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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 may be popular, but their effectiveness is unproved. These methods include:
- Electronic insect control systems, better known as bug zappers
- Citronella-scented candles
- Attracting birds and mammals that feed on mosquitoes
Insect repellents
When used properly, repellents are safe for kids and adults alike. Keep in mind that repellents don't kill mosquitoes; they just make it harder for them to find you. That means even when a repellent is working, you may still see these annoying insects buzzing about.
Common insect repellents include:
-
DEET. The pesticide DEET blocks a mosquito's ability to find people who've applied it.
Apply repellent with up to a 35 percent concentration of DEET to your skin and clothing. Choose the concentration based on the hours of protection you need — generally, 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 repellent, 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 — such as 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. When you come indoors, wash your skin and your children's skin with soap and water to remove any remaining repellent.
Protective clothing
What you wear can also help keep mosquitoes at bay. Keep these clothing tips in mind, particularly in areas that are heavily infested with mosquitoes:
- 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. And, when you're in an area with a significant mosquito population, consider wearing a mosquito net to cover your head and face.
- Cover an infant seat or stroller with mosquito netting for extra protection.
In addition to these steps, fix any holes you might have in your window or door screens.
- Castells MC. Insect bites. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Whitehorn C. Mosquito vectors of infectious disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 12, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part I: Mosquitoes). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192842131-3/0/1483/377.html?tocnode=54236352&fromURL=377.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Beware of bug bites and stings. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048022.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part II: Diseases). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192894961-2/0/1483/378.html?tocnode=54236358&fromURL=378.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03228-5..50047-1--cesec11_2157. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- West Nile virus facts. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/pest/wnv_facts.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Mosquito control and West Nile virus. National Biological Information Infrastructure. http://westnilevirus.nbii.gov/mosquitoes.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Mosquitoes. In: Habif TB. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00024-9--s0845&uniq=192842131&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=977693082. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Active ingredients found in insect repellants. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/ai_insectrp.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Hsia RY. Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases: Pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of mosquito bites (Part III: Mosquito control). In: Auerbach RS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192894961-2/0/1483/379.html?tocnode=54236406&fromURL=379.html. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- West Nile virus — QA: Insect repellent use and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm. Accessed April 3, 2010.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 13, 2010.
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