Mosquito bites are annoying and can transmit serious diseases.
Mosquito bites are irritating and sometimes painful. Scratching the bites worsens the pain and discomfort. Baking soda, calamine lotion or herbal salves may lessen the itch, but most mosquito bites stop itching after a few days anyway.
In places where mosquitoes carry disease, mosquito bites can be more dangerous. Preventing mosquito bites while sleeping is essential to getting a good sleep, and to prevent infection. Mosquitoes can carry malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, West Nile and other viruses that can be lethal.
Instructions
Travel Preparation
1. Research the area you will be traveling to. Find out whether malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus or other diseases that mosquitoes carry are prevalent. Obtain vaccinations, if necessary.
2. Choose a mosquito net that is impregnated with a pyrethroid or other insecticide, if you will be traveling to areas with a high incidence of malaria or other serious diseases.
3. Purchase a mosquito net. Choose cotton, silk or polyester based on factors such as weight, price and your travel plans. Cotton nets may be more pleasant, but they are heavier to carry.
Using a Mosquito Net
4. Hang a mosquito net around your bed or sleeping area. Tuck the edges underneath your mattress. Be sure the sides of the netting do not touch any part of the person sleeping inside it.
5. Burn citronella candles in the room before you retire; but extinguish them before going to sleep. Keep the candle and flame away from the netting and other flammable objects.
6. Keep the mosquito net clean. Inspect it regularly for tears or holes. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for storage and handling of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Camping and Home
7. Sleep inside a tent, camper shell, camping van or other structure that can be closed.
8. Keep the tent zipped-up when you are not in it -- and keep the camper shell or van closed. Enter and exit your sleeping compartment quickly to prevent mosquitoes from entering it. Open windows on the camper shell or van for ventilation, but keep the mesh screen closed.
9. Check the tent, camper shell or van thoroughly for mosquitoes, before you go to sleep. Remove all mosquitoes.
10. Install fine mesh screens on all the windows in your house.
Tags: camper shell, dengue fever, malaria dengue, malaria dengue fever, mosquito bites, mosquitoes carry