Experts have named the most effective and environmentally friendly ways to protect against mosquitoes and ticks

Spring awakens nature, including mosquitoes and ticks. These insects carry dangerous diseases. Together with experts, we find out how you can protect yourself.

What we will tell you about

As a rule, in cities, the habitats of ticks and mosquitoes – parks, squares and water bodies – are treated against insects, so their concentration is much lower than outside the city. Nevertheless, you should be careful when visiting even city parks and carefully examine your body for the presence of bloodsuckers during and after walks.

Danger of mosquitoes and ticks to humans

paramedic, manager of the boarding house “Warm Talks. Lyubertsy”

“Ticks and mosquitoes like warmth and high humidity, so from April to October we often forget that vacationing in nature can turn into serious health troubles. Of course, not all insects are infected with the virus, but by ignoring simple ways of protection (closed body parts, insect sprays), we expose ourselves to danger”.

Ticks are carriers of lyme borreliosis, viral encephalitis, babesiosis. When bitten by an arthropod should be removed as soon as possible (independently or in the nearest medical facility) and handed over for analysis. Experts in the laboratory will check whether the tick is a vector of diseases.

If the sucked bloodsucker is infected with a virus, the patient is administered immunoglobulin (antibodies) as an emergency within 72 hours after the bite.

It is very important to detect the tick on the body and start treatment, because the infections carried by it lead to serious complications: chronic autoimmune diseases, damage to the nervous system and sometimes even death.

As for mosquitoes, tularemia (an acute infectious disease affecting the lymph nodes, skin, mucous membranes, lungs and intestines) and anthrax (a severe infectious disease) can be contracted through their bite.

Nevertheless, these insects are in most cases not dangerous to humans in our latitudes. They are considered carriers of malaria, Dengue fever, equine encephalitis, which are not often found in Russia. Nevertheless, the bite of these insects can cause an allergic reaction, including severe.

Allergies may be indicated by such symptoms as severe swelling and redness at the bite site, blistering, rash, choking attacks, general intoxication with headache and fever, anaphylactic shock.

Severe allergic reactions are extremely rare.

Methods of protection from mosquitoes and ticks

Methods of protection from bloodsuckers should be selected depending on the situation.

In the apartment

In residential premises will protect from mosquitoes mosquito nets and fumigators (a device against pests, which carries out the vaporization of poison).

“When using special means, you need to follow certain rules.”

It is desirable to turn on the device two to three hours before a night’s rest, and before going to bed – turn it off. It should not be placed closer than one meter from a person, as well as used by adults and children suffering from hypersensitivity to chemicals, allergies or bronchial asthma.

The fumigator starts working about 10-15 minutes after switching on. Mosquitoes die in 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Do not use the device near aquariums. Substances contained in the liquid or plate can poison fish.

On the plot

To protect against unwanted insects on the garden plot, you can use insecticides (chemical preparations). From ticks, you need to spray the grass and the outer perimeter of the territory, and from mosquitoes more effectively – ditches, water pits and other nearby bodies of water.

Garden treatment should be carried out three times a year in the spring: after the snow melt, in summer and in the fall after the harvest. According to Nikolai Dubinin, you can treat the area yourself using a garden sprayer and an insecticide bought in any hardware store. You can also call a contracting company or a private master.

Also get rid of insects will help special smoke spirals. They are used outdoors in windless weather or in well-ventilated rooms.

In nature

In nature, to protect against bloodsuckers, anti-biting, or encephalitic, suits will help. Such clothing completely covers the entire body area, and inside the cuffs on the sleeves and pants there are elements that prevent the tick from getting inside. The material of such a suit is very dense (insects cannot bite through it) and smooth (it is difficult for the tick to move on such a surface).

The most effective and environmentally friendly way to fight insects in nature – anti-tick suit, because it fully helps to protect against all infections transmitted by ticks. Unlike a vaccine, which will only protect against encephalitis, it will help to mechanically prevent bites and infection with all possible infections. If there is no special suit, then you should properly select the available clothes for a hike in the forest.

Sleeves should be long with cuffs, collar – high. It should be remembered that the tick always crawls upward, which means that the main lifehack when visiting the forest is to tuck pants into socks and a shirt into pants. It is available to everyone, even on an unexpected walk in the park.

Another most effective method of controlling ticks and mosquitoes is repellents. They can be applied to skin and clothing and have the longest lasting effect.

Despite their effectiveness, products containing high levels of DEET (the main ingredient in repellents that repels, but does not kill, insects) are not recommended for use on the skin of small children and pregnant women due to possible toxic effects. It is always important to read the instructions carefully and not to exceed recommended dosages.

Do folk methods repel ticks and mosquitoes?

There is an opinion that you can protect yourself from insects with the help of folk remedies. It is believed that ticks and mosquitoes do not tolerate essential oils of eucalyptus, cloves, lavender or geranium, apple cider vinegar.

Meanwhile, as experts note, such means are ineffective.

In any hardware store there are enough modern and cheap means to combat mites and pests. They are easy to use, and their effectiveness is proven and tested (if the package has information about tests). Household preparations do not harm the body and are safe when used correctly. Therefore, folk remedies have no advantage in effectiveness.