Some people naturally attract more mosquitoes to themselves than others, and so far, science does not have an answer as to why this is the case. However, there are some solutions to this problem. One of them is wearing the right clothes. So let’s take a look at the summer clothes that you can comfortably wear while protecting yourself from mosquito bites.
Looseness, coloration and coverage
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain things that are within a person’s control, and one of them is coloration. As it turns out, these insects are attracted to darker colors and busy patterns, so if you go with light-colored, monotone clothing, you can lower the odds of a bite. You can then further reduce the odds of a bite by not wearing tight clothing. Some materials will actually allow mosquitoes to bite through, and since they are tight on the skin, the bite will be successful. To avoid this, you can wear looser clothes. As an extra measure of protection, you can wear clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible, such as long pants or long-sleeved shirts. Of course, that’s easier said than done during summer.
Repellents
To start, you should avoid heavily scented perfume, lotion or cologne, because they will actually attract mosquitoes. Then you can start to look at some repellents. There are many EPA-approved insect repellents, and you want to find one that contains at least 20% DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
You can use the EPA’s search tool to find the best product for you. This tool allows you to look for a variety of factors when choosing, from the duration that the product will protect you from bites, to the active ingredient and others.
Make sure that you read the product label in order to use it safely and effectively. Most insect repellents can and should be applied over sunscreen, and they will need to be reapplied according to the specifications on the label.
If you do not like the idea of putting insecticides on your skin, you can go with permethrin treated clothing, which is also very effective at repelling both mosquitoes and ticks.
Sometimes however, you can take a different route. If you have a lot of mosquitoes on your property, you can hire a pest control specialist who will locate the mosquito nest and remove it, thus greatly reducing mosquito numbers in the area. Contact us today for more information.
