Mosquito bites can be annoying and uncomfortable. Even if you’re not particularly allergic to them, a mosquito bite will itch for hours on end. The worst part is that mosquitoes tend to love humid environments and are most active at twilight or during the night. This makes it difficult to avoid them unless you lock yourself in your home all day long. Mosquitoes typically feed on the blood of mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, and other reptiles as adults and larvae. They prefer humans over any other animal because we are their favorite source of food. Given this fact, it’s not surprising that getting bitten by mosquitoes is a common occurrence for so many people. If you want to know more about how to prevent mosquito bites, keep reading this article!
Can Mosquitoes Bite Through Clothes?
No, mosquitoes can’t bite through clothes. Because of the fine mesh threads in clothes, mosquitoes can’t bite through the cloth and puncture your skin. However, the clothing may still provide an attractive resting place for the disease-carrying insects. Instead of buzzing around your head, they rest on your shoulders or in your pants pockets. This makes it easier for them to sting you when you finally remove your jacket or peel off your sweater.
How Do Mosquitoes Find Their Prey?
1. They Scent Their Prey
Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that we exhale and the carbon dioxide in our breath, which they use as a scent to locate us. This is why they prefer to rest on our shoulders or in our pockets.
2. They Follow Our Body Heat
Mosquitoes are attracted to the heat that we emit and perceive as a source of food or drink. Since they can’t see us, they follow our body heat instead of relying on sight or smell. This is one reason why it is harder for them to find prey when you’re wearing dark clothing or when you’re moving around quickly. However, since mosquitoes are naturally nocturnal, they can find you at night when you’re asleep!
3. They Watch for Movement
As mentioned above, mosquitoes are attracted by body heat and movement. It is common for people who spend their lives in tropical climates to suffer from mosquito bites year-round because their bodies release more heat than those who live in more temperate climates do. Some scientists believe that humans produce more body heat than other animals because of the extra blood coursing through our veins. The mosquitoes have adapted special sensors called maxillipeds on their front legs that allow them to detect even minute changes in temperature and movement caused by these body temperature fluctuations! These sensors also allow them to detect human sweat which causes a distinctive smell unique to human beings.
4. They Watch for Human Food
In tropical areas, mosquitoes can find their prey by watching for people who leave food out to attract them. This is why it is important to keep your food and drinks covered or stored away from the reach of mosquitoes and other insects. When they see you eating or drinking, they will swoop down on you in search of a blood meal!
5. They Watch for Water Sources
Mosquitoes are attracted to water sources because they can use it to drink and reproduce. Some places that are high in mosquito population include ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. If you’re spending a lot of time outside in these areas, be sure to bring along mosquito repellent when you go out! Also, make sure that your shoes have tight-fitting laces so that you don’t track mosquitos into your house when you enter! You should also keep small containers of water around so that if the small containers are knocked over by children or animals, the mosquitos will have access to water without having to leave their sheltering place in search of a source of water closer to them! This is also why some people choose not to drink from puddles outside because this could be where mosquitos find their prey!
What Can You Do To Prevent Mosquito Bites?
1. Wear Light-colored Clothing
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors. Therefore, you must wear light-colored clothing when going outside in the evening. This way, mosquitos will be less likely to see you and attack you!
2. Use a Mosquito Repellent
Several types of mosquito repellents can be used to keep mosquitoes away from your body: DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta toluamide), picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus! These repellents work by disrupting the odor receptors on mosquitoes’ sensitive noses so that they cannot detect humans or their blood meals! These products are usually applied in the form of sprays or creams and should be applied around the ankles, wrists, neck, and waist areas. Be sure to apply these repellents on your clothing as well as your skin so that no mosquitoes will get close enough to bite you!
3. Wear a Long Sleeve Jacket with a Collar
Mosquitoes are attracted to heat sources such as body heat and movement. It is common for people who spend their lives in tropical climates to suffer from mosquito bites year-round because their bodies release more heat than those who live in more temperate climates do. Some scientists believe that humans produce more body heat than other animals because of the extra blood coursing through our veins. The mosquitoes have adapted special sensors called maxillipeds to detect humans and their blood meals. To avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, you should wear a long-sleeve jacket with a collar to protect your neck and head. This will also keep you cool so that the mosquitos are less likely to target your body heat when they come close to you!
4. Install Mosquito Nets Around Your Home
Several different kinds of mosquito nets can be used around the home: mosquito netting, window screening, mosquito mesh, and insect screens! Mosquito nets can be purchased at hardware stores or online from companies such as Walmart.com or Amazon.com! There are two types of mosquito nets: permanent mosquito nets which are installed around windows and doors for easy access and temporary mosquito nets which are made out of plastic or cloth and can be hung on windows or doors for easy access! Window screens should be used for all openings as well as doors because mosquitoes like to use these areas to enter the house! The best way to prevent mosquitoes from entering these areas is by using window screens which prevent them from getting through the openings!
5. For the Love of God, Spray Your Yard with Insecticide!
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain areas such as dark-colored trees and bushes, fresh water, and stagnant water. If you have a yard with these features in it then you are more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than if you do not have any of these features in your yard! To prevent mosquitos from entering your yard, spray insecticides around the perimeter of your yard so that they cannot find their way into your yard! You can also use mosquito repellent which will keep mosquitos away from the area so that they do not bite you while in your yard! Mosquito repellent should be sprayed around the perimeter of your home and all windows and doors as well as on all ground surfaces inside the house for maximum protection for you and your family!
How To Protect Yourself From Mosquito Bites?
1. Wear a Long-Sleeve Jacket
This will protect you from mosquito bites as well as keep you cool when they come close to you!
2. Avoid Mosquito-Infested Areas
If you do not want to be bitten by mosquitos then try to avoid the areas that they live in! If you are not able to avoid these areas then make sure that you use mosquito repellent or insecticides around your home and yard so that they do not bite you while in these areas!
3. Wear Light-Colored Clothing
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors because they reflect light which makes them easier for them to see and thus more likely to bite a person! Therefore if you wear light-colored clothing then you will be less attractive to mosquitos and therefore less likely to be bitten by them!
4. Don’t Walk Around Where You Don’t Need To
You should avoid going outside in areas where mosquitos are likely to be because this increases the chances that you will get bitten by them!
5. Spray Your Yard with Insecticide
Spraying insecticides around the perimeter of your yard will keep mosquitos away from your yard and prevent them from biting you while in it! This is especially important if it is a warm day because mosquitos are attracted to stagnant water, dark-colored trees and bushes, and freshwater sources for breeding purposes! Spray insecticides around these areas so that mosquitoes do not find their way into your yard! Mosquito repellent should also be used on all ground surfaces inside the house for maximum protection from mosquito bites!
Conclusion
Mosquito bites can be itchy and annoying, especially if they leave a mark or develop into a larger infection. If you’re wondering how to prevent mosquito bites, you should make sure to keep your garden clean of standing water. You could also use natural insect repellents to keep mosquitoes away. To protect yourself from mosquito bites, you could cover your skin and windows with mosquito netting. If you’re wondering how to treat mosquito bites, you could apply ice packs or take over-the-counter medications to ease the itching and pain.
