As the climate warms, the summer mosquito season is lasting longer in many areas.
Mosquitoes bring itchy bites and the risk of diseases like West Nile virus, so it’s important to know how to keep them away from you.
But Jean Ponzi of the Missouri Botanical Garden says many people misunderstand what attracts mosquitoes.
Ponzi: “People say, ‘Well, I think it’s my blood type. Well, I think it’s because I’m such a sweet person.’”
In reality, mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, which we breathe out, chemicals produced on people’s skin, and certain fragrances and colors.
So she suggests that in addition to wearing mosquito repellent, people limit perfume and fabric scents and wear light-colored, loose clothing.
Ponzi: “When you have loose clothing on, it’s harder for that female mosquito to get her proboscis through the fabric to your skin to take a blood meal.”
Ponzi also says that while spraying yards can kill adult mosquitoes, it won’t prevent eggs from hatching, and it harms other insects.
Instead, she recommends people dump out any standing water, which is where mosquitoes lay their eggs, or treat that water with mosquito dunks – pellets with bacteria that can kill mosquito larvae.
These precautions can help people stay safe, even as the climate warms.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
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