5 Ways to Help Avoid Mosquito Bites
A relaxing evening outside can quickly turn into a battle against mosquitoes. Beyond the itchy welts they leave behind, some mosquito species can transmit pathogens that cause diseases, including West Nile virus. While not every mosquito carries disease and not every bite is dangerous, preventing bites is still an important way to protect your household and enjoy more time outdoors during mosquito season.
The good news is that a few practical habits can help reduce your exposure. In this guide, we’ll cover five ways to help avoid mosquito bites: remove standing water, use an EPA-registered repellent, cover exposed skin, protect yourself throughout the day, and keep mosquitoes from entering your home.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
If mosquitoes always seem to find you first, there may be some truth to it.
Mosquitoes use several cues to locate people, including the carbon dioxide we exhale, body heat, and odors produced by our skin. Differences in body chemistry can make some people more attractive to mosquitoes than others.
Blood type may play a role, too. Some studies have found that certain mosquitoes were more attracted to people with Type O blood, and researchers continue to study whether blood type influences who gets bitten most. So far, though, the evidence isn’t consistent enough to say mosquitoes universally prefer Type O.
Pregnancy can also influence mosquito attraction. Studies involving certain mosquito species have found pregnant women more attractive than nonpregnant women. Changes in body temperature, carbon dioxide output, and other physiological factors during pregnancy may help explain the difference.
So there isn’t one trait that determines who mosquitoes will bite. They respond to a combination of signals, and anyone spending time outdoors can become a target.
You can learn more about these pests in Bizzy Bee’s mosquito identification guide.
1. Empty Water That Collects Around Your Property
Mosquito larvae and pupae develop in water, and it doesn’t take a pond or large puddle to give them a place to develop.
Check your property regularly for water collecting in flowerpot saucers, buckets, toys, birdbaths, clogged gutters, tarps, wheelbarrows, and other outdoor containers. Emptying water where possible can help interrupt the mosquito life cycle.
Keep in mind that removing standing water can reduce breeding opportunities around your own property, but it can’t prevent adult mosquitoes from flying in from nearby areas.
2. Use an EPA-Registered Mosquito Repellent
When you’ll be spending time outdoors, use an EPA-registered insect repellent and follow the label directions.
Effective repellent active ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD, and 2-undecanone.
Products marketed as “natural” or “chemical-free” aren’t automatically safer or more effective. Choosing an EPA-registered product gives you a repellent that has been evaluated for both safety and effectiveness when used according to its label.
3. Cover Exposed Skin When Practical
Long sleeves, long pants, socks, and other clothing that covers exposed skin can make it harder for mosquitoes to bite.
That may not sound appealing during a Georgia or South Carolina summer, but lightweight, loose-fitting clothing can provide some extra protection when mosquito activity is high.
4. Don’t Assume Mosquitoes Only Bite at Dawn and Dusk
You may have heard that staying indoors around sunrise and sunset is enough to avoid mosquitoes. The problem is that different mosquito species are active at different times.
Some mosquitoes are most active around dusk or overnight, while others commonly bite during the daytime. That means mosquito protection is worth thinking about whenever you’re spending time outside, not only during a narrow window in the morning or evening.
5. Make Screens and Entry Points Part of Your Prevention
Mosquitoes aren’t only an outdoor annoyance. They can also get inside through open doors, damaged screens, and other small openings.
Repair holes in window and door screens, make sure screens fit properly, and avoid leaving exterior doors open longer than necessary. These simple steps can reduce the number of mosquitoes that make their way indoors.
Why Mosquitoes Can Still Be a Problem Even When You Do Everything Right
Reducing standing water, using repellent, covering exposed skin, and keeping mosquitoes out of the house can all help reduce bites. But none of those steps can completely control the mosquito population around a property.
Mosquitoes reproduce throughout the active season. Breeding sites can be easy to overlook, and new adult mosquitoes can continually fly into your yard from neighboring properties and surrounding areas.
That’s also why professional mosquito control isn’t a one-time fix. A single treatment can reduce mosquito activity for a period of time, but ongoing, season-long protection is needed to keep populations reduced as new mosquitoes develop and move into the area.
Spend More Time Outside With Bizzy Bee Exterminators
If mosquitoes are keeping you off the patio, out of the yard, or away from other outdoor spaces, Bizzy Bee Exterminators can help.
Our professional mosquito control provides ongoing protection throughout mosquito season rather than relying on a single treatment. Bizzy Bee also offers seasonal mosquito treatments from April through September as part of select home pest control plans.
Ready to reduce mosquito activity around your property? Contact Bizzy Bee Exterminators to request service.
