What is an Insect Repellent?
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects (most often mosquitoes) from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products on the market that use sound, often ultrasound, to ward off insects. However, based on studies conducted by the EPA and several universities, these devices have been shown not to be effective against mosquitoes.
How do repellents work?
Female mosquitoes need blood to insure their eggs develop properly. After landing on and biting into the skin, the female releases her saliva into the biting area. The saliva contains substances that prevent the blood from clotting so that the mosquito can more easily draw in blood. Unfortunately for humans, the saliva can cause an allergic reaction or worse contain deadly organisms, such as West Nile, malaria, and bubonic plague. Although diseases are typically spread by mosquitoes, both flies and fleas can get in on the act as well.
Female mosquitoes are attracted to a variety of €things€ on skin, such as odor, moisture, warmth, and carbon dioxide. Some people seem to be more €attractive€ than others. Insect repellents work by creating a barrier that has an unpleasant taste or smell to insects. It should be noted that insect repellents €repel€ but do not kill insects.
When should insect repellents be used?
Anytime you are going to be outside for an extended period of time, you should consider using a repellent. Keep in mind that mosquitoes not only bite at night, but also during the day in many parts of the country. Wearing a repellent is especially important if you tend to have an allergic reaction to bites or are in an area that is on alert for viruses, such as West Nile, that can be transmitted by mosquitoes. Covering as much of your exposed skin as possible also reduces your chances of coming in contact with insects.
Be sure to read the label of a repellent to make sure it does not contain any ingredients that you are allergic to. While there are repellents that contain €natural€ ingredients, such as citronella or lemon, studies indicate that they are not as effective or are as long-lasting as man-made chemicals are. Any insect repellent should be used sparingly during the day and special care should be exercised if the recipient is under 6 years old or pregnant.
How does a repellent work?
To prevent the female mosquitoes from landing on our bare skin to suck blood, we have to apply chemicals on the skin to make it unattractive for the mosquito. Repellents do not kill mosquitoes!
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects (most often mosquitoes) from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products on the market that use sound, often ultrasound, to ward off insects. However, based on studies conducted by the EPA and several universities, these devices have been shown not to be effective against mosquitoes.
How do repellents work?
Female mosquitoes need blood to insure their eggs develop properly. After landing on and biting into the skin, the female releases her saliva into the biting area. The saliva contains substances that prevent the blood from clotting so that the mosquito can more easily draw in blood. Unfortunately for humans, the saliva can cause an allergic reaction or worse contain deadly organisms, such as West Nile, malaria, and bubonic plague. Although diseases are typically spread by mosquitoes, both flies and fleas can get in on the act as well.
Female mosquitoes are attracted to a variety of €things€ on skin, such as odor, moisture, warmth, and carbon dioxide. Some people seem to be more €attractive€ than others. Insect repellents work by creating a barrier that has an unpleasant taste or smell to insects. It should be noted that insect repellents €repel€ but do not kill insects.
When should insect repellents be used?
Anytime you are going to be outside for an extended period of time, you should consider using a repellent. Keep in mind that mosquitoes not only bite at night, but also during the day in many parts of the country. Wearing a repellent is especially important if you tend to have an allergic reaction to bites or are in an area that is on alert for viruses, such as West Nile, that can be transmitted by mosquitoes. Covering as much of your exposed skin as possible also reduces your chances of coming in contact with insects.
Be sure to read the label of a repellent to make sure it does not contain any ingredients that you are allergic to. While there are repellents that contain €natural€ ingredients, such as citronella or lemon, studies indicate that they are not as effective or are as long-lasting as man-made chemicals are. Any insect repellent should be used sparingly during the day and special care should be exercised if the recipient is under 6 years old or pregnant.
How does a repellent work?
To prevent the female mosquitoes from landing on our bare skin to suck blood, we have to apply chemicals on the skin to make it unattractive for the mosquito. Repellents do not kill mosquitoes!