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TAMPA (FOX 13) - With Zika virus fears running rampant, it’s likely consumers will want to protect their families from mosquitoes.
The choices are many, but not all countermeasures are created equally.
We reached out to several expert sources for informed advice on making the right choice and wisely spending your bug battling money.
We’ve put them into three categories: yes, no, and maybe.
YES: SPRAY REPELLENT
The University of Florida says today’s repellents are either synthetic chemicals, such as DEET, picaridin, and IR3535, or plant-derived chemicals such as citronella and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
UF research shows that greater the concentration of DEET or citronella a spray contains, the longer it provides protection. DEET appeared to provide protection far longer than citronella.
SEE THE RESULTS (bottom of the page): http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Mosquito_Repellents.htm
Whatever you choose, UF recommends following directions.
“It is very important to read and understand the label instructions before using any mosquito repellent,” UF said.
MAYBE: NATURAL REPELLENT
Many store shelves contain insect repellents that are advertised as “natural.” However, the federal government does not define natural.
“Unfortunately, the wording can be misleading for the uninformed individual,” UF said. "Repellents labeled 'Natural' are not necessarily safe repellents. Many repellents advertised as natural contain plant-based oils."
WebMD says they are effective – but likely not for an insect prone place like Florida.
“If you live in an area where mosquitoes are more a mild nuisance, plant-based mosquito repellents often work just fine,” WebMD said. “But if you live in an area that is heavy with mosquitoes or you are prone to bites, you may not want to take any chances. Conventional mosquito repellents containing higher concentrations (23.8%) of DEET or picaridin offer the best protection.”
READ WEBMD’S RECOMMENDATIONS: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/alternative-mosquito-repellents
NO: PUNGENT FOOD
Some home remedies include eating onions, garlic, or bananas to ward off mosquitoes. UF debunks those ideas.
“There is no scientific evidence that eating garlic, vitamins, onions, or any other food will make a person less attractive to host-seeking mosquitoes,” UF said.
NO: BUG ZAPPERS
Forget about them because they’re not very effective. That’s the stance of the American Mosquito Control Association.
“The only two controlled studies conducted to date by independent investigators at the University of Notre Dame showed that mosquitoes comprised merely 4.1% and 6.4% respectively of the daily catch over an entire season,” the Association said.
The AMCA also raised concerns that the wrong bugs are falling victim to the estimated 1.75 million zappers sold each year.
“Many of these insects are beneficial predators on other insect pests,” the AMCA said.
NO: ULTRA SONIC GADGETS
Some say sound will drive mosquitoes away. And a quick search of the Internet will reveal many different ultrasonic devices that claim to drive the bloodthirsty bugs away.
But the experts unequivocally disagree.
“At least 10 studies in the past 15 years have unanimously denounced ultrasonic devices as having no repellency value whatsoever,” said the American Mosquito Control Association. “The fact is that these devices just do not work - marketing claims to the contrary.”