I was very pleased to return from my Easter Holiday to find that that this year’s very long Hong Kong winter was finally over! I promptly said "goodbye" to my winter coat and “Helloooo” to my trusty shorts and T-shirt. But, it only took 20 minutes of walking around Deep Water Bay for me to be reminded of the major downside of summer: MOSQUITOES. Being of O-blood type (see mosquito facts below..) my legs ended up looking like a pimply teenager’s face in no time!
Mosquitoes have been the bane of my life – I just seem to attract them in a way that nobody else does.. My misery is such that I even read a 300 page book on the subject to try and understand what causes this but am none the wiser. Having children has made the problem even worse - when they were babies, I was so paranoid that they would get bitten (and catch something nasty like dengue fever!) that I would purposely not put any mosquito repellent on myself so that I would get bitten instead of them. Ah the irrational things we do as mothers!
So what can you do to stop yourself and your children becoming mosquito buffets? Here are the top tips we found after scouring the internet for a miracle solution…
1. Don’t go outside during peak mosquito hours (dawn and dusk)
Err… not very helpful! But good to know that things get worse at these times!
2. Wear light coloured clothes
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so keeping your outdoor clothing selection light will help avoid unwanted bug bite
3. Don’t let the little buggers come near you in the first place
Wear long shirts, long pants, sock and hats (sounds hot!)
4. Use insect repellent.
A bit obvious.. but which ones? There are more and more natural based repellents available in the market but unfortunately for me and a minority of people, these just don’t work (the mosquitoes come and lick it off me!). The only thing that really works for me is DEET based lotions – but given that 100% DEET melts plastic, it’s probably not very good for your skin (and should be avoided on children) – but sometimes desperate measures..
5. Use anti mosquito bracelets or stickers.
These are not as effective as applying products directly to the skin – but they do help keep mosquitoes at bay. Kids also love sticking the stickers on themselves (and everything else)
6. Make your own insect repellent!
There are several essential oils that seriously offend the enemy which can easily be mixed with distilled water: choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
7. Clean your sweat!
Mosquitoes have been shown to be attracted to the bacteria which breeds in stale sweat. So if your little ones are running around outside, wipe them down every now and again.
8. My new favourite: Use anti-mosquito fabric softener!
Baby Central has just started stocking this amazing product: Just add 60ml of the Fabric Softener to your wash and your clothes will come out repelling insects all by themselves! The great thing is that you only use it once and it lasts 10 washes (or will last for 2 months if you don't wash your clothes again - but that's pretty gross!)
Unfortunately drinking gin and tonic has now been shown NOT to help deter mosquitoes (This myth dates back to colonial India, where the British would sink tonic water, which contained quinine, to ward off mosquito-borne malaria). What a shame – I think I will just ignore this fact and carry on assuming that my daily sundowners are actually helping
Cheers!
MOSQUITO FACTS
1. It is estimated that between one and two million people worldwide die each year from mosquito-borne illnesses, the most common being malaria –making mosquitoes the most deadly animals to humans on earth
2. Only female mosquitoes bite us – they are looking for the protein and iron in our blood to fertilise their eggs
3. Male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar.. much more pleasant than blood!
4. Mosquitoes can sense you from 75 yards away – there is NO hiding!
5. They’re older than dinosaurs! Mosquitoes date back to 400 million years in the Triassic Period
6. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology found mosquitoes landed on people with type O blood nearly twice as often as those with type A. Those with type B blood fell in the middle of the spectrum
Say NO to the mosquito