BLOOD-SUCKING BUGS

BLOOD-SUCKING BUGS
How to protect yourself from mosquitoes
TIPS FOR ELIMINATING BREEDING AREAS
Clear obstructed drainage ditches to prevent standing water.
At least once a week, empty water from flowerpots, bird baths, wading pools and old tires or anything in your yard that holds water.
Clean leaves and pine straw from gutters.
Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.
Keep shrubs trimmed and grass mowed around your property. Adult mosquitoes frequently rest in high grass, shrubbery and other foliage.
Use proper screening to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
REDUCING RISK OF BITES
Use insect repellent containing DEET, according to manufacturer's instructions.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Spread mosquito netting over infant carriers.
Stay indoors at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are more apt to bite.
Don't wear perfume or scented products. DEET or other repellents such as permethrin can also be applied to clothing. Do not use permethrin on skin.
APPLYING DEET TO CHILDREN
Apply it to your own hands and then rub on children's skin. Avoid children's eyes and mouth and use it sparingly around their ears.
Do not apply repellent to children's hands.
Do not allow young children to apply insect repellent themselves. Keep repellents out of their reach.
Do not apply repellent to skin under clothing. If it's applied to clothing, wash treated clothing before wearing again.
ON THE WEB
www.cdc.gov: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu: Roxanne Rutledge, extension specialist at Florida Medical Entomology Lab, The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
www.rci.rutgers.edu/(TILDE)insects: The State University of New Jersey
www.scdhec.net: S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control
Sources: S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control; CDC; and S.C. DHEC