Florida is known for its beautiful weather throughout the year, which leads so many residents spending time outside to enjoy it.
However, that time outside also requires some precautionary measures taken to make the experience the best it can be when it comes to fending off mosquitoes.
Mosquito bites can quickly turn an experience from an exciting time to an itchy one, but although getting bit by a mosquito is seemingly a rite of passage for those who call Florida home, it is an endless battle to make sure the number of bites in the future are lessened.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have many steps that people can take around their home and, in the community, to help prevent the spread of mosquitoes in the area.
According to the CDC, it is something everyone can help with no matter how old one is and the simplest step to take is to dump any standing water that is seen while walking around a yard or neighborhood, because standing water is where mosquitoes choose to lay eggs.
Any object that is outside after a rainfall can then hold water in the days following and be a perfect nesting spot for mosquitos.
Some of the objects the CDC mentions to especially keep an eye on that are susceptible for retaining water include tires, buckets, planters, children’s toys, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, and trash containers.
It is recommended that water storage containers without lids be covered with wire mesh, but to make sure that the holes in the mesh are small enough so that an adult mosquito cannot get through.
When outdoors, the best ways to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes are the use of insect repellent, which can be applied to the skin and deter mosquitoes from landing.
The CDC recommends always having insect repellent packed, especially when spending long amounts of time outdoors, and they recommend using EPA-registered repellants that have been verified as safe and effective for those pregnant and breastfeeding.
An alternative to using repellant is covering up one’s skin by wearing loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants so that the mosquitoes do not have open skin to attack.
Window and door screens will help keep mosquitoes outside and prevent them from coming into one’s home and being a nuisance inside as well as outside.
Mosquito bites are susceptible both day and night and the official mosquito season starts in the summer in most places and ends around the fall.
However, Southern states will have a longer mosquito season due to the warmer climate throughout the year.
