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Mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus is a disease carried by birds and may be
transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Most people who become infected with the virus experience
have no symptoms, although the disease could lead to encephalitis.
If you need to talk to a
health professional
Call Telehealth Ontario
1 866-797- 0000 24
hours/day
|
Symptoms of West Nile Encephalitis |
| Most humans infected with
West Nile Virus have no symptoms. A small percentage of individuals infected develop mild symptoms that include fever, headaches, body aches, swollen lymph glands, and a body
rash.
Encephalitis develops in less than 1 percent of infected people, with severe symptoms that include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, paralysis, and coma. If you experience these symptoms, contact a physician or hospital immediately. Occasionally, death can occur if there is severe swelling of the brain tissue. Persons over the age of 50 are most at risk of What is the treatment for West Nile virus infection? Last year alone, the United States recorded more than 4,000 cases of West Nile and 256 deaths from it. |
Now What Can You Do to Help Fight Mosquitoes
and control the West Nile Virus?First Ask the politicians in your region to form a
Mosquito Control Region?
You can run, but - You Can't Hide
Aside from skin chemicals, mosquitoes have other ways of finding you: they can detect both carbon dioxide and lactic acid (produced by muscle metabolism) in your breath. They can also detect infra-red light from your body.Personally you can:
Empty standing water in old tires, cemetery urns, animal watering troughs, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or any other container where mosquito "wrigglers" and "larvae" live.
Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted plant trays at least once a week if not more often.If you have rain barrels or other outdoor containers that must be filled with water, put a few drops of oil on the surface every two or three days.
Larvicides are highly effective in controlling immature mosquitoes and should be considered when standing water cannot be eliminated.
Check for trapped rain water in plastic or canvas tarps used to cover boats, pools, etc. Arrange the tarp to drain the water.
Drain or fill temporary pools with dirt.
Keep swimming pools treated and circulating and rain gutters unclogged.
Use mosquito repellents when necessary and follow label directions and precautions closely.
Use head nets, long sleeves and long pants if you venture into areas with high mosquito populations, such as salt marshes and swamps.
If there is a mosquito-borne disease warning in effect, stay inside during the evening when mosquitoes are most active.Ornamental pools can be aerated or stocked with fish. Swimming pools should be cleaned and chlorinated when not in use.
Make sure window and door screens are "bug tight."Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers and check uncovered junk piles.
Replace your outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights.
Another means of personal protection from biting and flying insects is citronella oil. Citronella oil is a product of several types of plants. It is an effective mosquito repellant in high concentrations, but individual plants do not make enough oil to be effective. Citronella can also be found in candles and torch oil -- both meant to be burned outside.
Many people erect Purple Martin birdhouses or bat houses in the hopes that these animals will eat lots of mosquitoes. While Purple Martins and bats eat huge quantities of insects, unfortunately mosquitoes are not a significant portion of their diet.
Try spraying the area where you are having an outdoor activity like an outdoor BBQ with Mint Listerine just prior to having the activity.
Most experts agree that pesticides are still the best way to control mosquitoes, alternatives do exist. Some are widely used, such as a soil bacteria that acts as a poison to the critters and a hormone mimic that prevents larvae from becoming adults. Others, such as mosquito-eating fish and dragonflies, are used in a few areas.
Home Remedies
Peggy writes in to say:
When the doctor took me off sugar, the mosquitoes wouldn't have anything to do with me, even though they were eating up the people around me.
Here is a quote from http://www.tooelehealth.org/Community_Health/West_Nile_Virus/Questions_And_Answers_About_WNV.html that explains why. "Mosquitoes are drawn to those who eat above average amounts of sugar. They can also detect lactic acid (a chemical produced in the muscles during physical activity). The more physically active you are, the more attracted the critters are to your body."Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets...Best thing ever used in Louisiana - just wipe on & go...Great for Babies
Bob, a fisherman, takes one vitamin B-1 tablet a day April through October. He said it works. He was right. The odor the tablet gives out through your skin (YOU can not smell it) repels mosquitoes, black flies, no-see'ms, and gnats. It does not work on stinging insects. Hasn't had a mosquito bit in 33 years. Try it. Every one he has talked into trying it works on them. Vitamin B-1( Thiamine Hydrochloride 100 mg.)
NPR reports that if you eat bananas, the mosquitoes like you, something about the banana oil as your body processes it. Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitoes will be much less interested.
This is going to floor you, but one of the best insect repellents someone found (who is in the woods every day), is Vick's Vaporub.
Plant marigolds around the yard, the flowers give off a smell that bugs do not like, so plant some in that garden also to help ward off bugs without using insecticides.
"Tough guy" Marines who spend a great deal of time "camping out" say that the very best mosquito repellant you can use is Avon Skin- So-Soft bath oil mixed about half and half with alcohol. mix your own:20 drops Eucalyptus oil
20 drops Cedarwood oil
10 drops Tea Tree oil
10 drops Geranium oil
2 oz. carrier oil ( such as Jojoba )Mix together in a 4 oz. container. Apply to skin as needed avoiding the eye area. Keep out of reach of children. Test on a small area of skin for sensitivities . Experiment with different percentages of essential oil.
One of the best natural insect repellants that I've discovered is made from the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store vanilla extract which is mostly alcohol). This is the pure vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It's cheap there if you know of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border. If not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it for you. I use it half vanilla and half water and find that it works great for mosquitoes and ticks, don't know about other
insects.When all else fails -- Get a Frog!
