Are there Mosquitoes where you live? If so, how do you cope with their biting?

Question

I use a mosquito net to sleep at night, don't go most nights, stay in after 6pm. (Mosquitoes can't come in if I don't open the doors.) Screened windows. Sometimes I zap them with bug spray.
(Gambia here, where Malaria is a high risk.)

Answer 1

Oh Yes! I do sympathise, as the little blighters drive me crazy here. Thankfully Malaria isn't a risk, but the irritation of their bites is bad enough. They won't strike for another month here in Turkey, but we do have a net to sleep under this year, due to all the broken nights of sleep last summer. We also have screened doors & windows, not only to keep the mosquitos out, but also the lizards and various other bugs that try to dive in the moment the door is open. We also have fly spray and an old fashioned fly swatter, plus one of those Raid plug-in repellents! The only problem with those is that you have to keep an internal door open, as the the smell doesn't kill them, it merely drives them from the room, so they need to be able to get out! If I venture outdoors on a Summer night I always use a mosquito repellent on any bare skin, and wear light coloured clothes, as mozzies are attracted to dark clothing. Never wear perfume on summer nights, although the darn things are also attracted to the smell left on our clothing by fabric softeners, plus hair spray, body lotion, etc., so if you use unscented, that could help. Some people have installed those electric light 'traps' on their verandas - they give off a blue light and the insects are attracted to them, and 'frizzle' when they fly into them. In addition, the council send a vehicle around once a night that blows some sort of chemical cloud into the air - this kills all the insects around at that time, but is pretty ineffective, as more are waiting in the wings! And ON the wing!:) Good luck and do visit the websites below; the first is quite humourous and the second gives a list of all the natural oils that repel the blighters, if you don't like using the regular repellents on your skin. (Have to add that they rarely bite my husband, yet he never uses a repellent, neither does he eat more garlic than I do!!).

Answer 2

Protect areas of the body that have a thin skin such as the ankles with a roll on repellent the one,s with high levels of deet are the best ,be sure that your net has recently been soaked in a repellent solution.Use plug in mosquito killers,i have found the baygon one,s are the best(or coils failing that) don,t use these just when you see the mosquitoes use all the time, especially at dust and dawn.Put screens on your windows.But in my experience the number 1 thing to do is make sure your surrounding land is clean,cut back high weeds or grass,check there,s no stagnant water around in jars,tyres or up facing coconuts as this is where they breed.In my experience i found in the Philippines that after the first couples of months the mosquitoes did,nt brother me so much anymore and i think that was down to cleaning the surrounding areas.Good luck!

Oh i forgot eat as much garlic as possible they don,t the smell of it as you sweat,also planting certain trees will help, in the Philippines people plant nymph trees to discourage them.

Answer 3

No we have no mosquitoes here in Yorkshire thank goodness, I hate the things when I go abroad on holidays, I use Avon skin so soft oil spray on my body after my shower in the evening as it really does help to keep those pesky little horrors at bay from your body, I also try not to eat anything sweet for a few weeks before I go away and whilst I'm there as mossies love the sweetness in your blood, so far not been bitten by any so fingers crossed I never do either, keep zapping girl and don't let them get you, good luck.

Answer 4

Mosquitos by me also. Spray on me, if I am going to be outside any length of time, also I dont wear any perfumes which supposedly attract them. Keep the grass cut near the house, screens on windows and keep an eye out for any shallow water type containers that they can breed in.

Answer 5

just try to ignore it although thats not the best method. just put toothpaste or some cream on it and do something else like play a fav game or watch something distracting. its better to prevent the bites so put up mosquito nets and spray around the room with baygon or something.

Answer 6

I'm in India and we have mosquitoes only in rainy season - luckily where I live it's dry and summer most part of the year - mosquitoes can't survive in extreme dry conditions

Answer 7

Not only do we have huge mosquitos I'm allergic. I take 1000mg of crystaline thiamine daily and it gives off a scent through the pores (humans can't smell it) that repels the nasty buggers.

Answer 8

Wow. Alright. Yeah, In the Philippines, malaria is one of the populare diseases here. Just call the exterminator!

Answer 9

We have them in Oklahoma, but they are just a pest, and not health threat so much. We continue to go outside in the evenings. the bites are far enough between that we don't worry much about them.

On the other hand, I have a mayfly that is buzzing around me. A big one too.

Answer 10

We screened the doors and windows. lt's still good prevention so they won't come in. lt's summer here so we use the electric fan all the time. lt drives the mosquitoes away.
Nymph tree drives them away too and other not-so-good smelling plants.