The mosquito season has started. People are massively sharing tips against mosquito bites on social media, but does everything work just as well? Biologist Arnold van Vliet of Wageningen University distinguishes the facts from the fables.
The female mosquitoes wake up from hibernation during this period. They look for breeding grounds. That is why people are now seeing more and more mosquitoes. Van Vliet: “Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the water. With the wet weather, they are currently finding enough suitable places.”
If it stays this humid, many eggs will hatch in about a month. “Then we get more mosquitoes. That happens several times a year. Each new generation provides more mosquitoes, if there are enough breeding grounds. That depends on the temperature and the wet weather.”
“One gets bitten more often than the other. You can’t help that.”
Good preparation is important to protect yourself against annoying mosquito bites. But remedies with lemon, mint or lavender? They probably won’t help you. Van Vliet: “I have my doubts about that. Scented candles and oils don’t seem to deter mosquitoes.”
What does help? Find someone who is often bitten by mosquitoes. “It may not be such a social solution, but it works. Mosquitoes find your body odor and temperature attractive or not. That is why one is bitten more often than the other. Unfortunately, you cannot do anything about it yourself.”
What can you do?
- Make sure you have good screens on your windows.
- Once every two or three weeks, empty all the stuff in your garden with water. For example, bird baths or flower pots.
- Also close your rain barrel.
Some people also have a lot of mosquitoes in the house in winter. According to the biologist, they should take a look in the crawl space of the house. “The molestus, a kind of house mosquito, does not hibernate. This species sometimes finds breeding places in crawl spaces where there is water.”