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Did you ever wonder what bug kills the most humans? We got your answers, right here.

Mosquitos are responsible for over 1 million human deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Mosquitos are the number one human killer to fly across this earth. With over 3,000 identified mosquito species, there is nothing small or innocent about the mosquito family. But the mosquito isn’t what’s killing humans, it’s the diseases they carry with them, such as malaria.

Luckily, here in Indiana mosquitos aren’t a deadly problem. In fact, between the years of 1957 and 2015, only 63 cases of malaria outbreaks due to mosquitos were reported in the United States.

Just because we are no longer at risk for these dangerous diseases doesn’t mean we don’t want to prevent these pesky mosquitos from biting. As family summer fun begins, so does the mosquitos fun. Here are some tips to avoid being bit during your next vacation or summer hang.

How to Keep Mosquitos Away

The best action is always preventative action! Clear any puddles or containers from your land that can fill with water. Mosquitos lay their eggs in stagnant water or very moist soil… and those eggs hatch when under water. A single female mosquito with a lifespan of 42 to 56 days can lay up to 300 eggs every few days!

Male mosquitos last about 10 days… so you can see how quickly a population of mosquitos will grow given the right weather and a damp place to hatch.

People often believe that all pest management professionals do is spray chemicals to treat their homes. This is simply not true anymore. Many pest management professionals today use an Integrated Pest Management  approach. IPM controls pests by getting rid of the three things they need to survive: food, shelter, and water.

How to Avoid Being Bit By Mosquitos

• Avoid sweating – mosquitos are attracted to warm bodies and sweat, so try to stay cool for the summer. Mosquitos can even detect blood type and are often attracted to pregnant women because they produce more carbon dioxide than men do.
• Wear mosquito repellant – The most effective mosquito repellents tested by Consumer Reports contained a variety of ingredients, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, chemicals called IR3535 and 2-undecanone, as well as a variety of plant oils, such as cedar, citronella, geraniol, lemongrass, and rosemary.
• Refresh your repellant – every four hours or per the instructions on the bottle.

What is DEET?

DEET (/diːt/) or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing, and provides protection against mosquitos, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches, and many biting insects.

DEET continues to be the most effective mosquito repellent there is. When applying any repellent containing DEET be sure to protect eyes. If DEET gets into your eyes, it may cause irritation and watery eyes. If you accidentally get DEET into your eyes, be sure to rinse your eyes out for 10-15 minutes immediately upon exposure. After rinsing out your eyes, rest for a while. If irritation and redness continues, call poison control.  DEET may cause some skin irritation if left on the body too long, however, it’s rare. If irritation does occur it may be that you’re allergic to DEET.

Are there Natural Remedies to Protect Yourself from Mosquitos?

If you are concerned you are allergic to mosquito repellent or just wish to avoid it, there are other natural ways to protect yourself from mosquitos:

• Skip the floral clothing and fragrances – wear light or neutral clothing without floral scents so that you’re not mistaken as an animal of foliage that will attract mosquitos.
• Wear loose clothing that covers up as much of your body as possible, providing less skin to land and bite on.
• Use Citronella plants, torches, candles, and lotions were once widely known for keeping the mosquitos away.
• Lemon Eucalyptus oil can be used to repel mosquitos.
• Rubbing baby oil or imitation vanilla extract on your skin also repels biting insects.
• Rubbing on Apple cider vinegar is also reported as a way to keep those pests off you. Incorporating apple cider vinegar in your everyday diet may also help!

These natural remedies have been known to work. However, DEET is known to work more effectively than any other remedy. If you’re worried you may have irritation or an allergic reaction, try applying the DEET on a small patch of skin and waiting it out for an hour. If no irritation occurs you may be alright!

PS: Did you know the plural of mosquito is either mosquitoes or mosquitos? We didn’t until we researched this article!

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