Repelling potentially dangerous insects such as mosquitoes and ticks is important for your health, both at home and abroad. Plan ahead by:
Dressing accordingly – Covering your skin with protective clothing, including long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved pants and protective netting over your head, is one way to help prevent bites from both ticks and mosquitoes.
Repelling the right way – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using repellents with any of the following active ingredients – DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus – to prevent bites from mosquitoes. Use a repellent spray on your skin according to the instructions on the label. Apply repellent to your exposed skin in the morning after you’ve put on sunscreen. Reapply repellent after swimming or sweating during the day and again in the early evening. It’s recommended that you supplement with a clothing spray containing the pesticide permethrin.
Staying safe indoors too – In situations where mosquitoes may make their way into your sleeping space, you may want to use bed netting for protection. Or consider adding a third layer of repellent before going to bed. For ticks, you can further protect yourself by checking your skin thoroughly after being in wooded areas and showering within a few hours of returning from outside.
Taking precautions when traveling – If you’re traveling abroad, get information from a travel clinic about how to prevent insect-related infectious diseases at your travel destination. Measures might include additional protective gear and preventative medicines.
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