Clothing and aromatics

•Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothes to help prevent mosquitoes from reaching the skin and to retain less heat, making yourself less “attractive” to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark colors.

•When possible, wear long sleeves and long pants.

•Avoid perfumes, colognes, fragrant hair sprays lotions and soaps, which attract mosquitoes.

Repellants

•Follow the label instructions when applying repellents. Permethrin repellents are only for clothes –not for application in the skin.

•When using repellents, avoid contact with the eyes, lips and nasal membranes. Use concentrations of less than 10 percent when applying DEET-contatining products on children.

•Apply DEET repellent on arms, legs and other exposed areas but never under clothing.

•After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.

•Citronella candles and repellents containing citronella can help, but their range is limited. Herbals such as cedar, geranium, pennyroyal, lavender, cinnamon and garlic are not very effective.

Around the home

•Mosquito activity peaks at dusk and again at dawn; restrict outdoor activity during these hours.

•Keep windows and door screens in good condition. Replace porch lights with yellow light bulbs that will attract fewer insects.

•Mosquitoes breed in standing water; empty all water from old tires, cans, jars, buckets, drums, plastic wading pools, toys and other containers.

•Clean clogged gutters.

•Remove the rim from potted plants and replace water in plant/flower vases weekly.

•Replenish pet watering dishes and rinse bird baths twice weekly.

•Fill tree holes and depressions left by fallen trees with dirt or sand.

•Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito fish (ones that eat mosquitoes in their larval and pupae stages) or use larvacidal “doughnuts” which gradually kill mosquitoes.

It is important to do a careful inspeaction around the house to be sure nothing hilds water for longer than three days.