Last weekend I went to a backyard barbecue on a summer afternoon in south Florida. Sure enough, when the sun started to sink in the late afternoon those miniature, flying bloodsuckers started to appear. 

Nobody had any bug spray so some either left or went inside for the evening. For the ones who stayed outside, I noticed something. About half of the people started slapping their arms and were complaining about the mosquitoes. And the other half were oblivious and carrying on like they didn’t exist. 

That got me thinking, why do mosquitoes bite some people and not others? 

There are a lot of factors that go into why so here is my attempt to answer the question. But I’m not your doctor or anything so if you have a more serious mosquito problem don’t take this as the final word on the subject.

The two most obvious reasons mosquitoes bite some people and not others are body odor and blood type. That makes sense but it might be too obvious. Let’s dig a little deeper into the science of mosquitoes before we get there though.

Carbon Dioxide and Odors

Mosquitoes can detect carbon dioxide from up to 100 yards away which is how they find their prey. The good news for us is that the CO2 detection threshold for human beings isn’t nearly as high as other animals. The bad news is that by breathing we are emitting CO2 which makes us good prey.

It’s not just the CO2 though, mosquitoes also use other odors to detect their victims. They can detect lactic acid which you emit through your sweat and uric acid (one of the primary waste products in humans). Mosquitoes use a heat-sensing organ called a thermoreceptor to find you as well, so if it’s hot out this is going to help them find you even easier because they can follow your body heat.

Blood Type

What about blood type? Well, believe it or not, mosquitoes don’t actually have teeth so they use an elongated mouthpart called a proboscis. There are three basic types of bloodsuckers: Anopheles, Culex, and Aedes. Type O is the most common in the US with around 39% of people being type O while only 17% are type A. It’s not surprising that they would target this type more frequently because they are thirsty for fresh blood!

Body Odor

Now let’s get to body odor. Mosquitoes sense heat by way of a heat receptor called TRPA1 which leads them straight to you. They can also smell carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and uric acid which all come from your skin when you sweat. And if it’s hot outside that means mosquitoes will be able to find you faster since they can sense your body heat.

Consequently, you can see how body odor plays a role in why mosquitoes would be more attracted to one person over another. It’s not just sweating though. The bacteria that grow on your skin emit certain smells as well. Mosquitoes are even more attracted to people who have certain types of bacteria living on their skin. This brings us to our final answer: the science of your Skin Microbiome (the collection of all microorganisms on your skin).

Skin Microbiomes and Your Personal Mosquito Magnetism

Scientists from NC State University recently published research about how different people produce unique scents according to which type of bacteria is growing on their skin. This means that someone with a particular combination of microorganisms living on their skin (and producing certain scents) will be more likely to get bitten than someone with a different combination.

This study was conducted by coauthor and NC State professor Dr. Zoe Pratte who has been working in this field for about five years now. She found that “people consistently produce unique odors, even if they are related like twins” and that one person’s microbiome is totally unique from another person’s. What she did was take swab samples from axilla (armpit) areas of people and cultured the bacteria present on each person’s skin to see what grew back. Then she selected a few of those species and tested them against mosquitoes individually in a Y-tube olfactometer (a tube with a Y at the end for mosquitoes to go into).

So there you have it. It’s not how sweet your blood is and what color of your clothes are. It’s the combination of different bacteria living on your skin that makes you more or less attractive to mosquitoes. So what can we do about this? Well, you’re in the right place. We have several articles on just that.

What are the pros and the cons of the mosquito-repellent chemical called picaridin? It is a substance that has been approved for use in the United States since 2005. And it is considered by some experts to be as effective against mosquitoes as DEET, a chemical known for its effectiveness but criticized because of safety concerns.

Pesticide or Chemical?

Picaridin is not actually a pesticide per see; it’s a repellent. The term pesticide means “any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.” A distinction should be made between an insecticide and a repellent such as picaridin: an insecticide kills insects while a repellent simply repels them. However, there are certain types of pesticides (such as mosquito-control adulticides) that are also repellents.

Effectiveness of Picaridin for Mosquitoes

Picaridin has been described as being just as good at warding off mosquitoes as DEET, a chemical known for its effectiveness but criticized because of safety concerns. In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that when used in proper amounts picaridin can be just as effective against mosquitoes (and ticks), with less incidents of side-effects such as skin irritation on people who apply it to their skin. However, CDC noted that studies needed to be done before drawing any conclusions about the long-term effects of exposure to this chemical on humans.

