Heat, sun, holidays and, inevitably, mosquitoes. Also this year the day of August 20 will be dedicated to World Mosquito Day, an anniversary that is linked to the important project to raise awareness on the dangers deriving from mosquito bites, and in particular on the diseases that these annoying insects are able to spread.
In fact, World Mosquito Day falls on the day when the English doctor and Nobel laureate Ronald Ross discovered, in 1897, the connection between the female mosquito Anopheles and the transmission of malaria.
In this regard, Rentokil Initial, a British multinational world leader in the supply of disinfection and pest control services and services for the hygiene of the environments where you live and where you work, has been supporting the ‘Malaria No More Association’ on a long journey globally for years, contributing over the years to the achievement of important progress.
Today we know that there are more than 3,000 species of mosquitos in the world, many of which represent not only an annoying company capable of ruining the pleasant summer evenings, but a real danger for humans, as carriers of diseases such as Yellow Fever, Dengue, West Nile, Zika and Chikungunya – affecting more than 700 million people every year.
What to do to defend yourself
Although the tiger mosquito is considered a serious source of nuisance due to the bites inflicted by the females, it can represent a serious health problem. This species is very skilled, as a biological vector, in transmitting various viral infections, including some very serious, such as Dengue and Chikungunya, and it is therefore very important to be careful and protect yourself.
On the occasion of World Mosquito Day, Rentokil has drawn up a list of simple do-it-yourself tips to help prevent the proliferation of mosquitoes and protect yourself even during the summer holidays:
Carry out a thorough cleaning of the garden or terrace: grass that is too tall, especially if damp, is the ideal environment for mosquitoes to lay eggs, so it is important not to neglect the lawn even when you are on vacation
Summer is just the right time to train your green thumb, and an excellent idea could be to embellish the terrace of your apartment or the garden of your holiday home by cultivating plants and flowers which, thanks to their active ingredients, carry out the function as repellents against these weeds, such as geraniums, calendula, lavender and lemongrass.
Basil, catnip and mint, thanks to their particular aroma, also help to keep mosquitoes away.
Keep the accumulation of stagnant water and possible sources of humidity monitored: to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in these places, it is necessary to clean carefully and regularly the gutters and always empty buckets and watering cans.
Also pay attention to the automatic garden sprinklers: make sure that the water collection bins are closed with a lid or equipped with a well-secured mosquito net.
Use mosquito nets: a practice that might seem trivial, but which in reality represents the main method to defend against insects; the important thing is that they are of good quality and installed correctly, so as to be able to leave the windows open to ventilate the summer homes in complete tranquility.
Furthermore, keeping the mosquito net regularly cleaned with products that are not particularly aggressive helps to extend the duration of your investment.
Using the fan: an indispensable ally to defend yourself from the heat wherever you decide to spend the summer, but also an extra help to protect yourself from insects. The air that circulates indoors hinders the flight of mosquitoes, preventing them from moving freely, and also allows to reduce the amount of CO2 in the air, one of the chemicals that most attract pests.
Take care of yourself to prevent bites: where the temperatures of the place chosen to spend the holidays allow it, wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts, prefer light colors (perfect for a holiday by the sea!), Avoid too strong scents and above all apply individual protection repellent products to the skin.
Finally, it is always important to implement mosquito prevention in private properties and at the condominium level, especially if in the presence of surrounding gardens and green areas, relying on pest control professionals, able to manage the proliferation of this insect adequately.
