Greetings, busybee!
Given the increasing public awareness of mosquito-borne diseases like
West Nile Virus, and the need for prevention of them, this is an
excellent Question.
PERSONAL PREVENTION OF MOSQUITO BITES
-------------------------------------
From the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's page on preventing West
Nile Virus:
"Protect yourself from mosquito bites:
- Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin...
- Spray clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET since
mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing...
- When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you
are outdoors.
- Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors
with infants.
- Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening,
which are peak mosquito biting times.
- Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot
get indoors.
- Help reduce the number of mosquitoes in areas outdoors where you
work or play, by draining sources of standing water. In this way, you
reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed."
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/prevention.htm
The CDC fact sheet goes on to list a number of different (and
sometimes surprising!) places to check, where standing water may
accumulate.
This interesting tip comes from the Madison, Wisconsin Department of
Public Health:
"When the wind is calm or low, sit in front of a fan to reduce the
ability of mosquitoes to fly and land on you to bite."
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/health/envhealth/westnilevirus.html
From Google's cached version of an issue of the Pike County, Kentucky
Agriculture and Natural Resources Newsletter:
"Note: Vitamin B and "ultrasonic" devices are NOT effective in
preventing mosquito bites. (Bug Zappers, Citronella Candles,
Ultrasonic devices, etc.)
Many consumer products claim to attract, repel or kill mosquitoes.
Most of these devices do not work, or are only marginally effective.
"Bug Zappers" using ultraviolet light as an attractant are generally
ineffective in reducing outdoor populations of mosquitoes and their
biting activity. Studies indicate that less than five percent of the
mosquitoes killed by bug zappers are females, the only ones that
actually bite. The rest are non-biting, male mosquitoes and other
harmless night flying insects. Somewhat better results have been
obtained with citronella candles. For maximum protection, use
multiple candles positioned close (within a few feet) of where people
a re sitting. A single candle stationed at the outer edge of a large
picnic blanket probably won't provide much benefit, other than
"atmosphere”.
Ultrasonic devices, mosquito-repellent plants, garlic and other
gimmicks routinely touted in magazine advertisements are generally
ineffective. When it comes to mosquito control, if it sounds too good
to be true, it probably is."
http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:zBnVnHrr5xoC:ces.ca.uky.edu/pike/news/agnews.htm+preventing+mosquito+bites+citronella&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
*****
Please be aware that there are NO "100% fail-proof consumer products".
However, products containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or
N,N-diethly-3-methylbenamide) can be HIGHLY effective at repelling
mosquitos.
*****
A similar page of helpful tips is available from The Nature
Conservancy. This page contains more detailed information on the
highly-effective -- but potentially toxic -- ingredient "DEET"
(N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide or N,N-diethly-3-methylbenamide) used in
repellants.
"- concentrations up to 35% DEET may be used by adults; higher
concentrations are not more effective at preventing bites. The
percentage of DEET in a product has more to do with its "staying
power" than its effectiveness at warding off mosquitoes...
- use formulas with a maximum concentration of 10% DEET on children,
and don't allow them to apply the product themselves; avoid using DEET
on infants and toddlers.
-...Weigh the strength of DEET you use against the number of hours you
will be exposed outdoors, and remember that you can and should
re-apply DEET if you extend your time outdoors.
-don't apply DEET products to your face... to sunburned, cracked,
bruised, or irritated skin
- apply DEET in ventilated areas
- use DEET products sparingly
-... avoid prolonged exposure to it; wash skin and clothing after
returning indoors
- if you suspect that you are having an adverse reaction to a product
containing DEET, wash it off immediately and contact a doctor
- don't use DEET on your pets..."