Shortcomings Posed by Picaridin

According to the CDC, picaridin can be toxic to cats and dogs if applied directly on them. As with DEET, picaridin can cause certain types of contact dermatitis in some people who use it on their skin. Another shortcoming of this chemical is that it doesn’t work against ticks.

However, despite these shortcomings, many believe that picaridin has a future as an insect repellent because unlike DEET it isn’t known to dissolve plastic or other synthetic materials. Some go so far as to claim that picaridin won’t hurt birds if they eat mosquitoes that have been killed by spraying the chemicals on standing water where mosquitoes breed. However, there are no studies out there to prove this.

Controversy Surrounding Picaridin Use in the US

The use of picaridin as an insect repellent isn’t approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but is approved by other regulatory agencies. This situation has led some people to question if its effectiveness against mosquitoes makes it a good alternative to DEET, which both CDC and EPA endorse. On its website, CDC says that “available scientific evidence suggests that using repellents containing picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus will protect you from being bitten by mosquitoes.” In 2007, EPA said it had no objections when KBR Inc., a Halliburton company, proposed adding picaridin to its list of ingredients for “consumer products” that repel mosquitoes.

Effects on Skin and Nerves

Picaridin is currently used in several brands of insect repellent such as Cutter Advanced, Off! Deep Woods VIII, and Autan (outside the US). It can also be found combined with other substances such as DEET or citronella in some products. In 2008, a study was published by the journal Toxicology Letters which stated that picaridin was “a potent neuronal acetylcholinesterase inhibitor,” an action which has been linked to overstimulating muscles and nerves. In another study done by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, North Carolina, picaridin was determined to be “a potent inhibitor of voltage-gated sodium channels in rat neurons.” The same study concluded that some repellents containing this chemical can cause problems such as fainting if they are applied before bed because the human body’s ability to regulate its own blood pressure is reduced at night while a person is lying down.

Other Possible Problems Posed by Picaridin

A different 2008 study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University and the National Center for Toxicological Research showed that exposure to picaridin during pregnancy might not have harmful effects on unborn children. It was noted, however, that further research should be done to prove this point conclusively. Another study published in 2012 showed that when rats were fed picaridin, the exposure to this insect repellent caused brain damage. There is also a chance that it might cause neurological problems in humans in future studies.

Conclusion

Picaridin, although widely used outside the US, can pose some health risks for humans and animals if its protective capabilities against mosquitoes are not factored into consideration. A person who plans on coating himself with this chemical as mosquito protection should know how much of it he’s applying so there wouldn’t be any risk to his skin or respiratory system. As for those people who want to buy products containing picaridin for use around their homes, they need to keep in mind that pets are more likely than humans to come in contact with these objects.

Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this website and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult with your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

Q: Are mosquitoes attracted to light?

A: Yes.

Many people believe that mosquitoes are attracted to moonlight (on the basis of the fact that they come out during nighttime). However, experiments have shown that it really is the case – mosquitoes are drawn to artificial sources of light. Many studies show that incandescent lamps (light bulbs) are more attractive to female mosquitoes than fluorescent lamps. The reason is that incandescent lamps produce light with a wavelength in the range of 400–500 nm, which corresponds to one of the major peaks in the emission spectrum of human sweat.

In addition to UV-A and visible lights, incandescent or halogen lamps emit significant heat radiation. It has been shown that it is possible to attract three times as many mosquitoes using an incandescent light bulb compared to an equivalent black body radiator (which emits just thermal radiation).

Q: Are mosquitoes nocturnal?
A: Mosquitoes are not true night feeders; they need darkness only at nightfall. nature, they fly during crepuscular periods, the partially light periods before dawn, and after sunset (dusk).

Mosquitoes that are active during the day have evolved to do so by using visual cues. They can detect shadows and polarized light, allowing them to orient themselves according to the sun’s position. Perhaps they may have some ability to adjust their flight behavior according to temperature changes associated with daylight hours.

Day-active mosquitoes are usually crepuscular. Some species such as floodwater mosquitoes “Aedes vexans”, Mansonia spp., tarsiers, frogmouths, and many catarrhine primate species including humans are also nocturnal in warmer regions where nighttime temperatures are not much lower than daytime highs. Floodwater mosquitoes (Aedes spp.) are particularly notable for their crepuscular activity when they may fly both in the late evening and early morning.

Q: Are mosquitoes pollinators?

