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Related Article:
“How
to Protect Yourself and Yours Kids from West Nile Virus,”
by Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach
TAKE THE MOSQUITO-BAIT QUIZ:
Who is most likely to get bit by mosquitoes?
a.Tom, who goes jogging at dawn in his shorts and tank top.
b.Mary, who sprays her hair, puts on deodorant, perfume,
sunscreen, and her sharp-but-scanty black patio dress, and
heads for a late afternoon lawn party, ready to party into
the night.
c.Harry, who is into fixing cars but not into house and yard
maintenance. His country acreage features discarded tires,
weeds and dense shrubs, old window screens he’s never
replaced, and a stagnant fish pond.
d.Neil, who sweats profusely and likes to wear white linen
shorts and shirts with his Birkenstocks when sitting out
back at dusk.
e.Billy, age 4, who gets up at 6 a.m., eats a quick banana
and then heads outside to play in the mud puddles on the
patio.
f.Ken’s cookout guests who gather around the barbecue at
dusk after a brisk game of volleyball, eating potato chips
and peanuts while he cranks up the fire for hamburgers.
The answer: All of the above.
As the summer escalates, it’s important to protect
yourself and your children from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes
carry viruses – encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever, and
now West Nile – and the collective amount of virus builds
as the summer progresses.
INSECT REPELLANT
You’re probably leery of insect repellants, especially
DEET, so I offer other suggestions. Do consider its use in
extreme situations. I haven’t hesitated to use it when in
the Caribbean (dengue fever) or St. Petersburg (built on a
drained swamp), just as I got my immunizations up-to-date
for travel in these countries. (Diphtheria outbreak in
Moscow.)
I don’t use insect repellants at home in the US, except
when visiting my friends whose yard is a mosquito-breeding
haven, and whose children lure me outside at dawn and dusk.
If you use insect repellant, be aware that the following
things will dilute its effectiveness: rain, perspiration,
swimming, many sunscreens, evaporation from wind or high
temperatures, and absorption into the skin.
When applying, especially to children, read the instructions
carefully, and follow them. This applies to both application
and storage.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
1. Clean up your yard!
Mosquitoes breed in standing water, which requires a
container. Eliminate anything around your yard that supplies
a container for water – tires (the number one breeding
site for mosquitoes in the US!), children’s toys and play
equipment, dishes left out, plant containers, dog water
dishes, bird baths and water gardens that don’t have
circulating water. Eliminate weeds, shrubs and tall grass;
that’s where the adults like to hide.
2.Stay inside at dawn and dusk, especially when the air is
calm.
This is the favorite time for the females, the biter.
3.Mosquitoes love carbon dioxide (CO2) and lactic acid.
According to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. (chemistry), we
emit more CO2 when we’re hot and after we’ve been
exercising. Burning candles and fires also emit CO2. We emit
more lactic acid when we’ve been exercising, and after
having eaten salty foods or foods high in potassium.
4.Wear light, loose clothing that covers the body.
Mosquitoes prefer dark clothes. Mosquitoes prefer certain
skin temperatures, often our hands and feet, because
they’re cooler, so wear socks and shoes.
5.Mosquitoes are worse in urban areas.
Chicago, Detroit and Boston have been high on the list. This
is mainly because there are more people and also more
discarded tires.
6.Mosquitoes are attracted to floral and fruity scents, and
sweat.
The moisture and chemical mix of human perspiration is a big
lure. Obviously don’t wear perfume, but consider as well:
sunscreen, suntan lotion, deodorant, hair spray, and the use
of fabric softener on your clothing.
7.Mosquitoes appear to be repelled by some natural oils.
Citronella, castor, rosemary, lemongrass, cedar, peppermint,
clove, and geranium. Bear in mind that “natural”
doesn’t always mean “safe,” and individuals have
different reactions to these natural oils.
8.Don’t let them get into your house; they’re just as
happy to bite you inside as out.
Get screens up and keep them repaired, when you leave the
house, open and close doors quickly, and educate your
children about keeping doors closed.
9.Insect repellers bring mixed reviews, but here are two
that appear to work well:
(1) Mosquito Dunks, which kill them before they’re big
enough to bite, available at: http://www2.yardiac.com
(2) Mosquito magnet ® which “mimics a human by emitting a
plume of carbon dioxide, heat and moisture, and a
short-range attractant, octenol, which is irresistible to
female mosquitoes,” available here: http://www.funbackyard.com
.
10.The most susceptible populations to any virus, including
West Nile, are children, seniors and anyone with a
compromised immune system.
|
| About
the Author |
©Susan
Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . I offer
coaching, Internet courses, teleclasses and ebooks around
emotional intelligence. I train and certify EQ coaches.
Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for information on this fast,
affordable, comprehensive program with no residency
requirements. For FREE EQ ezine, email me and put
“ezine” for subject line.
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