As temperatures warm up, an annual pest with a nasty bite is making its return to the D.C. area.
Mosquitoes are back and chances are you may have already encountered one or two — or more — while outdoors.
Mike Raupp, an entomologist known as “The Bug Guy” at the University of Maryland, said this is the time of year the blood suckers really start emerging from standing water around homes.
“They’re going to finish their development, they’re gonna pop out of there, and they’re going to be hungry,” Raupp said. “There will be blood.”
Not only can the bugs leave itchy bites, some of them can transmit diseases. Raupp said in the D.C. region, West Nile virus is the main concern.
Raupp said most mosquitoes come out for a bite at dusk and dawn. The exception is the Asian Tiger Mosquito, which Raupp said will bite you at all times of the day.
It’s impossible to eliminate mosquitoes from around your home but taking time now to hunt for any standing water can knock down on the number of bugs near you.
“Find any source of standing water, turn those things over, clean those gutters, get rid of that standing water — this is going to cut down on the breeding sites for mosquitoes,” Raupp said.
Raupp said even though it’s nice outside, limiting the time you spend outdoors is one of the best ways to avoid getting bit.
If you are heading out, Raupp urges you to wear lightweight, light-colored clothing to keep the insects away. Clothing pretreated with permethrin will repel both mosquitoes and ticks.
For sprays, Raupp recommends lemon-eucalyptus oil, which keeps the biters away for around four hours.
“If you’re really getting into the weeds, if you’re going someplace where mosquito bites are heavy, you might want to consider applying DEET. That’s the gold standard of mosquito repellents,” Raupp said.
Sprays with picaridin, according to Raupp, is similar to DEET when it comes to how long it will keep mosquitoes away.
