It used to be just the annoying symptoms of itching and scratching we wanted to avoid, but those days are over. Since 1999 it’s West Nile Virus that 
has us freaked out about these most annoying of critters.
Symptoms of West Nile
Between 3 days and 2 weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito, 4 out of 5 people infected with WNV show NO symptoms at all. Home free! But for the other 20 percent who DO respond, it’s with symptoms that range from unpleasant to debilitating and even fatal in some cases. In its mildest forms WNV is like the flu, with fever, aches, nausea, vomiting, rashes — yikes, that’s mild? Wait. For some people it’s all that PLUS paralysis, coma, tremors, and vision loss. Some will suffer these symptoms for week and recover, some never recover completely from the symptoms, and some even die.
First defense — getting rid of mosquitoes
You’ve seen this before but to repeat:
- Get rid of all standing water
- Put larvae-killing pellets (like Mosquito Dunks) in your small ponds and anywhere else water is unavoidably standing. They’re safe for people, animals and fish alike.
- Or release dragonfly nymphs — they’ll eat mosquito larvae and adults like there’s no tomorrow.
- I installed a bat-house in my yard, hoping these voracious mosquito-eaters would like the joint, settle in and go about eating thousands of them every night. After two years, they still haven’t found the house, though I keep hoping (bat-house sources DO warn that it can take years for bats to find them and move in).
Protecting your skin
Applying a repellent containing DEET is, hands down, the most effective protection (short of staying indoors or never exposing an inch of skin when outdoors). It’s been around since the ’50s and the EPA says it’s safe for humans — though only if you follow the directions exactly. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health says it’s safe for children over two months of age — when used according to directions. Even in lower concentrations, DEET shouldn’t be used by pregnant women or applied to infants, and many sources advise not spraying DEET directly on the skin of any child — spray it on your hand first and then rub on their skin.
But some people have reactions to DEET — like skin irritations that look like sunburn, and numbness if the product touches sensitive spots like lips. So definitely DON’T apply it to broken skin or near your mouth or eyes.
Non-DEET products
- Another effective, long-lasting repellent is Permethrin, which is supposed to be applied only to clothing, never to skin. It’s the active ingredient in some new lines of mosquito-repelling clothing.
- SmartShield protects against mosquitoes AND provides SPF-30 protection against the sun. Apply often.
- BugBand products use an extract from geranium oil that repels mosquitoes, ticks and no-see-ums alike. It’s available in spray, wipe and wristband. Apply often. The product line includes wrist bands, a pump spray, and towelettes.
- Buggins Insect Repellent combines geranium extract with peppermint, lemongrass and clove oils.
- Bite Blocker uses geranium oil, soybean, vanilla and coconut oils, and comes in separate formulations for adults and children.
- There’s also oil of lemon eucalyptus, which lasts two to four hours, which has a pungent aroma. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is not approved for use by children younger than 3. Two brand names are Off! Botanicals and Repel Lemon Eucalyptus.
- The Centers for Disease Control recently approved the biochemical in Avon’s Skin-So-Soft lotion, a long-time favorite of birders. Apply often.
