A residential mosquito control program can include source control (eliminating places breeding waters can accumulate), biological controls (inviting predator colonies of birds, bats, and dragonflies), mechanical and electrical trap devices, and chemical/bacteriological solutions.
Other than source control, however, these methods are of limited effectiveness at the back yard scale, and may need to be supplemented with a regimen of personal repellents for maximum control.
Personal Mosquito Repellents
Personal mosquito repellents come in three broad types: they're either applied directly to an individual's skin and/or clothing, incorporated into clothing, or designed to be used in close proximity to a person or persons, in human-use areas.
Homeowners can use these methods as stand-alone personal protection, or to defend against mosquitoes that have penetrated past outlying alternative mosquito controls and are zeroing in on a person for a blood meal.
DEET - the King of Insect Repellents
Effective mosquito repellents suitable for direct application to the body are available as sprays, creams or lotions. The top repellents currently are DEET based products, though there are new, promising alternatives on the market.
For over 50 years, DEET has set the bar for effective personal mosquito repellents. It stands for N,N-Diethyl-3-Methylbenzamide, the active ingredient in these broad-spectrum repellents. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, DEET products are used by 38% of the U.S. population, as well as 200,000,000 people world-wide.
DEET-based repellents are available as sprays, lotions, creams, gels - even medicated towelettes, and generally contain a 5% to 10% concentration of DEET, although higher concentrations can be had for long-term outdoor use in especially "buggy" locations. Some are effective for up to 12 hours with 95% protection.
DEET products are marketed under the labels of Cutter, Repel, and Off (among others), and can be applied to skin, clothing, insect netting, window and door screens, even sleeping bags. Careful, though - DEET can damage plastics, leathers and synthetics.
Other Mosquito Repellents Suitable for Skin Use
Avon Skin-So-Soft, highly touted as an effective repellent at the grass-roots level, has been shown to provide a 30 to 40 minute window of protection, less than a 12.5% DEET concentration.
Citronella products can also be applied to skin, though they're generally used in candles or torches as proximity protection. Other products list plant oils such as verbena, penny royal, and geranium as active ingredients.
Bite Blocker (Consep, Inc.), is a one such plant-based repellent which uses soybean, geranium and coconut oils. Bite Blocker has been available in Europe for several years and has proved itself admirably under field conditions. Studies performed by the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, show 97% protection against Aedes mosquitoes - up to 3.5 hours after application. Compare that to a 6.65% DEET solution, which had 86% protection, and citronella-based Skin-So-Soft (40%).
Another alternative to DEET is Permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid that not only repels mosquitoes, but actively kills them. Permethrin should be applied to clothing or fabrics, not directly to skin. Unlike DEET, it's non-staining and nearly odorless. One study in Alaska showed that clothes treated with Permethrin were 99.9% effective against biting mosquitoes over an 8-hour period.
Picaridin is another agent showing close to DEET effectiveness as a repellent. Picaridin is marketed as Cutter Advanced, and is used widely outside the United States. It's odorless and has a pleasant feel. One good feature about picaridin - it can be used on infants as young as 2 months.
Oil of lemon-eucalyptus (sold as Repel) is a naturally derived product which is highly effective against ticks as well as mosquitoes.
Mosquito Repellent Clothing
While permethrin applied to clothing has a proven potency against mosquitoes for up to 2 weeks even after washing, a product called Buzz Off Insect Shield provides insect repellent apparel - clothing actually permeated with permethrin. This clothing line has been proven effective in the field against biting insects even after 25 washings.
Another product (Bug Bam) used permethrin based wrist bands to keep mosquitoes away.
Proximity Repellents
Citronella candles and "tiki" torches are of limited effectiveness in keeping biting bugs at bay. Other smoke producing devices - even cigars - may work just as well. Citronella candles are most effective used in groups of 3 or more, arranged around the people to be protected, in a semi-enclosed area.
Mosquitoes are not strong fliers, so a large fan blowing across a deck or porch, coupled with personal repellents, may be all the supplemental protection needed.
Whatever back yard mosquito protection program a homeowner uses, he needs to make sure that his last line of defense against biting insects is some form of personal repellent. Just remember - if mosquitoes don't like, they won't bite.
References:
- Fradin, Mark Dr. "Mosquitoes and Mosquito Repellents: A Clinician's Guide". Annals of Internal Medicine. June, 1998
- "Repellents". From website, American Mosquito Control Association.
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