For Yakima County mosquitoes, some people must taste better than others. It is true, after all, that mosquitoes seek out certain things. They have favorite hiding places, favorite mating places, and favorite types of foods. They have favorite blood types, and they have favorite colors. Trying to put an exact reason for a mosquito's behavior is no easy task. There are a plethora of factors that range from body hair to diets that might influence a mosquito's choice of victim. So before we discuss which folks seem the yummiest to mosquitoes, let's first explore what all mosquitoes hate and why this information is so important.
What All Mosquitoes Hate
Certain factors make many mosquitoes less likely to bite. Some include:
- Pants and long sleeve shirts
- CDC approved repellents
- Screen doors and windows
- Properties treated by professional pest control methods to prevent and control mosquito populations
Even if you are not a mosquito's first choice in food, the only guarantee for reducing your mosquito population involves careful and thoughtful exclusion methods. Exclusion can be achieved through mechanical or chemical barriers. Barring exclusion, the only way to stay safe is to make sure mosquitoes can't reach your skin. The use of appropriate repellents combined with long-sleeve pants and shirts are some day-to-day ways to protect yourself from biting mosquitoes.
Mosquito bites are annoying and uncomfortable, but they are also extremely dangerous. That is why it's beneficial to make yourself less attractive to these insects.
The Best Methods Of Repelling Mosquitoes
There are many ways people try to prevent mosquito bites. Many of them are over-the-counter gimmicks that may not work. That said, according to the CDC, approved repellents should contain one or more of the following ingredients:
- 2-Undecanone
- DEET
- IR3535
- (PMD) Para-menthane-diol
- Picaridin
- (OLE) Oil of lemon eucalyptus
Mosquitoes are aquatic insects that spend their adult lives sucking blood and sometimes spreading diseases. Because they are aquatic, they are found in greater numbers in wetter places.
As adults, they fly from victim to victim in a non-stop search for blood. They carry a smorgasbord of viruses, parasites, and pathogens; many of which have no known cures. Mosquitoes transmit everything from typhoid fever to different types of meningitis.
In certain situations, they even carry smaller parasites like Dirofilaria repens, a sub-dermal worm that, once under the skin, grows and consumes its human victims from the inside.
These are all reasons why mosquitoes are the single most dangerous animal on the planet.
The Risk Of Diseases Can Vary
Mosquitoes in the United States can carry several diseases including dengue fever, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and La Crosse encephalitis. The risk of contracting a mosquito-borne illness depends on other factors like population density, whether or not there is an active seasonal flu in the area, and if there are infected rodents and other animals nearby that mosquitoes are also feeding on. But even a perfectly healthy mosquito leaves an itchy welt on our skin. There's just no good type of mosquito bite.
Mosquitoes Are Particularly Attracted To:
- Certain people are favored by mosquitoes. The following is to give you a better idea of what kind of people and what kind of situations mosquitoes prefer. Just remember this: even if you are not listed below, that doesn’t mean a hungry mosquito will turn its nose up at you. Unless you take the appropriate measures to avoid mosquito bites, you are at risk too. Still, here is the list of what mosquitoes prefer:
- Pregnant women
- People with type O blood
- People with some blood alcohol content
- People wearing dark-colored clothes
- People who are exercising and breathing heavily
- People who are walking dogs
Anything you might do to increase your CO2 output will attract mosquitoes. They have their preferences, but they aren't very picky when they get hungry. They'll feed on anything and anybody that they can sink their proboscis into. Avoiding them and creating barriers between them and your skin is the best way to avoid a mosquito bite. You can't do anything about your blood type, but a good repellent and brightly colored pants and a long-sleeved shirt can help keep mosquitoes off of anyone.
Regardless of the precautions you may take to avoid mosquitoes, it often just isn't enough. For those of you who experience mosquito populations on your property, there is help. We've been dealing with mosquitoes for a long time. If you own or rent property in Yakima County and are looking for more advice or mosquito control assistance, don't hesitate to contact the professionals at Prosite.