
– as unwanted guests at elegant outdoor parties, as nuisances at
baseball games and barbecues.
Mosquitoes are as annoying as ever. And with the West Nile
virus, they can be deadly.
HELEN BOND – The Dallas Morning News
aj*****@**********rs.com
We never liked them, but we put up with them – as unwanted guests at elegant outdoor parties, as nuisances at baseball games and barbecues.
Mosquitoes are as annoying as ever. And with the West Nile virus, they can be deadly.
You can fight back with an arsenal of common sense, preventive strikes and weapons of mass destruction, both organic and chemical. Fire up the artillery. It’s time to charge.
FIGHTING MACHINES
Residential, nontoxic, high-tech traps, developed originally for surveillance purposes, are emerging as the most reliable in the higher-end category. Most emit a fatal humanlike combination of heat, carbon dioxide and the chemical attractant octenol that lures the insects into a trap, where they dehydrate and die. $200 to $1,300.
REPORT FROM THE FIELD
Dr. Dan Kline of Gainesville, Fla., a research entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who has conducted studies on the development and effectiveness of traps and attractants, found the Mosquito Magnet’s Pro version performed best, while Consumer Reports rated the Liberty as having the “best combination of performance and convenience.” Kline warns that it is unresolved whether the presence of only one trap on the block – even if it’s in your back yard – will provide any real protection.
Dr. Ray Parsons, director of mosquito control for Harris County, Texas, says these traps work and don’t harm benign insects as zappers do, but they shouldn’t be the only defense in the war against mosquitoes.
CHEMICAL WARFARE
With DEET: Consumer Reports testers recently gave top ratings to 3M’s Ultrathon (33 percent DEET) and Off! Deep Woods for Sportsmen (100 percent DEET). Don’t use on children.
Tip: Apply only to exposed skin. Wash skin thoroughly when returning indoors.
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE
Without DEET: Just as mosquito-killing machines are proliferating, so are chemical-free products to spray on skin, beyond the time-tested natural favorite, citronella. Products include Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 (www.avon.com), Repel Lemon Eucalyptus, Bite Blocker for Kids (www.biteblocker.com), Fite Bite Plant-Based Insect Repellent (www.travmed.com), Off! Botanicals Insect Repellent.
Tip: Reapply DEET-free products more frequently, according to product label. They’re generally effective for only 30 to 45 minutes.
REPORT FROM THE FIELD
The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) recommends DEET concentrations of 10 percent or less on children older than 2 months. Never apply DEET products to children’s faces and hands.
The American College of Physicians recommends concentrations of 10 to 35 percent DEET for adult use. A higher percentage of DEET does not mean that protection is better, only that it will last longer. Products with 100 percent DEET, studies show, give about two hours more protection than products with 50 percent. It is better to reapply the repellent than to use a higher concentration.
KNOW THE ENEMY
– Only female mosquitoes bite. They need the extra boost of protein in blood to reproduce.
– Standing water invites mosquitoes. The insects deposit eggs, as many as 300 at a time, in standing water. The eggs turn into larvae, the filament-thin creatures you can see wiggling in birdbaths, clay saucers or toy buckets. Dump out standing water whenever it collects.
– Mosquitoes don’t fly far from where they breed. The ones that attack you most likely were hatched on your property or a neighbor’s.
– Mosquitoes see, feel and hear you. Don’t be a moving target.
– Mosquitoes can bite through tight-fitting clothes. Opt for light-colored, loose-fitting styles that cover as much of your skin as comfort allows.
– Save perfumes and aftershaves for your next cocktail party.
– Avoid the outdoors around dawn and sunset, which are peak biting times.
– West Nile virus, harbored in birds, is spread by mosquitoes to people and horses. West Nile encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by the virus. Most people infected with West Nile will develop no symptoms.
– The risk of severe illness and death is highest for people older than 50.
