Syracuse.com - There's one thing you can count on this Fourth of July -- lots of mosquitoes

[HuntingNY-News]

What works best for you as a mosquito repellent? We'd particularly like to hear from those who've used natural remedies. What have you used and how did it work? Send your comments to [email protected].

One thing will be very evident to anyone spending any extended time outdoors in Central New York this Fourth of July or this weekend.

They'll be mosquitoes- lots of them.

The recent stretch of wet weather, accompanied by warm temperatures has created a perfect scenario for breeding skeeters, according to Larry Abrahamson, a professor of entomology at SUNY ESF.

Abrahamson said the insects require stagnant water to reproduce. He said the time period from when they raise their eggs to another generation of mosquitoes can vary from several days to two weeks, with the process being slowed down by colder temperatures.

"The warm weather speeds things up. You can have a new generation in two to three days in real hot weather," he said.

Abrahamson noted it's only the females that go after humans. They're looking for blood as nourishment for their eggs. "The males feed on nectar and stuff like that. They don't do anything to us," he said. The biting females, though, also are vectors for the spread of West Nile virus.

What's an adventuresome, outdoors enthusiast supposed to do?

For the real bad mosquito-infested areas, one radical approach is to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves and put on a hat with mosquito netting. The more practical and realistic approach, though, is to use mosquito repellent. At the top of the list, experts say, is anything containing DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide), which affects the scent receptors in biting insects.

According to the OFF! website, repellent that's 98.5 percent DEET will be effective for 10 hours; 25 percent will work for 8 hours; 15 percent will keep them off for 6 hours and 7 percent will work for 2 hours.

A downside of DEET, though, is that the chemical can irritate skin (especially damaged skin) and dissolve certain materials, particularly plastic and other synthetic materials.

Kim Adams, a Cornell Cooperative extension entomologist at SUNY ESF is frequently outdoors at Wanakena, where the ranger school for the college is located, and at another deep woods area north of Lowville. She understands use of an insect repellant is a personal choice and she can understand the reluctance by some to use repellent containing DEET.

"When you need control of your hands and the mosquitoes are all over -- DEET works," she said.

The number one attractant for mosquitoes? It's the carbon dioxide you emit from your body.AP 

There are non-DEET repellents on the market. At the top of the list, experts say, is repellent containing Picaridin, which will not harm plastics or acrylic materials.

Other chemicals used in repellents on the market include substances such as Metofluthrin or certain, plant-based ingredients. In addition, devices you attach to your belt (Therma-cell) and with the aid of heat, the repellent is released directly into the air to repel mosquitoes. There's also bug resistant clothing, manufactured by such companies as White Sierra and ExOfficio (see insectshield.com) -- even special soaps that are sold.

Some tout home-made, natural repellents you can make yourself.

"However, nothing works quite as well to date as Picaradin and DEET," said Laura Harrington, a medical entomologist at Cornell University..

Aside from chemical repellents, Harrington said it does not appear that the color of one's clothing makes any difference to mosquitoes. It's also unclear if your personal body scent or applied scents (perfumes, deodorants, colognes) draws mosquitoes more to one person than another.

"Humans emit more than 300 different volatile compounds that are individually attractive," she said. "Scientists have been working for decades to try and figure out what combinations may make people more attractive than others. It is a very complex issue. We do know that some compounds such as lactic acid can also be attractive."

The number one attractant, though, that everyone does agrees on is carbon dioxide produced when one exhales or perspires. Mosquitoes key in on that more than anything else, experts say.

According to WebMD.com: "Larger people tend to give off more carbon dioxide, which is why mosquitoes typically prefer munching on adults to small children. Pregnant women are also at increased risk, as they produce a greater-than-normal amount of exhaled carbon dioxide."

What if someone just wants to go on their deck, relax, barbecue and have a nice, cold beer? Are there any other quick and easy, non-chemical approaches way to keeping these blood-sucking insects off you?

"Put a couple of fans out and keep the air moving," Adams said.

WHAT KEEPS MOSQUITOES OFF YOU?

What works best for you as a mosquito repellent? We'd particularly like to hear from those readers who've used natural remedies. What have you used and how did it work? Send your comments to [email protected].

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