Cicadas have come and gone, but mosquitos will stick around through the Tennessee summer. In fact, mosquito season is getting longer in Tennessee.
You can’t assume that mosquitos are most prevalent in rural areas near still bodies of water. Memphis and Nashville are ranked among the top mosquito infested cities in the U.S.
Mosquitos should be taken seriously. They’re not just a source of annoying and itchy bites. Mosquitos can transmit diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Zika, and West Nile Virus.
How to avoid mosquito bites
These tips can help you prevent mosquito bites:
- Use an insect repellent on exposed skin
- Wear loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants to cover more of your skin
- Treat clothing with the insecticide permethrin, which lasts through several washes
- Control mosquitos in your yard and around your home
- Avoid stagnant water, where mosquitoes tend to lay their eggs
- Put screens on your windows if you like to keep them open
- Use spray repellent outside and not inside in an enclosed space
Sometimes, experts will advise you to avoid being outside around sunrise or sunset, when mosquitoes are more active. However, you can get bitten by a mosquito at any time of day or night.
Mosquito repellents are widely available
You can buy effective mosquito repellents from a variety of stores. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using a repellant that’s registered with the EPA. You can check the label on the packaging to verify.
According to experts, the most effective repellent is one that contains DEET (diethyltoluamide) or picaridin. With products containing DEET, you generally want to look for a product containing 20-30% DEET. A 20% DEET product will repel insects for about 2 hours, while a 30% product will work for about 5 hours.
You can use products with DEET on children, but the AAP recommends using caution on babies and very young children. It also recommends against using a product with more than 30% DEET on children.
Products containing IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or the synthetic version of OLE known as para-menthane-diol (PMD) are also effective.
Repellents with EPA-approved ingredients are safe to apply directly to your skin. They’re also safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women to use.
However, you should read the directions to make sure you’re using them correctly. For example, if you’re looking to protect yourself from the sun and mosquitoes, you should apply sunscreen to your skin first, followed by insect repellent. Also, the CDC recommends not using products with Ole or PMD on small children.
You can make your own mosquito repellent
Some people don’t like the strong smell of products containing DEET or prefer a more natural solution.
You can try making your own insect repellent with one of these essential oils that are reported to repel mosquitos:
- Eucalyptus
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Peppermint
- Citronella
- Cinnamon
- Tea tree
- Geranium
You can try mixing a small amount of a base like coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, or witch hazel with a few drops of the mosquito-repelling essential oil. Test it out on a small area of skin first before using it on the rest of your body because some can be irritating to your skin.
Please note: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that natural repellents will probably not work as long as a commercially available version. They may be safe but the EPA hasn’t verified their effectiveness.
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