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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffTo prevent mosquito bites, take steps to reduce the mosquito population around your home. Using insect repellents and protective clothing also can help.
Reducing mosquitoes around your home
Mosquitoes need stagnant or standing water to breed. Eliminate standing water, especially after rains, and you can reduce the mosquito population around your home and yard.
To eliminate standing water:
- Unclog roof gutters.
- If possible, empty children's wading pools at least once a week, and preferably more often.
- Change water in birdbaths at least weekly. You can also purchase devices to place in birdbaths that keep the water circulating so that mosquitoes won't lay eggs there.
- Get rid of old tires in your yard, as they collect standing water.
- If you keep unused containers, such as flower pots, in your yard, empty them regularly or store them upside down so that they can't collect water.
- If you have a fire pit, drain any collected water regularly.
Other methods of controlling mosquitoes are popular, but their effectiveness is unproved. These methods include:
- Electronic insect control systems, better known as bug zappers
- Citronella-scented candles
- Replacing outdoor lights with yellow bug lights
- Attracting birds and mammals that feed on mosquitoes, such as purple martins and bats
Insect repellents
When used properly, repellents are safe for kids and adults alike. Keep in mind that even though some of them are classified as pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), repellents don't kill mosquitoes. So you may still see these annoying insects buzzing about. Repellents simply make it more difficult for mosquitoes to find you.
Common insect repellents include:
-
DEET. This pesticide has long been the insect repellent of choice in the United States. DEET blocks a mosquito's ability to find people who've applied it.
Apply repellent with a 10 percent to 30 percent concentration of DEET to your skin and clothing. Choose the concentration based on the hours of protection you need — the higher the concentration of DEET, the longer you are protected. A 10 percent concentration protects you for about two hours. Keep in mind that chemical repellents can be toxic, and use only the amount needed for the time you'll be outdoors. Don't use DEET on the hands of young children or on infants younger than age 2 months.
- Picaridin. This repellant, also called KBR 3023, offers protection that's comparable to DEET at similar concentrations. It also blocks a mosquito's ability to find people who've applied it. Picaridin is nearly odorless, which may make it a good alternative if you're sensitive to the smells of insect repellents.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus. This plant-based chemical may offer protection that's comparable to low concentrations of DEET. Don't use this product on children younger than 3 years.
- Others. Shorter acting repellents — generally containing plant-based oils such as oil of geranium, cedar, lemon grass, soy or citronella — may offer limited protection.
Check the labels of insect repellent products to see which chemicals or other ingredients they contain. And be sure to follow the product's application guidelines.
Protective clothing
What you wear can also help keep mosquitoes at bay. Clothing tips to keep in mind, particularly in areas that are heavily infested with mosquitoes, include:
- Wear long-sleeved shirts.
- Wear socks.
- Wear long pants and consider tucking your pants into your socks.
- Wear light-colored clothing, since mosquitoes are more attracted to darker colors.
- Apply permethrin-containing mosquito repellent to your clothing, shoes, and camping gear and bed netting. You can also buy clothing made with permethrin already in it.
- Wear a full-brimmed hat to protect your head and neck or a baseball cap with a fold-out flap to protect the back of your neck.
- Consider wearing a mosquito net to cover your head and face or torso.
