4 Tips To Help Floridians Avoid Mosquito Bites
Do you need tips to help you or your children avoid pesky mosquito bites in Florida? In the rainier seasons in Tampa Bay, mosquitoes thrive. My first piece of advice…
GUANGZHOU, CHINA – JUNE 21: An adult female mosquito is seen uder a microscope at the Sun Yat-Sen University-Michigan University Joint Center of Vector Control for Tropical Disease on June 21, 2016 in Guangzhou, China. Considered the world’s largest mosquito factory, the laboratory raises millions of male mosquitos for research that could prove key to the race to prevent the spread of Zika virus. The lab’s mosquitos are infected with a strain of Wolbachia pipientis, a common bacterium shown to inhibit Zika and related viruses including dengue fever. Researchers release the infected mosquitos at nearby Shazai island to mate with wild females who then inherit the Wolbachia bacterium which prevents the proper fertilization of her eggs. The results so far are hopeful: After a year of research and field trials on the island, the lab claims there is 99% suppression of the population of Aedes albopictus or Asia tiger mosquito, the type known to carry Zika virus. Researchers believe if their method proves successful, it could be applied on a wider scale to eradicate virus-carrying mosquitos in Zika-affected areas around the world. The project is an international non-profit collaboration lead by Professor Xi Zhiyong, director of the Sun Yat-Sen University-Michigan University Joint Center of Vector Control for Tropical Disease with support from various levels of China’s government and other organizations. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Do you need tips to help you or your children avoid pesky mosquito bites in Florida?
In the rainier seasons in Tampa Bay, mosquitoes thrive. My first piece of advice is "don't be an adult," because mosquitos love larger people. That's why they prefer adults to children. (But tell that to my poor six-year-old who seems to get attacked by them when we're outside at dusk for even two minutes.)
For some people, mosquitoes are just annoying, but for others who are prone to their attacks, it can be scary worrying that they are spreading a mosquito-borne illness.
If you do get bitten, treating them with calamine lotion or baking soda is the way to go. It makes the itchiness subside.
Here are some ideas if you want to avoid getting bitten, altogether.
1. Don't Drink Alcohol
(Photo by Graeme Robertson/Getty Images)A nice, cold beer on a hot summer day sounds appealing, but for some reason, mosquitos are attracted to the blood and scent of someone who has been consuming alcohol.
2. Don't Wear Dark-Colored Clothing
It just comes down to a mosquito's sense of sight. They can see dark colors more easily and hone in on their target.
3. Avoid Foods With Lots Of Salt And Potassium
TY Lim/Shutterstock.comDon't pass the chips if you want to avoid getting bit. And skip on the bananas, too. Mosquitoes love the way these chemicals release lactic acid in your body.
4. Don't Wear Perfume
2nd August 1963: 'Miss Dior' talc, perfume and bath oil by Christian Dior. Harrods (Photo by Chaloner Woods/Getty Images)
Maybe you were dabbing on some perfume to attract your love, but mosquitos go for sexy scents, too. Save the spray for a night out to dinner but skip it if you're going to an outdoor barbeque.
