Mosquito sprays are an effective way to prevent mosquito bites. It is important to take precautionary measures against mosquitoes as their bites are painful and itchy and lead to harmful diseases like Dengue.
Mosquito bites are like red blisters. Due to the itchy sensation, people especially children tend to scratch them with their finger nails which can cause scars on the area.
There are many natural measures that one can adopt to prevent mosquito bites. You should wear clothes which cover your arms and legs and avoid dark colors as they attract mosquitoes. While doing some outdoor activity, it is a good idea to wear shoes and socks which cover the feet well. You can use mosquito nets while sleeping and even on your baby’s pram to avoid mosquitoes. However make sure that the nets are free of tears and holes to prevent mosquitoes from entering inside.
Since mosquitoes are present everywhere especially outdoors, one has to opt for other effective measures like mosquito sprays and repellant creams to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes are attracted to foliage so if your kids are planning to play in the park or you want to spend time gardening, it is essential that you take adequate precaution.
Mosquitoes are attracted to human body odors due to the presence of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the breath and perspiration. Mosquito creams have to be applied on the exposed body parts so that the smell can shield body odor and keep mosquitoes away. Similarly mosquito repellant sprays have to be sprayed on the body and on clothes before stepping outdoors. You can also use the spray in the bedroom at dusk as that is the time when mosquitoes are found to be most active. For effectiveness, use the spray and close the doors and windows for 10 -15 minutes. Later open them. This will drive away all the mosquitoes from inside the house.
Most of the repellant sprays and creams contain DEET which is a chemical that has been clinically proven to be safe on skin. Nowadays, there are also many mosquito sprays which are made with natural ingredients like castor oil, lemongrass oil, eucalyptus oil, citronella oil and the like. These are natural mosquito and insect repellants.
These natural sprays are more popular as most of us would prefer to use natural products on our skin even if chemical products are certified to be safe. This is because chemicals have a greater chance of having side effects like skin allergies and rashes.
However, whether you use a chemical or a natural mosquito spray remember to use it sparingly for the first time to see if there is any allergic reaction on the skin or body of the user.
Since natural ingredients are not as powerful as chemicals it may be required to re-apply natural mosquito sprays more often if you plan to remain outdoors for a long time. In case you do get bitten by mosquitoes, do not scratch. Instead wash the area with soap and water or apply a paste of baking soda and water to soothe the inflammation and itchiness.