FACE MASKS & AIKEN MOSQUITOES: AM I PROTECTED?

It is common practice for many Aiken residents to wear masks. We wear them when we go to the grocery store. We wear them when we go to birthday parties. Some of us wear them all day long at work. It is also common practice to wear masks outside. If you've done this at an outdoor event where many others were not wearing masks, you may have noticed something peculiar.

You may have noticed that mosquitoes didn't bother you as much as the other people around you. If you had this experience and you're wondering if a face mask will protect you from mosquitoes, or you've not had this experience and you're just curious why this happens, you'll enjoy today's article. Let's take a look at how masks offer protection from mosquito bites and how mosquito pest control in Aiken can give you even more protection.

Does Wearing A Face Mask Protect Against Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and they can sense this gas from a distance. Carbon dioxide emissions are the first way mosquitoes will detect you. This is why wearing a mask can help keep mosquitoes away. Unfortunately, this protection is not nearly as complete as you want it to be. 

Here are a few reasons why:

• Carbon dioxide isn't the only thing that attracts mosquitoes to you. They can be attracted by heat, sweat, chemicals on your skin, and other factors.
• Wearing a mask isn't going to protect you when you're by yourself. The reason it helps to ward off mosquito bites at a party is because the mosquitoes have other targets. When you're the only one around, a mosquito will sense you when it comes close to you.
• Mosquitoes are likely to come close to you in your yard because they live in your yard. They can be found in vegetation and other sheltered locations. You have to rid your yard of mosquitoes if you want to prevent bites.

The mosquitoes in your yard present a big problem if you're not protected, and the sad truth is that a mask just isn't enough protection. In fact, there are many things that don't offer protection from mosquito bites. Residents buy torches, candles, mosquito-repellent plants, and other things to keep mosquitoes away. These offer some protection (like those masks) but nowhere near the complete protection you should have.

Why Having Mosquitoes Around Your Home Is A Big Problem

If you have mosquitoes around your home, it's a big problem, and not a problem that can be solved with things that smell bad to mosquitoes. It isn't enough to purchase products to keep mosquitoes away from your yard or to keep them away from your body.

The mosquitoes in Aiken aren't going to be deterred by something stinky. If there is a hole in your protection, they'll find it. Why? It has to do with why they bite you. They don't bite you to get nourishment. They draw a blood meal in order to create eggs and keep their species from going extinct. They'll put up with something that smells bad if it means survival of their species.

The solution for mosquitoes in Aiken is not repellents. A mosquito can bite you even if you're wearing bug spray which, by the way, is the best way to personally protect yourself from mosquito bites. The solution is to address the mosquitoes that live in your yard. You may not realize this but most of the mosquitoes that bite you in your yard are mosquitoes that have hatched in your yard. When you rid your yard of mosquitoes you significantly reduce your chances of getting mosquito bites. 

Don't trust your protection to a mask or some other form of mosquito deterrent. Get rid of mosquitoes in your yard. This will significantly reduce mosquito bites and help to protect you from the many diseases you can get from mosquitoes.

How Mosquitoes Spread Malaria & Other Dangerous Diseases

It is important to quickly touch on this. If mosquitoes were only irritating pests that cause itchy wounds, masks, and other deterrent measures would be enough. Unfortunately, mosquitoes can spread malaria and other dangerous diseases. They do this by biting infected animals or humans and then biting others.

While malaria, Zika virus, and several other dangerous mosquito-borne diseases are not found in local animal populations, there are a few diseases you can get from mosquitoes in the United States, such as West Nile virus and several other forms of encephalitis. It is wise to protect yourself.

How Do You Control The Mosquito Population In Your Back Yard?

If you want to get rid of mosquitoes and keep mosquitoes away from your yard, the solution is to contact Aiken Pest Control for seasonal mosquito treatments. Our mosquito control program knocks down mosquitoes in your yard and stays active between service visits. Want to learn more? We'd love to talk with you about it. At Aiken Pest Control, we offer industry-leading pest control solutions for all of your pest concerns.