There is more than 2,500 mosquito species and we can find them in all regions of the planet (except Antarctica). In addition to its ubiquity, its lethality should also be emphasized, as this insect is the deadliest creature in existence: It is responsible for more than 725,000 people each year, compared to 50,000 deaths caused by snakes or just 10 killed by sharks.

Also, mosquitoes are heavy, annoying, painful and act like vampires who only care about our blood. The high-pitched ringing in our ears is probably one of the most annoying sounds in the world.

Therefore, there have been many ways throughout history. control the spread these unmistakably inappropriate insects. The most sophisticated, by Tony Stark style, as once suggested by inventor and former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold (a laser that literally hits mosquitoes and vaporizes them like ballistic missiles); To the pharaonic plan of the Italian dictator Mussolini (through the drainage of the Pontic lagoons).

But there are much more reasonable and affordable measures to at least put a stop to the feet (or wings) of mosquitoes. Or more specifically, female mosquitoes are the only mosquitoes that bite us.

avoiding the possibilities

85% of the chance of being bitten by a mosquito basically reacts to the blood group obtained from the natural chemicals we secrete. The mosquito will preferably attack the higher level ones. lactic acid on the skin. This is the insect’s way of finding out if our blood is from group 0 rather than A or B, because 0 is the most nutritious.

In addition to our blood type, the other determining factor is the CO2, carbon dioxide we emit. The female mosquito can smell it from more than 60 meters away. We give out this gas when we are short of breath after an effort, when we talk too much or when we shout. If we’re exercising, we’re an ideal target because not only are we emitting more CO2, but our body temperature is increasing, making us a more precise terminology for the sensing system. So if there are lots of mosquitoes in an environment, avoid outdoor sports.

It is also very effective Let’s avoid a puddle nearbyin pots, buckets, trash cans, etc. as found. This is where mosquitoes breed. However, swimming pools do not pose this danger because chemicals are used to keep them clean (not so if the pool is abandoned).

And finally, keep the light on in your bedroom before you go to bed: you’re launching the Bat-Signal’s equivalent for mosquitoes.

Herbs, colors and other very affordable remedies

There are many easy and affordable steps we can all take to reduce mosquitoes’ blood cravings. Some of those.

Use unattractive colors: Mosquitoes not only rely on body temperature, CO2 or smell to detect us, they also use their sight. And bright colors are more interesting for him. Therefore, according to a study by the University of Florida, this is their favorite color range: black (most attractive), red (very attractive), gray and blue (neutral), green and yellow (least attractive).

Use plants that are a natural repellantIn addition to being easy to care for, geranium flowers also repel flying insects. Other herbs with a similar effect are basil, lavender, and rosemary. Catnip or catnip is also an herb that repels mosquitoes very effectively. Nor can we forget the results of a new study. Nature Communication Demonstrating how the Dalmatian pyrethrum works (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), with two ingredients that act synergistically to deter insects.

Lemons that we cut in half that we nailed like pins and a little cloves were also effective. And if you sleep with the window open, it will be convenient to equip it with mosquito net. In addition, if the weather is very hot, you can also turn on a fan, as the air currents disrupt the flight of mosquitoes.

Go on the offensive: industrial repellents

The above measures may not be sufficient and you may want to use a larger caliber ammunition. First of all, get distracted: attacking mosquitoes is effective in itself. According to a study published Current Biology Mosquitoes by researchers at the University of Washington more wary of those who attack them to repel his bite. They seem to have the ability to associate a particular scent of a victim with a high probability of being crushed the next time they get close. So, respect yourself so they’ll respect you too.

There are many types of repellents and their effectiveness depends on their active ingredients and concentration. Therefore, the most effective ikaridine (hydroxyethyl isobutyl piperidine carboxylate) and DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide). A study done in 2015 Journal of Insect Science studied the effectiveness of several commercial bug sprays and found that products containing DEET were effective and relatively long lasting. Rodriguez and Hansen were authors of the 2015 study and replicated the results in a 2017 study in the same journal.

Any perfume or lotion containing 20% ​​DEET is effective in protecting people for 5 hours after application. The problem is, the more effective, the less toxic. A less toxic but slightly less effective alternative would be essential oils such as IR 3535 (ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate) and geraniol or lavandin oil (Lavandula angustifolia).

Old but useful. (Jane Stroebel/Unsplash)

On the other hand, bracelets containing herbicides are particularly ineffective: their small surface limits their range of action to just over four centimeters.

According to the Consumers and Users Organization (OCU), repellent lotions applied to the skin and marketed as sprays, sticks, or gels do not repel mosquitoes, but rather confuse them. In addition, chemical insecticides lose their effectiveness outdoors, where the influence of air destroys them in a matter of seconds.

The remedies in question

Ultrasound devices do not repel mosquitoes. At least seven analyzes conducted between 1977 and 2006 evaluated the effectiveness of different brands of repellents under laboratory conditions with ultrasound, with no indication of any effect. For example, this study concludes that “field entomological studies confirm that electronic mosquito repellents (EMRs) have no effect on mosquito bite prevention.”

And vitamin B1? A 2005 study found that taking vitamin B1 supplements was not effective at repelling mosquitoes. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a water-soluble vitamin that is excreted in sweat and urine. The theory is that if we eat too much of this vitamin, it will be found in greater concentrations in our sweat. But it doesn’t seem to work.

Same way, Garlic (allium sativum) contains aline, a principle that can repel mosquitoes when destroyed through sweat. However, research on the subject shows that this is not the case.

In this way.

Finally, there are some desperate (and perhaps counterproductive) measures aimed at eradicating mosquitoes completely. Destroy them from Earth. For example, Oxitec’s (Oxford Insect Technologies) plan is to create mutant mosquitoes with a defective gene that will be passed on to their offspring and cause the offspring to die before they can develop. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, are proposing gene-editing to make mosquitoes blind and wingless, making them extinct.

Another option considered is CRISPR-Cas technologyThe mouth structure of the females is modified so that it cannot penetrate the skin, preventing the females from feeding on blood and thus greatly reducing their fertility. Of course, all these solutions have only been tried in the lab, and the reality could be very different.

Even so, it should not be forgotten that mosquitoes do good deeds, albeit unconsciously, in order to balance the balance a little bit. Eggs and larvae are part of the diet of some fish, pollinate certain flowers and act as “carriers” for bacteria and viruses. Without mosquitoes, the food chain would probably collapse like a piece of furniture infected with a woodworm. Let’s remember on the next night dive.