Prevent Mosquito Bites and West Nile Virus

Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance--their bites can cause serious complications including the transmission of diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, encephalitis, and West Nile virus (WN) to humans.

While there are many ways to deter mosquitoes from biting you, some are more toxic than others. The following suggestions give you easy ways to repel these pests:

• Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets--just wipe on and go. This is great for babies.

• Supplement with one vitamin B-1 tablet a day from April through October. Add 100 mg of B-1 to a B-100 Complex daily during the mosquito season.

• Don't eat bananas during mosquito season--mosquitoes love bananas! There is something about how your body processes the banana oil that attracts these female sugar-loving insects.

• One of the best natural insect repellents is Vick's Vaporub®.

• Planting marigolds around your yard works great as a bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs do not like. This is a great way to ward off mosquitoes without using chemical insecticides.

• Campers agree that the very best mosquito repellant is Avon Skin-So-Soft® bath oil mixed half and half with rubbing alcohol.

• One of the best natural insect repellants we use in Texas is made from the clear liquid vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It is reported to work great for mosquitoes and ticks, and spreading a little vanilla mixed with olive oil on your skin smells great.

• Commercial mosquito dunks will kill mosquito larvae before they become mosquitoes. There are fairly environmentally sound biological mosquito controls containing no toxic chemicals. Each dunk affectively treats up to 100 square feet of surface water regardless of depth for about 30 days. Dunks may be broken into smaller pieces to treat small areas. Unused and dried out dunks retain their potency indefinitely, so you can store extras for the long summer season. Put them in fountains, ponds, rain gutters, flowerpot trays, and anywhere water may pool.

• Citronella soap is a product that started in the Bahamas and Belize. The soaps are made with olive oil for moisture and great lather, Aloe Vera to soothe the skin, and citronella oil to repel mosquitoes. For high intensity protection you can burn citronella incense. Mosquitoes avoid citronella and they hate the smoke.

• Citronella essential oil (Java Citronella) is considered to be the highest quality citronella on the market. It is a safe mosquito repellent.

• Electronic repellents utilize one to two sound frequencies to simulate dragonflies and other male mosquitoes, creating a competitive environment for the blood-sucking female. These devices come with Velcro bands for wearing on your wrist or ankle, or on your pocket or belt.

• When all else fails--get a frog!

Avoid using DEET if at all possible. One study found that DEET causes diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats, and researchers suggest that humans may experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath with heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides.

In the event that you choose to use DEET, although I strongly recommend against it, do not use the products on infants and be very wary of using them on children at all (at least make sure products for children contain 15 percent or less DEET

• Avoid prolonged and excessive use of DEET. Use sparingly to cover exposed skin; do not treat unexposed skin.

• Do not apply directly on face.

• Wash treated skin and clothing after returning indoors.

Janet Starr Hull's Healthy Newsletter May 2003