A: In a limited number of cases, yes. There have been 10 species of mosquito described as having such a relationship with certain flowers, including “Apomys”, “Culex territans” and “Toxorhynchites”. In Malaysia, some mosquitoes in the genus “Anopheles” pollinate the blossom of Rafflesia arnoldii.

Mosquitoes are also known from subfossil copal preserved in Dominican amber where they were trapped within the tree resin while carrying pollen. However, this was probably the result of incidental contact between a male mosquito and the flower rather than pollinating behavior, as no other examples are known among the millions of extant insects.

Q: Can mosquitoes bite dogs?

A: Yes. To date, there are only one species of mosquito that preys specifically on dogs, “Culex vishnui”. There are four other known species that feed on dogs only occasionally.

Mosquitoes have been seen feeding on African bush elephants (“Loxodonta africana”) resting in the trees of a Kenyan mangrove swamp, and calves were observed to be bitten more often than adults.

A study carried out by researchers at the University of Pretoria in South Africa has shown that African buffalo (“Syncerus caffer”) are highly susceptible to malaria, and may also act as a vector for the disease.

Q: Can mosquitoes bite more than once?

A: Yes. This is called “multiple feeding”. With the exception of some blood-sucking, male mosquitoes, a mosquito generally obtains only one type of fluid with their saliva during each bite.

Mosquitoes may feed multiple times to obtain enough energy for flight and reproduction. However, even if they are full and can’t process any more blood, female mosquitoes will continue to bite because their salivary glands are not yet stimulated to secrete saliva.

Male mosquitoes can’t bite because they only have a digestive system, and don’t need blood for reproduction.

Q: How do mosquitoes reproduce?

A: The female lays fertile eggs after having had a blood meal, but only if the ambient temperature is higher than. The females lay the eggs just above the waterline as this is where they will hatch. To lay her eggs, a female mosquito seeks a sheltered area with still waters and mud (such as those found in swamps). Upon finding such an area, she stands over it while flapping her wings to maintain balance. Then she uses her ovipositor to cut a slit into the water. The eggs are very tiny and float out of the slit, propelled by movements from the female’s abdomen. The number of eggs laid will depend on species, but maybe as much as several hundred in one go. A full clutch can contain anywhere between 100–200 eggs depending on the species.

Mosquitoes in temperate regions are generally monovoltine, but those in tropical areas can be multivoltine. Each individual female usually lays only one batch of eggs per gonotrophic cycle.

Q: How do mosquitoes survive winter?

A: Mosquitoes overwinter as larvae or pupae in a variety of habitats, such as: spring seeps and heads, rodent burrows, or other small spaces; and even within tree stumps in the winter.

In a few species, adults can survive cold weather by taking shelter in warm places like homes. In very cold climates, some mosquitoes spend the winter frozen (diapause). Diapause is a physiological state in which an insect slows its development and metabolism because it is not currently well suited for the surrounding environment.

Q: Which mosquitoes are the big ones?

A: The biggest mosquito ever recorded was “Haemagogus janthinomys”, found in the Amazon rainforest. It has an average body length of 8 mm, with a wingspan of 23.5  cm (9.25 inches). This is large in comparison to most mosquitoes; the abdomen alone can be as long as the rest of the mosquito’s body.

We all know that mosquitoes are one of the biggest nuisances in the outdoor world. And a nuisance is putting it mildly. In some countries mosquitoes are deadly. Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for over 1 million deaths every year. Some common types of mosquito-borne diseases include malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika.

Most people would say that mosquitoes are good for nothing and contribute to nothing but trouble. But what about the ecosystem? What does a mosquito do in an ecosystem? As it turns out, there is evidence to suggest that mosquitoes serve some purpose. One study by researchers from Yale University found that mosquitos provide food sources for birds during periods of drought. Mosquitos provide food for birds, bats, and spiders. This doesn’t mean that mosquitoes can be completely absolved of all their bad qualities but it does suggest they serve some purpose.

What do you think about mosquitos? Do you have any mosquito-related good stories or experiences to share with us? Let’s hear them in the comments!

In 2008 malaria alone killed 781,000 people according to a study by the World Health Organization(WHO). Malaria is transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes and kills more people each year than any other parasite or virus. Other mosquito-transmitted diseases that have had effects on human populations include West Nile fever, yellow fever, Rift Valley fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and filariasis.

The WHO study also stated that malaria was responsible for nearly one-half of all child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and for killing an estimated 2.7 million children under five years old between 2000 and 2013. In addition to malaria, there are many other fatal diseases spread by mosquitoes that are also leading causes of death in underdeveloped nations around the world.

