![]() Spray your dog’s dry and irritated skin 1 to 4 times daily. Some homemade anti-itch sprays for dogs include aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, anti-itch dog shampoo, and DIY hydrocortisone sprays. Although there are several commercial anti-itch remedies for dogs, homemade sprays are more cost-effective and easy to use. According to veterinarians, allergies, infections, and parasites are dogs’ leading causes of itching. Between 20, veterinary visits due to itching dogs increased by 50%. you.The number of dogs diagnosed with itching is still rising. ![]() ![]() Mosquitoes are also adept at telling the difference between a trap and a living, breathing host-a.k.a. “Over the last 30 years, there have been many traps marketed as being able to clear a one-acre or five-acre lot,” Day says, “and it has never been my experience, even with very efficient traps, that they can rid a whole area of mosquitoes.”Ī trap in the middle of your backyard will kill mosquitoes that fly close enough to sense its lures, sure, he says, but countless more will come flying into your yard to fill the space they leave behind. Realistically, though, you can’t catch ‘em all. “There’s no doubt that traps can-under the right environmental conditions-capture of a lot of mosquitoes,” Day says. This can do a pretty good job of ensuring they won’t come anywhere near your place.Īs for mosquito traps? They’ve been souped up with fancy features to attract mosquitoes with special lights, heats, or scents. If you live in an area where the mosquitoes are unbearable, it might be worth hiring a professional to come and treat your yard with insecticide, Russell says. DEET in lotion or wipe form is also just as effective as a spray and removes the risk of inhaling it.įinally, don’t waste your money on wearable DEET items, like wristbands or anklets-they don’t actually prevent mosquito bites, says Day. If you’ll be outside for 90 minutes or less, he says a product with 7 to 10% DEET will do the job, and you can always reapply to extend its efficacy (do not go higher than 30%). Instead, squirt a little onto your hands and rub it onto your ankles, elbows, wrists, forehead, and all the other places where your skin is thin-and where mosquitoes love to feed.Īlso important: Day says a product’s DEET concentration determines how long it will last-not how well it will work. Still, he’s quick to add: “Most people don’t understand how to apply it properly.” (Fun fact: DEET makes a great tick repellent, too.)įirst, you should not spray DEET on your body and clothes like it’s perfume, he stresses. When used as directed, it’s extremely effective, since it blocks a mosquito’s CO2 receoptors, Day says. Mosquitoes can carry all sorts of diseases like the West Nile or Zika viruses, or even chikungunya and malaria (which present a higher risk if you travel to certain countries)-all the more reason to ramp up your lines of defense.Įntomologists know how these insects operate, which is why we consulted several for the dos and don’ts of repelling these pesky pests.ĭEET has a bad reputation, but adverse reactions to it are rare-and tend to occur only when people swallow or snort the stuff. Luckily, there are ways to get rid of a mosquito bite quickly, and the irritation should go away within two to three days.īut it’s not just bites you need to worry about-the aftermath can be unpleasant, too. ![]() The result? Those unbearably itchy bumps you scratch and scratch and scratch. Your immune system sees this is a threat and pumps out histamine (the same response it has to allergens) to attack these proteins. If you don’t know why mosquito bites itch and cause havoc, here’s a quick explainer: When one lands on your skin, it feeds on your blood-but once it leaves, the proteins in its saliva stay behind. Believe it or not, it calls for more than bug spray and yard repellents (though those do help). The mosquitoes are ready to chow down, and so you don’t end up with welt-covered limbs after a night of summer fun, it’s important to understand how to prevent mosquito bites from happening in the first place. It’s backyard barbecue season-but you’re not the only one planning a feast. ![]()
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