Nothing can put the dampers on outdoors family fun faster than a cloud of hungry mosquitoes. Whether on a camping trip, a picnic in the park, or a backyard cookout, when the uninvited needle-nosed guests arrive, the fun goes awry.
After all, it’s pretty difficult to enjoy yourself when you’re busy slapping away the little bloodsuckers. And when the welts start rising and the itching commences, everyone is miserable. Whatever fun festivity was in progress morphs into a free-for-all scramble for shelter.
It’s no wonder that our ancestors resorted to coating themselves with rancid animal grease and huddling close to smoky fires in an attempt to escape the tiny tormentors. Mosquitoes can truly have a significant impact upon our enjoyment of life.
But that’s not the worst of it.
When Mosquitoes Crash the Party…
When the family fun has been ruined by party-crashing skeeters, everyone’s likely to feel out-of-sorts. And everybody will be scratching their itching welts for a while, too (except for those wise enough to heed Mama’s sage advise about not scratching).
For most, the welts will disappear, the itching will go away, and the disappointment about the ruined festivities will soon fade.
But for an unfortunate few, the aftereffects of a mosquito attack will last the remainder of their lives. And for some, it will mean the end of life.
Mosquitoes Represent One of the Most Significant Threats to Human Health
Malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis – these are just some of the diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Half a billion people every year are stricken with mosquito-borne illnesses, resulting in millions of deaths.
And though some of these diseases are far more prevalent in tropical climes, temperate regions of the world are also host to a number of mosquito-borne diseases – many of which are on the rise.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Puerto Rico experienced its largest outbreak in history of dengue fever in 2010. And in the same year, Florida reported cases of dengue for the first time in 75 years. In only 10 years, West Nile virus has gone from a few reported cases in the Eastern U.S. to verified cases reported in nearly every state.
There Are Many Weapons Available for Fighting Mosquitoes
From repellents, to traps, to organic sprays, there are many weapons available for fighting mosquitoes. DEET is the most effective personal repellent. But there are also natural mosquito repellents that are at least somewhat effective. There are high-tech traps that will lure mosquitoes to their deaths 24 hours a day, and set-and-forget sprayers that will automatically kill mosquitoes with natural insecticides.
There’s even a portable device that will maintain a mosquito-repelling force field around you wherever you go.
Considering that mosquito-borne diseases are one of the most significant health threats faced by mankind, it’s worth spending some time to learn about the best and safest methods of controlling mosquitoes. You’ll minimize the risk to your family, and maximize your peace-of-mind.
You might even be able to enjoy outdoor activities again without your personal blood bank being plundered by vampiric party crashers!
Visit the author’s website: mosquito-slap.com, to learn more about the mosquito and the safest and most effective of modern mosquito control products and repellents.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to
Mosquito bites are really dangerous especially to kids. A lot of people young and old died due to dengue fever.