“Malaria has been killing people for thousands of years, and malaria parasites resistant to every antimalarial drug we have are now spreading across Southeast Asia from their origins in Burma,” said malaria researcher James Childs at Yale University. The WHO study also stated that malaria parasites resistant to artemisinin drugs were detected on the borders between Thailand and Cambodia. Artemisinin is currently one of the most effective malaria treatments available to humans but growing resistance could mean malaria may soon be untreatable as scientists are running out of effective options for new drugs.

According to the CDC, Anopheles mosquitoes can be found throughout many tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
“Most malaria-transmitting mosquito species are found in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America,” according to the CDC.
In addition to malaria, mosquitoes can also transmit other deadly diseases that are causing high fatality rates around the world such as Rift Valley fever which in severe cases can cause blindness or hemorrhagic symptoms, and Dengue which causes flu-like symptoms that can sometimes develop into a lethal hemorrhagic fever.

A study released by WHO stated that there were an estimated 2 million cases of malaria each year within Europe with 90% occurring in sub-Saharan African countries with many people traveling between malaria-affected regions and European destinations for business or on holiday trips resulting in infections brought back into non-endemic areas.

“The malaria parasite is carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes which mainly feed on humans,” said malaria researcher James Childs at Yale University. “Anopheles mosquitos are known to have expanded their range into parts of Russia, China, and the USA where malaria had been eradicated but we’re concerned that the malaria parasite itself could be imported from Africa into Europe in these travelers returning home if they haven’t taken antimalarial drugs,” he added. “[Even though infections wouldn’t last for very long without a constant supply of new malaria parasites being brought back by new travelers] it’s still a major concern.”

Mosquitoes also carry and transmit other diseases, such as Dengue fever. Dengue fever is a disease that causes flu-like symptoms and occasionally leads to the potentially lethal hemorrhagic form of Dengue. “Dengue Fever has been reported in India,” according to Dr. James Hodge, a malaria researcher at The Rockefeller University in New York. According to WHO Dengue fever is endemic throughout most regions of the world with about 390 million cases diagnosed per year resulting in nearly 25,000 deaths worldwide mostly among children under 15 years old.

“Mosquitoes are more dangerous than you think because malaria isn’t the only thing they can spread or transmit,” said malaria researcher James Childs at Yale University. “We’ve discovered that malaria parasites resistant to artemisinin drugs have appeared in Southeast Asia but we’re also looking at the spread and prevalence of malaria parasites resistant to mefloquine drugs which have been reported in Africa recently,” he added.

“Mefloquine is used as prophylactic malaria drug along with other malaria treatments but malaria parasites resistant to all antimalarials are now spreading across Southeast Asia from Burma into Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam,” said malaria researcher James Childs at Yale University. He then went on to explain that when malaria becomes resistant it would become almost untreatable and potentially more dangerous than Ebola pointing out that malaria only affected humans while Ebola had a potential for direct human-to-human transmission through body fluids forcing both the patient and medical staff to wear full protective ‘space age’ suits when malaria can still only be transmitted by mosquitoes.

“We need to encourage more people to protect themselves from malaria and use appropriate malaria prevention measures, such as repellents containing DEET or blocking bed nets impregnated with an insecticide like permethrin, in malaria vulnerable areas,” said malaria researcher Humberto Andrade at WHO headquarters in Geneva. “And we also urgently need to speed up the development process of new drugs capable of treating malaria parasites resistant to artemisinin-type drugs and mefloquine medication,” he added.

A mosquito’s sole purpose in life is to suck blood from warm-blooded creatures and spread malaria, yellow fever, dengue, and other nasty diseases. But if repellents can keep us from getting bitten, why aren’t we all applying them liberally? For starters, some of us have the wrong idea about how repellents work against mosquitoes. Here’s what I often hear: “Repellents are useless because if you can’t smell them, they’re not working.” Wrong!

Prepare to be underwhelmed. An expert named Dr. James Logan used 3M Corporation’s human sensory research lab in St. Paul, MN, to find out which odors repel mosquitoes best—and it turns out that we humans are actually better at smelling than biting insects like mosquitoes and black flies. When a mosquito locks onto its target (after detecting carbon dioxide emanating from our skin), it first settles on the upper part of your body — especially the ankles — and starts taking small sips of blood. 

