Tiger mosquitoes: How to protect yourself naturally?
Mosquitoes are real scourges in summer, they are especially annoying at night, when they buzz around our windows and end up biting us.
Concerns focus in particular on the tiger mosquito. The authorities regularly alert us to fight against its proliferation.
It is now present in more than half of the French territory. In addition, the spring heat favored the development of the larvae.
Let's learn to recognize it and then discover simple solutions to limit its presence.
General information on the Tiger mosquito: origin, size, transmission
The Tiger mosquito, more exactly the female mosquito, is an insect that lays eggs in water or on its surface, their larvae are aquatic .
They are found in stagnant water such as marshes, ponds, rivers and even your empty outdoor containers such as flower pots. They are present in damp and warm places.
If we only encounter very few mosquitoes in winter, it is because their life cycle is almost fixed.
Hatchlings can overwinter as larvae and adults hibernate. It is only when the fine weather returns that they reappear.
In 2023, it is now in 71 French departments.
What is the lifespan of a mosquito?
The mosquito lives a few days for the most common. For the tougher ones (like tiger mosquitoes), they live around 2-3 weeks, but some species can live for a few months.
How to recognize a tiger mosquito?
The tiger mosquito (aedes albopictus), unlike a common mosquito (aedes aegypti), is black and white tiger as its name suggests, it is approximately 0.5 to 2 mm. Its wings are very dark and its two hind legs go up much more. They love to stay on the lower floors (ground floor and first floor).
In addition, it stings much more in the middle of the day , either early in the morning or in the evening. It can be crushed more easily when flying, it is less dynamic and less suspicious of humans.
Protect yourself: how to protect yourself from mosquitoes?
How to avoid mosquitoes?
Remove all containers potentially containing stagnant water : watering can, wheelbarrow, tire, bucket... It's a simple piece of advice, but it turns out to be very useful.
This will prevent spawning around your home, and therefore reproduction! The best trap against the tiger mosquito is to clean and empty all these possibilities of spawning places. The tiger mosquito thatyou sting was probably born in your backyard.
Do not keep your garbage too long: in summer, the smells of your garbage are increased tenfold with the heat.
How to keep mosquitoes away and protect yourself?
First of all, you should know that we are going to give you advice that is in line with the charter and values of Lacentrale-eco: natural repellents, without chemicals. We also want to avoid pests, while preserving the planet!
- Avoid repellents , some are very loaded with chemicals ... We recommend ecological alternatives (essential oils, sockets or candles). For essential oils , it is a very effective means, in particular the essential oil of java, Geranium, Rosat, Basil. All have natural repellent properties !
- Check the flow of rainwater that could stagnate in your gutters and gutters, while limiting watering
- Plant plants that have repellent properties : lemongrass, geranium or lemon eucalyptus
- Wear long clothes when you are outside. Remember to cover the feet and ankles , these are the favorite areas of tiger mosquitoes.
- Get into cool rooms (mosquitoes don't like cold places)
- Install a mosquito net: it is sometimes difficult to resist the urge to open the windows to bring freshness and air, except that once the windows are open, the mosquitoes arrive! This is why equipping yourself with a mosquito net allows you not to compromise. There are made-to-measure mosquito nets for roof windows , to adapt to your home, as well as roller shutters that directly integrate mosquito nets .
- Invest in a mosquito repellent racket : affordable, effective, however it does not keep them away, it allows you to simply kill them.
To choose the right mosquito net that will offer you the comfort of keeping your families cool, away from insects, we invite you to read this article " How to choose and install the right mosquito net according to your window and roller shutters? "
Are bites dangerous for babies and children?
Mosquito bites look like big red pimples which, depending on the person, can be bigger or smaller.
Some skins are hypersensitive, the reactions can be impressive: large, very red and very swollen pimples. They create edemas that can persist for about 24 hours.
Hypersensitivity is often confused with allergy, which is rather rare. The allergy affects more children, who may have itchy bites for several weeks.
Are mosquitoes vectors of disease?
In fact, the mosquito can be a vector of diseases such as chikungunya , Zika or dengue fever . Hence the importance of this fight against mosquitoes and especially the larvae.
This remains the best way to protect against these insects.
Can mosquitoes transmit the coronavirus?
According to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, mosquitoes are not vectors of the coronavirus.
"The virus is lodged in the respiratory tract and is therefore not present in the blood, except in the event of very severe symptoms of the disease, which is very rare", however adds ANSES.
The agency would like to recall that at the moment "no transmission by a mosquito of the virus responsible for Covid-19 has been demonstrated, nor of any virus of the Coronavirus family".
They also add:
"For a mosquito to transmit a pathogen (virus, bacteria, parasites), it must resist digestion in the mosquito's stomach, then pass into its saliva, and be injected into another person on the occasion of an injection.
Very few viruses survive this process: this is the case, for example, of viruses from the Flavivirus family such as dengue or Zika.
The countries and regions most affected by mosquitoes are hot and humid regions, such as Southeast Asia or the Caribbean.
Sources:
Tiger Mosquito Photo: Pixabay
Video: Ministry of Solidarity and Health
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