by Kevin O’Connor
Illnesses from mosquito, tick and flea bites have actually tripled in the U.S. over the last 13 years, according to a new report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were more than 640,000 cases reported between 2004 and 2016. In addition, nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks were discovered during this time in the U.S.
It is the female mosquitoes bite humans. The females need the nutrients in our blood to produce eggs. After a female mosquito bites you she will go off to lay eggs and eventually will be back for more.
An interesting study showed that consuming just 12 ounces of beer makes a person more likely to be bitten by a mosquito.
According to research, mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide from breath, heat from our bodies and the lactic acid that humans secrete. That’s why exercising makes you more attractive to mosquitoes.
Because citronella masks the chemicals that humans secrete that are attractive to mosquitoes, many people burn citronella candles. However, mosquitoes can sense those chemicals in your skin whether or not citronella candles are burning.
The bug sprays proven to be most effective against mosquitoes are those that use diethyltoluamide (DEET), a pesticide geared towards protecting you from all sorts of bugs; use one that contains 50 percent of DEET or less.
Researchers have declared that mosquitoes are most attracted to dark colors, like the large, dark-colored mammals mosquitoes prey upon. So wear light colors, plus loose-fitting clothing to make it more difficult for biting females to reach your skin through the fabric.
“Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—a growing list of diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea—have confronted the U.S. in recent years, making a lot of people sick…,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D.
“The data show that we’re seeing a steady increase and spread of tickborne diseases, and an accelerating trend of mosquito-borne diseases introduced from other parts of the world,” said Lyle Petersen, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
To protect your family from mosquito, tick, and flea bites, obtain a solid service contract with a quality pest control company, such as O’Connor Pest Control with their professional expertise.