The mosquitoes are so small (only about three-quarters of an inch long) that they can easily stand on your skin without noticing the repellent you’re wearing. Dr. Logan’s research showed that there is very little smell to the mosquito landing site, but as soon as it starts to probe for a blood vessel, some odor molecules from the repellent mix directly with its saliva and travel right back up its proboscis into its brain. It doesn’t take much to drive off these creatures; most effective odors at this stage have only two or three carbon atoms!

The top-performing olfactory distracters were DEET (N,N-diethylm-toluamide), picaridin (also known as Bayrepel® in the United States), and oil of lemon eucalyptus. Permethrin was acceptable, too, but it’s not safe to use on skin and can’t be applied to clothing.

In another study published in 2012 by a scientist at Rutgers University, DEET was much more effective than citronella candles or essential oils (even when used at triple the concentration recommended for maximum effectiveness). And while citronella candle manufacturers insist that their products are safe when used according to directions on the label — even for babies — don’t believe everything you hear! 

Just because you have nothing bad happen after using a product doesn’t mean there aren’t any side effects. The next time you’re at an outdoor gathering, look around you and count the number of people who are sensitive to citronella — or any other insect repellent. You’ll probably see several people with bright red bumps on their necks or shoulders.

Because DEET has been used so widely since it was first developed in 1957, mosquitoes have become resistant to it in many places throughout the United States—and that’s why new products are being introduced every year. Each one is different from the last, and some react predictably only in certain parts of the country (where resistance hasn’t built up yet). While resistance isn’t a problem for picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus just yet, both tend to vaporize quickly into the thin air we breathe instead of attaching to your skin, which may be why they’re not as effective as DEET.

Most experts agree that the most important thing to know about mosquitoes is that they’re in the same class (arthropod ticks) as, spiders and scorpions. Unlike moths and other insects such as flies or beetles, mosquitoes don’t have mouths with mandibles (jaws) or even proper teeth; their primary mouthpart is a long, sharp-toothed straw called the proboscis. The shearing action between the two halves of this biting organ—along with its saliva’s digestive enzymes—makes it a lot like having little incisions all over your body!

Pinpointing exactly where you’ll encounter bloodsucking insects is no easy task, either. Some people attract more than others, and it’s not entirely clear why some people seem so much more appealing to mosquitoes than others. The truth may involve everything from body temperature to the particular metabolic byproducts you emit each day. But there are a few other tips that can help you avoid the next bite:

• Establish what time of day bugs like to bite most and try to spend as much time indoors during those hours as possible;
• Wear light-colored clothing (which reflects ultraviolet radiation from the sun and makes you look larger) and long sleeves if you know you’ll be outdoors for an extended period of time;
• Avoid wearing sweet-smelling perfumes or other fragrances, which might attract the insects; 
• Don’t wear lotions or other products that will make you more attractive to mosquitoes by increasing skin temperature or otherwise altering your natural odor. 

Some researchers have suggested wearing a thin veil of Off! Deep Woods ® Insect Repellent V11 ™ on clothing might help deter mosquitoes for up to 12 hours. If you’re like me, though, you probably hate the smell of DEET even more than being bitten! While citronella oil is definitely less offensive to most people than DEET, it’s no match for these creatures. 

The best way to avoid bites this summer may well be simply donning a hat when outdoors — or in any area where biting insects are known to congregate—and tucking yourself into your favorite outdoor chair, away from the rest of the world.

The HIV virus is causing a worldwide pandemic. So far, it has infected over 35 million people and caused more than 25 million deaths. HIV itself can be fatal, but what is even more worrying is that HIV-infected people may pass the HIV virus onto other people through their blood or bodily fluids. This means that HIV spreads easily between humans by direct contact with infected blood or body fluids. The HIV/AIDS pandemic shows no signs of abating…but could mosquitoes also spread HIV?

Also known as Aedes Aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito typically lives in tropical climates and prefers to feed on human blood at night. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Malaria Research Institute, it is a potent HIV vector because it bites humans and passes HIV in its saliva. In fact, HIV transmission by mosquitoes has been documented in several case reports. For example, in Thailand HIV was transmitted from the blood of an HIV-infected man to a mosquito that then bit a woman who contracted HIV from the mosquito’s bite! Yikes! There have also been reports of the Zika virus being spread from person to person through infected mosquitoes. It is important to note that these cases occurred among extremely small populations without access to medical care and mosquito control.

Similarly, in areas where malaria is endemic, many HIV/AIDS patients are already co-infected with malaria parasites – which are transmitted via mosquitoes. So we may not even have to wait for the global HIV/AIDS pandemic to strike to see HIV spread by mosquitoes!

