ADRIAN MA, HOST:
How many times have you stepped inside from a gorgeous summer day to find yourself covered in itchy red mosquito bites? Yeesh. These bites aren't just annoying. In some cases, they can even lead to serious or deadly illness. According to a NASA report on mosquito-borne diseases, the U.S. has seen nearly 1,500 cases of dengue fever this year, and there were about the same number of cases of West Nile virus last year. So it is worth knowing the best ways to protect ourselves from mosquito bites, and for some help on that, we turn to Andee Tagle, a reporter for the NPR podcast Life Kit.
ANDEE TAGLE, BYLINE: Hey, Adrian.
MA: So whenever I'm at, like, a backyard gathering or barbecue, I see all these different kind of anti-mosquito implements. You got the citronella candles and the DEET sprays and the sprays without DEET and then you have little stickers. There's so many of these kind of anti-mosquito devices out there. How do you pick the right one?
TAGLE: They are endless, Adrian. I'm right there with you. And, you know, I was desperate for this answer because I am a super mosquito bite-prone person, and yes, that is a real thing. They like to bite some people more than others.
MA: (Laughter).
TAGLE: So I talked to Brian Byrd about this. He's a medical entomologist and professor of environmental health at Western Carolina University, and he says, mosquito repellent is crucial, but not all products are created equal.
BRIAN BYRD: From a public health perspective, we want strong data supporting what we're going to recommend. So there are lots of over-the-counter or sort of homeopathic or natural remedies that you can find. But if they're not evidence-based, we do not recommend them.
TAGLE: So Byrd doesn't use any essential oils, sound bands, patches, venom suckers. When he's in the field, he uses mosquito repellent with DEET. But more on that in a second because Byrd recommends a three-pronged approach to mosquito protection.
MA: OK. I love a simple-to-remember, three-pronged rule. Let's hear it.
TAGLE: The three Ds of basic mosquito protection he says everyone should try to follow - drain, dress and defend. The first one, drain, is about preventing mosquito populations before they start. I, for one, was really surprised to learn just how little water mosquitoes require in order to breed.
BYRD: Even a small sort of coffee cup that's a third of the way full in your backyard can produce a lot of mosquitoes. You can go from eggs to adults, certainly within a week to 10 days. And so it doesn't take long, and it doesn't take much.
TAGLE: You want to look out for things like old tires, buckets, planters and flower pots, kids' toys, even holes in trees or cracks in your pavement. Byrd suggests inspecting things like these in your backyard, on your porch, any outdoor living area, and clearing out any standing water about once a week.
MA: OK. So the next D is dress, right?
TAGLE: Right. And dress refers to wearing protective clothing, so loose fitting shirts and pants that cover your skin as much as possible. And just note, some mosquito species can bite through thin fabrics. Also there was a study a few years ago that mosquitoes are more attracted to certain colors, like red and orange, possibly because they resemble the heat signature of human skin. They're less attracted to green, purple, blue and white.
MA: So interesting. OK. The last D, defend - I'm guessing this brings us back to DEET bug spray?
TAGLE: Exactly. So DEET has been deemed safe and effective for consumers and the environment by the EPA when used correctly. And a lower concentration, say, 10- to 20%, should cover you for a few hours of summertime fun. Higher concentrations of DEET mean longer coverage, not more effectiveness.
Byrd says it's important to fully cover your exposed skin and clothing in an even layer, so you don't want to just spritz it on like a cologne. So you want to spray evenly everywhere but your face. There, you want to rub the spray in with your hands instead.
MA: Thank you so much. That is Andee Tagle from NPR's Life Kit podcast.
TAGLE: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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