What causes mosquitoes to bite some people more than others in Evansville, Indiana?
Mosquitoes are carriers of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. These diseases are rampant in many parts of the world, including Indiana. An understanding of how mosquitoes find their victims is important for people who live in these areas to protect themselves from disease.
Mosquito bites can be prevented by wearing long sleeves or pants when outdoors, using insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin and avoiding outdoor activity at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes prefer to feed.
What are mosquitoes and what diseases do they carry
Mosquitoes are small, flying insects that are found all over the world. They are attracted to people because of their body heat, the carbon dioxide they emit and their scent. Mosquitoes can carry a number of diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. These diseases are rampant in many parts of the world, including Indiana. An understanding of how mosquitoes find their victims is important for people who live in these areas to protect themselves from disease.
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on the planet. They spread diseases to millions of people, which many times leads to death. According to World Health Organization statistics, mosquito bites cause 500 million cases of malaria and approximately two million deaths every year. Dengue fever infects between 50 and 100 million people a year and results in 25,000 deaths.
How to prevent mosquito bites
Mosquitoes are attracted to people because of their body heat, the carbon dioxide they emit and their scent. Some people produce more of these attractants than others, which is why mosquitoes are more likely to bite some people over others. There are a number of things you can do to make yourself less attractive to mosquitoes, such as wearing insect repellent and avoiding areas where there are a lot of them.
Top ten ways to lower the number of mosquitoes in your yard
1. Eliminate adult mosquitoes on your property by removing any standing water.
2. Maintain natural areas in your yard so they are not overgrown, which makes it easier for the larvae to survive their larval stage.
3. Make sure you have a proper balance of trees, shrubs and grasses in your yard.
4. Keep your grass cut low.
5. Change the water in bird baths and pet bowls every couple of days to prevent mosquitoes from breeding there.
6. If you have a pond on your property, install an aerator that is designed to break up the surface of the water so oxygen can get into it and larvae will not survive.
7. Install screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your house, if possible.
8. Add garlic to pots around the home and yard to repel the insects.
9. Hang up nets in areas where you spend a lot of time outside, such as porches and patios, to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside.
10. Plant a variety of flowering plants in your yard to attract other insects that will help get rid of mosquitoes.
So what causes mosquitoes to bite some people more than others?
The main culprit is body heat, carbon dioxide and sweat. Mosquitoes use their sense of smell to find a victim. When they fly close to you, they use drones on their antennae that pick up the different chemicals in your scent – lactic acid, uric acid – that make humans unique from other animals. Then they go towards the highest concentration. They also use a technique called thermal imaging, in which they identify the heat coming off your body and follow it.
Mosquitoes can sense these smells from up to 40 meters away. A person may have all three of these factors working against them, but some people tend to attract more mosquitoes than others because of their genetic makeup.
As mentioned, mosquitoes can smell carbon dioxide and other chemicals on your body. While the chemical makeup of these odors is different for each person, some people naturally emit more of these attractants than others. This includes people who produce more lactic acid, uric acid and carbon dioxide than others.
Mosquitoes are small, flying insects that can carry a number of diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. These diseases are rampant in many parts of the world, including Indiana. An understanding of how mosquitoes find their victims is important for people who live in these areas to protect themselves from disease.
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on the planet and they spread diseases to millions of people each year. There are a number of things you can do to prevent mosquito bites, including wearing insect repellent and avoiding areas where there are a lot of them. Tips for how to get rid of mosquitoes in your home or yard include eliminating standing water, maintaining natural areas in your yard and keeping your grass cut low.
If you are concerned about the number of mosquitoes in your yard call or text Yikes Pest Control and set up a time for you to have your Southern Indiana yard treated.
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