MOSQUITO BITE PREVENTATIVES

Mosquito bite preventatives are on everyone's holiday packing list at some time or other. There are many different types of biting insects and they can cause real discomfort for many people and illness in others. Over 700 million people fall ill from insect bites each year and malaria kills almost 3 million people every year.

In Europe alone there are sand flies, midges, mosquitoes, horse flies and many other insects that can sting and bite. There are more than 2000 different types of mosquito alone. The sand fly is commonly called the 'no see ums', because of the fact they travel in packs of thousands but still cannot be seen by the naked eye.

The most popular mosquito bite preventatives are deet, picaridin, citronella and Avon skin so soft dry skin spray.
 
Why are some people bitten by mosquitoes more than others?

We do not exactly know the reason why some people get bitten and some don't as mosquitoes are drawn to exhaled carbon dioxide, and we all do that. They are attracted by various odours such as perfume, perspiration and detergents, so if we perspire more, use perfumed toiletries and soaps and highly scented detergents we are most at risk from bites. Dark and bright colours absorb heat and lighter colours reflect heat, so neutrals, whites and khakis are better clothes to be wearing.

Although covering up is better, there are some biting insects that can bite through clothes and sand flies can get through mosquito nets. Some people may be bitten and because their skin doesn't react to the bite they don't realise they have been bitten.
 
  Mosquitoes are a danger in the tropics and the female anopheles mosquito can give you malaria and yellow fever. Female mosquitoes need to suck blood because the protein in the blood matures their eggs which they lay on the water.

Deer and horse flies attack humans as well. You are most at risk from horse flies during warm weather and they are most active at dawn and dusk. They are so used to injecting into the tough hides of animals and do not lessen the punch when attacking soft human skin so the bite is felt unlike mosquitoes when the itch is felt first.Most common is the black horse fly but there are smaller greenheads and smaller still multicoloured deer flies. The bites from these flies are itchy and painful and can grown into a large swelling if you have an allergy to them.

Sand flies live on our beaches and in country areas where the is a river or stream. They attack during the day but are particularly bad at dawn and dusk. They travel in swarms of thousands, and because they cannot be seen they are commonly called 'no see ums'. They are able to get through window fly screens and mosquito nets and their multiple bites appear as a very itchy red rash on the skin.

If you are looking for mosquito bite preventatives, the following links may also be of interest to you:

 

There are many medications available to prevent insect bites.

Deet:

Deet comes in different strengths from 10% to a whopping 100% deet. It comes in sprays, wipes, creams and lotions. The 100% deet is vital if you are travelling to an area where your life may be at risk from bites. But you should be careful and read the instructions as the 100% deet has restrictions for it's use.

Citronella:

Citronella oil can be used on the skin when used with a carrier oil like any other essential oil, never neat. Lavender and rosemary oil are good too and a better preventative can be made if the three oils are mixed together. The quantity of each will be shown on the packaging.

Avon skin so soft dry oil spray:

This Avon product contains citronella and is recommended as an insect bite preventative.  It was used by Mel Gibson when filming Braveheart, in the jungle by I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here TV contestants and by film crews and the Royal Marines in Faslane Nuclear base on Scotland's west coast.

Picaridin:

Avon have just brought out a new Skin so soft Insect Guard containing Picaridin commonly called or KBR3023 or Bayrepel as an alternative to deet.

 

If you are unlucky enough to get bitten there are antihistamine tablets and creams, hydrocortisone creams and various other medications available from your chemist.

 
Try searching on the Internet for "mosquito bite preventatives" and you will be amazed just how many pages are on offer. Try it for yourself by hitting the search button below!