Released August 24, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. – When school starts again or Labor Day closes the swimming pool, most people stop worrying about mosquitoes. But, late summer and early fall are when Culex mosquitoes transmit most of the year’s cases of West Nile virus, according to a Kansas State University entomologist.
“Culex mosquitoes have been building populations since spring. Along the way, some may have picked up diseases to carry. Besides, mosquitoes simply function best at about 80 degrees – the usual temperatures for this time of year,” said Ludek Zurek, public health entomologist with K-State Research and Extension.
The best way to avoid mosquito bites at any time may be to dress like a beekeeper, he said. Long, loose, light-colored garb – including gloves and netted hat -- are the most-recommended cover for visitors to salt marshes and other mosquito-rich environments.
In most places, however, a mix of less extreme defenses is more practical. Zurek listed the following as proven ways to help reduce or avoid exposure and/or to repel hungry mosquitoes:
- Avoid being outdoors (unprotected) during dawn, dusk or days when skies are overcast.
“Mosquitoes can’t handle hot, direct sunlight for very long,” Zurek said. “Of course, many of their preferred animal hosts tend to come out of hiding at dawn and dusk, too.”
- Head into the wind. Or, create wind with outdoor fans.
“Mosquitoes are actually fairly fragile. A stiff breeze will send them looking for cover,” he said.
- Expect mosquitoes if you’re outdoors and sweating and/or breathing hard.
“Perspiration and the carbon dioxide you exhale are mosquito attractants,” the entomologist said. “Some evidence suggests dark clothing is a visual cue for the pests. Personal ‘products’ originating from bacteria on people’s skin can be attractive, too.”
- Until temperatures are averaging below 50 degrees, female mosquitoes will still be laying eggs in stagnant water. So, allow no outdoor water to stand for more than six days. Remove such “accidental” rain collectors as bottle caps, toys and tires. Empty and refill dog bowls, birdbaths, wading pools and the like. Fill in yard depressions. Don’t allow water to collect in gutters, tarps or plant container saucers.
“Eliminating breeding sites can be particularly important in places such as Kansas. Our primary disease-carrying mosquito species rarely range very far from where they were born,” Zurek said.
- Make sure screens are “bug tight.”
- Wear long sleeves and pants when possible.
- Follow label directions and apply a mosquito repellent. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the most effective products have DEET or Picaridin as their active ingredient.
The American Association of Pediatrics and the CDC both state children will get the best protection from a 30 percent DEET solution, applied by an adult to all exposed skin except the children’s hands, mouth area and eyes.
But, for infants less than two months old, the best protection is simple mosquito netting, draped over their carrier or stroller, Zurek warned.
“Some stores also carry products that contain permethrin. They’re not for use on skin, but can be quite effective on clothing, shoes, bed netting and camping gear,” he said. “You pre-apply permethrin and let it dry before using treated items. That way, the ingredient won’t accidentally offset onto your skin.”
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Source: Ludek Zurek, 785-4731, lzurek@ksu.edu
Editor: Kathleen Ward, kward@ksu.edu
