“How to Protect Yourself and Yours Kids from West Nile Virus,” by Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence CoachTAKE THE MOSQUITO-BAIT QUIZ:
Who is most likely to get bit by mosquitoes?
a.Tom, who goes jogging at dawn in his shorts and tank top. b.Mary, who sprays her hair, puts on deodorant, perfume, sunscreen, and her sharp-but-scanty black patio dress, and heads for a late afternoon lawn party, ready to party into
night. c.Harry, who is into fixing cars but not into house and yard maintenance. His country acreage features discarded tires, weeds and dense shrubs, old window screens he’s never replaced, and a stagnant fish pond. d.Neil, who sweats profusely and likes to wear white linen shorts and shirts with his Birkenstocks when sitting out back at dusk. e.Billy, age 4, who gets up at 6 a.m., eats a quick banana and then heads outside to play in mud puddles on patio. f.Ken’s cookout guests who gather around barbecue at dusk after a brisk game of volleyball, eating potato chips and peanuts while he cranks up fire for hamburgers.
The answer: All of above.
As summer escalates, it’s important to protect yourself and your children from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes carry viruses – encephalitis, malaria, dengue fever, and now West Nile – and collective amount of virus builds as summer progresses.
INSECT REPELLANT
You’re probably leery of insect repellants, especially DEET, so I offer other suggestions. Do consider its use in extreme situations. I haven’t hesitated to use it when in Caribbean (dengue fever) or St. Petersburg (built on a drained swamp), just as I got my immunizations up-to-date for travel in these countries. (Diphtheria outbreak in Moscow.)
I don’t use insect repellants at home in US, except when visiting my friends whose yard is a mosquito-breeding haven, and whose children lure me outside at dawn and dusk.
If you use insect repellant, be aware that following things will dilute its effectiveness: rain, perspiration, swimming, many sunscreens, evaporation from wind or high temperatures, and absorption into skin.
When applying, especially to children, read instructions carefully, and follow them. This applies to both application and storage.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
1. Clean up your yard!
Mosquitoes breed in standing water, which requires a container. Eliminate anything around your yard that supplies a container for water – tires (the number one breeding site for mosquitoes in US!), children’s toys and play equipment, dishes left out, plant containers, dog water dishes, bird baths and water gardens that don’t have circulating water. Eliminate weeds, shrubs and tall grass; that’s where adults like to hide.
