Mosquitoes are out Published June 18, 2013 By Tech Sgt. Latisha Bright 20th Medical Group SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- There are more than 50 different species of mosquitoes found in South Carolina. The majority of these species have little impact upon our daily lives. Most mosquitoes prefer to feed on animals other than humans. However, mosquitoes that do feed on humans cannot only cause local skin irritation, but sometimes transmit disease. Mosquitoes transmit diseases such as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Malaria. Because it is difficult to tell different mosquitoes apart and it is impossible to determine if the mosquito that bites you is diseased, the best advice is to avoid being bitten at all! There are basically two ways to prevent problems from mosquito bites: · The first is to control or reduce mosquito populations as much as possible. · The second prevention tool is to avoid being bitten by any remaining adult mosquitoes. It is important to remember that mosquitoes can be controlled in an area, but probably never eliminated. Controlling Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes have four life stages - eggs, larvae, pupae, adults. Since three of the stages (eggs, larvae, pupae) are found in water, eliminating water sources that can breed mosquitoes eliminates the chances of mosquitoes biting, and thus disease transmission. Source reduction includes the following: · Pick up and haul away all trash piles, broken down washing machines, junk cars, bottles and cans, and related items from around houses. · Avoid having open water areas or containers around the house such as puddles, open water tanks, damaged water pipes, tires, etc. that might enable mosquitoes to breed. · Fill tree holes with mortar. · Drill holes in the bottom of tire swings. · Empty or change water in pet dishes, bird baths, horse troughs, etc. at least once a week. · Keep roof gutters clean. · Avoid accumulation of decaying material and garbage in and around the home. · Cover water tanks. · Support natural enemies of insects like birds, frogs, lizards, and fish. · Fix any low spots in the yard that hold water for long-term control. The best mosquito control programs consist of larviciding (killing the baby mosquitoes) and adulticiding (killing the adult mosquitoes). The most effective method is to kill the mosquitoes before they are capable of causing biting nuisances and transmitting diseases to people, pets, and domestic animals. Larvacides: When mosquitoes are in their immature stages, they are concentrated in a relatively small or fixed area (like a captive audience). Larvacides kill before mosquitoes start flying around. It is best to larvicide only areas where standing water cannot be eliminated and in which larvae are actually found. The safest products are the ones that contain Methoprene. Once you have treated the standing water do not allow children to play in the water or drink the water, also keep pets from drinking the water. Physical Barriers: The best mechanism to prevent bites is from "physical" personal protection measure. Such measures that prevent mosquito bites include: · Wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts. · Use of bed nets when sleeping outdoors. · Use of wire gauze screening in windows and doors to avoid invasion of flying insects. · Avoid outdoor activities during peak mosquito biting times -- the hours from dusk to dawn. If you can't remove or avoid mosquitoes, the final safeguard is repellants! One of the most effective mosquito repellants on the market is DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide or N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). DEET is available under many different brand names including Off®, Cutter®, Repel®, and Chase MM®. Follow the guidelines for DEET repellants: · Read and follow instructions on the label to avoid excessive use and over-application. In most circumstances products with 25% - 35% DEET provide adequate protection for adults. · The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 10% DEET for children under 2 years of age. Only apply insect repellents on the outside of your child's clothing and on exposed skin. · Do not allow children to apply DEET repellant themselves, and do not use more than 10% DEET on children under two years of age. · Use just enough repellant to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. · Do not spray DEET directly on the face. Rather, spray repellant onto the hands and use them to apply it to the face, avoiding sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth and nasal membranes. · Do not apply over cuts, wounds, irritated skin, or under clothing. · To find out if you have a reaction to DEET, apply repellant to a small area of an arm or leg before general use. · To prevent damage, avoid spraying repellants on plastic (such as watch crystals and eyeglasses), synthetic fabrics, leather, or painted or varnished surfaces. · Do not spray DEET repellants in enclosed areas. · Upon returning indoors, wash any treated skin with soap and water. · Wash any DEET- treated clothing before wearing them again. Have a fun summer but remember to protect yourself from these pesky pests! If you have any questions please contact the Public Health Office at 895-6193.