Your yard most likely houses the most lethal animal on Earth. More people than any other animal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims, the diseases they spread- malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever-kill.
(Photo: Getty Images/ LUIS ROBAYO)
The Mosquito Threat Around the World
Desiree LaBeaud, a public health researcher at Stanford University, has devoted twenty years to investigating diseases carried by insects. Mosquitoes transmit several arboviruses; according to her, West Nile virus is a significant concern in the United States.
According to LaBeaud, mosquito breeding seasons are extending as the planet warms, which increases the risk of outbreaks. She explains that what would typically have been a summertime season, lasting perhaps a few months, is now being prolonged due to warmer temperatures in spring and fall.
The U.S. still lacks efforts for the extensive dissemination of diseases mosquitoes bring. LaBeaud discusses the lack of knowledge among people about these diseases and the absence of vaccines for them.
She says that everyone is naive, which means they haven't been exposed to this infection and have no protection. This weakness shows how important it is to take precautions to control mosquito numbers and stop the spread of disease as much as possible.
How To Prevent Mosquito Bites and Control Their Population
Preventing Mosquito Bites
Ensuring good health depends on keeping you and your family from mosquito bites. The CDC advises using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorized bug sprays.
These bug spray ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus (OLE) oil, para-menthane-diol (PMD), and undecanoate. When used as advised, these products are safe and efficient for pregnant or nursing mothers.
Extra safety measures must be taken for babies and children. Cover your child's arms and legs with clothes, and put mosquito nets over strollers and baby carriers.
When spraying bugs on kids, please avoid their eyes, mouths, hands, cuts, or already red and itchy skin. Adults should protect their hands first, then a child's face.
Keeping mosquito populations under control
To get rid of mosquitoes both inside and outside, put screens on your windows and doors and fix any holes they may have. If you can, use air cooling.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water, so it's important to remove these places. Every week, look inside and outside for containers that can hold water and empty, scrub, turn over, cover, or remove them. Things like tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, and trash cans are all in this group.
Putting on safety gear can also help. Choose long-sleeved shirts and pants that don't fit too tightly.
Clothing and tools treated with permethrin, an insecticide that kills and keeps mosquitoes away, offer extra protection. Clothing treated with permethrin will still work after being washed several times, but it should never be put on the skin.
They can reduce your likelihood of being bitten and aid in regulating mosquito count. The fight against these harmful pests might benefit significantly from preventative actions, cooperative trash handling, and reduction of plastic waste. Remember that the best way to protect ourselves from the world's deadly animal that lives in our backyards is to be alert and take action.
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