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is still going strong, but HIV-positive patients have access to anti-retroviral drugs that help manage the HIV infection and allow HIV-infected persons to live long, healthy lives. So HIV has become a chronic disease instead of an imminent cause for death. However in areas of the world without adequate healthcare or mosquito control systems it is possible for HIV-positive folks to contract HIV from mosquitoes…so maybe we should start thinking about how we can prevent HIV transmission by mosquitoes even in countries with modern healthcare systems.

As you may know, the Zika virus is causing havoc in Brazil as well as other regions around the world where it has been detected. There have already been more than 50 reported cases of microphthalmia (babies born with small heads and brain damage) in newborns of mothers infected by Zika. There have also been reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder that can cause temporary paralysis even though it is not HIV-related. As the link between the Zika virus and microphthalmia becomes stronger, scientists are growing alarmed about how quickly this mosquito-borne disease could spread through other parts of South America or even North America!

In fact, according to Dr. Peter Hotez, an assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Texas, “We know that mosquitoes transmit HIV. If you do nothing else [but reduce mosquito populations], you would be able to fight HIV. Cutting the mosquito population is one of the single most effective ways to combat HIV. In Africa, HIV spreads so rapidly because mosquitoes also transmit HIV.”

The yellow fever mosquito thrives in tropical areas with poor garbage management and a lack of quality healthcare systems that can provide anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients. Since access to health services is limited in these countries, HIV/AIDS remains uncontrolled on a large scale – meaning an outbreak could quickly become a worldwide pandemic if it was not contained by mosquito control. Therefore we hope that developing new methods for reducing or eliminating yellow fever mosquitoes will be a top priority for scientists all over the world. The cost of doing nothing (apart from microphthalmia and Guillain-Barre syndrome) is HIV/AIDS, which has proven to be a global epidemic that will not go away anytime soon!

For more information on HIV transmission by mosquitoes see this article in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (in case you need to cite it for Biology class).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3512897/

I hope these articles help clarify HIV transmission through mosquitoes and other insects as much as possible – it’s pretty complicated when you dig into it but there are some good science articles out there that can clarify the issue so people can make informed decisions without relying solely on mainstream news stories… What do you think?

It seems that nothing ruins a Summer outing more often than those pesky blood-suckers – mosquitoes. They are not only annoying but also spread various diseases like dengue, malaria, fever and their bites keep itching to victims for a long time. At night they can also disturb your sleep.

Mostly, mosquito repellent liquids, spray, or coils are used which helps in getting rid of the mosquitoes from the house. But most of this repellent is filled with chemicals and can cause serious issues to the human body like breathing difficulties etc.

Mosquitoes can be killed inside the home by using an indoor fogger or insect spray. The result would be better if the spray is being done at its rest areas as the mosquitoes mostly rest in dark, closets, in the laundry rooms, under furniture, and in humid places.

It’s also better to follow the label directions before use. The spray can also be reapplied when needed. The only use of the spray is not enough to keep the home free from mosquitos. The mosquitos may lay eggs in or near standing water which is a more attractive option for mosquitoes. So, removal of the standing water is also necessary. Throw out items that can hold stagnant water like toys, birdbaths, trash containers, and buckets, etc. Tightly covering the storage tanks like rain barrels, buckets will help prevent the mosquitoes from laying eggs. If the containers do not have lids then use wire mesh having holes of size less than an adult mosquito.

Another easy way to control the mosquitoes is to grow mosquito repellent plants. These repellent plants are very smaller in size and thus they are easy to be kept on the desks or at any place inside the room for a mosquito-free home. Not only will these plants help keep mosquitoes away but the pests and mice that feed on these plants will be helpful in controlling the mosquitoes.

Tulsi, marigolds, citronella, catnip, lemongrass, and mint are some of the mosquito repellent plants that can be used indoors. There are some lovely herbs that also act as mosquitoes repellents such as basil, peppermint, lavender, and dill. The mosquitoes can also be stopped from being mature by the use of bits and dunks. These products contain bacteria like Bacillus thurengiensis that work as a larvicide and do not disturb the other wildlife or the environment.

Garlic spray can also be used to control mosquitoes. Garlic spray is the best alternative to control the mosquitoes as it can be prepared at home by crushing a few garlic cloves and boiling in water for some time. The garlic solution could be applied by pouring it in a spray bottle and then by spraying around the house. Not everyone is a fan of spray/repellent but having an excellent mosquito repellent at all times is also important if someone is living in a mosquito-prone area.