Common Sense Using Mosquito Repellents
For personal protection, you can use a broad-spectrum insect repellant that contains N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). DEET repels most ticks, mosquitoes and other biting pests. Be sure to read product labels for usage directions.
Wear long sleeve shirts and pants outdoors during peek mosquito activity time periods.
Apply repellent sparingly only to exposed skin or clothing.
Keep repellents away from eyes, nostrils and lips: do not inhale or ingest repellents or get them into the eyes.
Avoid applying high-concentration (>30% DEET) products to the skin, particularly of children.Avoid applying repellents to portions of children's hands that are likely to have contact with eyes or mouth.
Pregnant and nursing women should minimize use of repellents.
Never use repellents on wounds or irritated skin.
Use repellent sparingly; one application will last approximately 4-6 hours.
Saturation does not increase efficacy.
Wash repellent-treated skin after coming indoors.
If a suspected reaction to insect repellents occurs, wash treated skin, and call a physician.
Take the repellent container to the physician.HOME MADE MOSQUITO REPELLENT
(ALSO FOR ANTS & FLEAS)
During camping season and people need this!Ingredients:
1/2 litre of alcohol
100 gram of whole cloves
100 ml of baby oil or similar (almond, sesame, chamomile, lavender, fennel etc)Preparation:
Leave cloves to marinate in alcohol four days
Stir every morning and evening
After 4 days add the oil
It's now ready to use.How to use:
Gently rub a few drops into the skin of the arms and legs.
Observe the mosquitoes fleeing the room.
Repels fleas on pets too.
Device
Mosquito Magnet emits a plume of carbon dioxide, heat, and moisture to attract biting insects, while simultaneously vacuuming the insects into a net where they dehydrate and die. No electric killing grid or pesticides are used.
Cost $250.00 to $1129.95 US dollars depending upon the size of the unit purchased.
Mosquito Facts and Fiction
There are over 3,300 species worldwide.
A single female can lay over 200 eggs at a time. Mosquito eggs can survive for more than five years.
All mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle.
Not all species bite humans; some prefer birds, others prefer horses, and some will even bite frogs and turtles.
Only females take blood; males feed only on plant nectar.
Mosquitoes can fly considerable distances; some species remain close to their larval habitats while others can fly 20 miles or more.
Mosquitoes do not develop in grass or shrubbery, although adults frequently rest in these areas during daylight hours.
Mosquitoes are responsible for more human death than any other living creature.
Mosquitoes DO NOT transmit AIDS.
Mosquitoes DO transmit dog and cat heartworm, a parasite that attacks the heart and major arteries of dogs and cats.
We Get e-Mails
Dear Editor,
My name is Jesse and I’m an Editor at Happy DIY Home. I was doing research on mosquitoes and just finished reading your wonderful piece: https://www.tdc.ca/mosquito.htmIn that article, I noticed that you cited a solid resource that I’ve come across in the past: https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/mosquito.htmWe just published an updated, comprehensive guide on what eats mosquitoes on our sister site, How I Get Rid Of. It is completely free and you can find it here: https://howigetridof.com/what-eats-mosquitoes/
If you like the piece we’d be humbled if you cited us in your article. Of course, we will also share your article with our 100k newsletter subscribers and followers across our social platforms.
Either way, keep up the great work!Warmly,
JesseDear sir，
We have Innovative pest traps available.
Please visit www.skonetech.net
Best regards, John.
Hi, we just wanted to let you know that Health Canada has just okayed Mosquito
Barrier for sale in Canada.
Mosquito Barrier is made from garlic. Just garlic. A gallon, which can cover 5
acres, is made from 700 lbs of garlic juice. Once applied the odour lasts about
an hour. But mosquitoes are repelled for up to 4 weeks. One would dilute it
100 parts water and 1 part garlic juice and then spray all vegetation with it.
It will not harm people, animals, bees, birds, fish or the environment.
The containers are florinated #1 plastic so the odour does not leak and can be
recycled.
For more information, check out our web-site or contact us.
Thank you,
David Smorenburg
Upper Canada Organic Products, Inc.
15 Cardigan Rd.
Toronto, ON M8Z 2V8
416.233-3205
1.888-233-3208
www.ucorganicproducts.comGreetings,
I have been researching mosquito control & found your site - I take the b-1 vitamin & garlic tablets with good results; however, I have ticks of all kinds get on me (the tiny deer ticks are the worst) because you don't realize they are there until they have dug in.
The clear vanilla sounds great to me, since it affects the ticks.I plan to acquire some for this season. There is no mention of how to apply it to your body & how often it might need be reapplied. I figured a little pump mist bottle - but I felt I should ask someone who has used it.
I am hoping it will have some affect on chiggers; because they really get to me.
If you know of any thing for chiggers, please let me know.
Thanks ~ James jamesb@logantele.comReferences:
Mosquito Fogger and control guide
Here's Why It's a Very Bad Idea to Wipe Mosquitoes Off the Face of the Earth
Mosquito Trap
Study Reveals New Way for West Nile Virus to Spread
American Mosquito Control Association
Helpful computer software for mosquito control personnel
Mass Dept of Food and Agriculture
Norfolk County Mosquito Control Project
Metropolitan Mosquito Control District
How Mosquitoes Worke-Mail the site address to a friend
Do you have any other suggestions on how to get rid of mosquitoes
or protect yourself - e-Mail Me and I will consider adding your
information to this page