http://westnilevirus.nbii.gov/mosquitoes.html
The CDC's fact sheet on "Insect Repellent Use and Safety"
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm
An independent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine
entitled "Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents against Mosquito
Bites" by
Mark S. Fradin, M.D., and John F. Day, Ph.D., compares the
effectiveness of 16 DEET and non-DEET insect repellants, as seen in
this table:
http://content.nejm.org/content/vol347/issue1/images/medium/04t1.gif
The study results in order of effectiveness, from longest to shortest:
product range of effectiveness in minutes
"1. Off! Deep Woods (SC Johnson) 200-360
2. Sawyer Controlled Release 180-325
3. Off! Skintastic (SC Johnson) 90-170
4. Bite-Blocker for Kids (HOMS) 16-195
5. Off! Skintastic for Kids (SC Johnson) 45-120
6. Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus (Avon) 10-60
7. Nurapel (Tender) 7-60
8. Herbal Armor microencapsulated 1-55
(All Terrain)
9. Green Ban for People (Mulgum Hollow Farm) 1-45
10. Buzz Away (Quantum) 5-30
11. Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard (Avon) 1-30
12. Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil (Avon) 1-30
13. Skin-So-Soft Moisturizing Suncare (Avon) 1-15
14. Gone Original Wristband (Solar Gloooow) .017-1.33
15. Repello Wristband (Repello Products) .017-0.63
16. Gone Plus Repelling Wristband (Solar Gloooow).017-.048"
Depending on where you are located, similar brand name products to
these may be available. Check the labels for the percentages of DEET
and Citronella and compare them to those in the table above to get an
idea of their relative effectiveness.
The full text of the study is here:
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/1/13
I ***DO NOT*** recommend relying on the following natural remedies
that supposedly help repel mosquitos:
"1. The Vitamin Thiamine [B1]-though you can not smell it, mosquitoes
can, and when it is excreted through the pores of your skin, it will
drive them away naturally.
2. Citrus- the smell of citrus will protect you naturally when you
drink lemonaid or use citrus fruits in foods.
3. Garlic- the smell of garlic will come through your pores and repel
mosquitoes. Use garlic in cooking, on pastas and barbecued foods, or
take it as a supplement.
4. Herbs-especially the herbs rosemary, basil, and cloves, either
fresh or dried, will drive mosquitoes away. When you consume them the
smell comes through the skin and repels mosquitoes.
5. Vinegar - mosquitoes and many other insects recoil form the smell
of vinegar, so use it in food, as a daily tonic of equal parts honey
and vinegar, or wipe down your patio table with it."
From Dina Jewell's "Fitness Facts" on KIDO 580AM News Radio:
http://www.kido.net/dinajewel.html
ENVIRONMENTAL PREVENTION OF MOSQUITO BITES
------------------------------------------
From the Colorado Mosquito Control Agency's page on "Integrated
Mosquito Management" ("A process consisting of the balanced use of
cultural, biological, and chemical procedures that are environmentally
compatible and economically feasible to reduce pest and disease-vector
populations to a tolerable level."):
"MOSQUITO LARVICIDING:
Mosquito larval habitats are identified and mapped early in the
program's development. An ongoing seasonal program of site inspection
and subsequent larviciding, when the sites are determined to contain
larvae, is the key to effective larval control. CMC generally uses
only five larval control agents in its programs; the biologicals; Bti,
Bs, AltosidŽ IGR, and mosquitofish as discussed above, and AbateŽ
(temephos) a low toxicity organophosphate insecticide which is used
only on a limited site specific and/or emergency basis. All materials
and application methods used are regulated by the U.S. EPA and
Colorado Department of Agriculture."
http://www.comosquitocontrol.com/Mosquito_Control.htm
The CMC page also includes detailed information about each of the
larval control agents mentioned above:
Bti
"Bacillus thuringiensis sub. israeliensis, a naturally occurring spore
and crystal forming soil bacterium."
Bs
"Bacillus sphaericus... is also a naturally occurring soil bacteria
with mosquito larvicidal properties."
AltosidŽ
"a hormonal insect growth regulator (IGR)."
mosquitofish
"Gambusia affinis, or the Colorado native plains killifish Fundulus
zebrinus, are small surface feeding minnows which readily attack and
devour aquatic stage mosquitoes."
AbateŽ (temephos)
"a low toxicity organophosphate insecticide which is used only on a
limited site specific and/or emergency basis."
Search Strategy
"West Nile Virus" preventing mosquito bites
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22West+Nile+Virus%22+preventing+mosquito+bites&btnG=Google+Search
preventing mosquito bites" "natural remedies"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22preventing+mosquito+bites%22+%22natural+remedies%22&btnG=Google+Search
Before Rating this Question, if you have any Questions about the
information I have provided, please post a Request for Clarification,
and I will be glad to see what I can do for you.
I hope that this Answer provides you with exactly the Information you
needed!
Regards,
aceresearcher |
