MANKATO, Minn. -
Nothing ruins a perfect summer evening like a swarm of mosquitoes. What begins as a pleasant afternoon barbecue can quickly turn into a frantic battle of swatting and scratching.
The war against the almighty mosquito starts with water. These blood sucking pests like to lay their eggs on the surface of water, and they only need the barest amount. So do your part by clearing out any standing water. Next there is protecting yourself from bites.
Dr. Dan Dockham with Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato says, "The best way to prevent all of this is with insect repellent, such as the DEET based stuff tends to work the best."
Brendan Archerd from Arrow Ace Hardware says, "The higher the DEET percentage, the better it is going to be for keeping away those mosquitoes."
For the kids there are also some DEET free options.
If you actually want to use your outdoor space without constantly reaching for the bug spray, there are also some ways you can make your yard bug–free.
Archerd says, "This you would just hook up to your hose and attach that and actually spray that on your lawn anywhere you would be having lets say a barbecue or anything like that."
If you'd rather not blanket your property in bug–killing chemicals, pick up some citronella candles or tiki torches and put them around your deck.
Archerd says, "It will kind of create a barrier to where you are at, the smoke, the bugs don't like the smoke, or the smell of it."
Still, no matter what you do, it's likely you'll get bit at least once or twice. Whether you reach for the anti–itch cream, or just tough it out, do your best not itch it.
Dockham says, "More common with all of this is secondary bug bites, people scratch them or can embed a bacterial infection that can get in the skin."
If that is the case, you will need antibiotics, so if you see increase redness, or spreading, you should probably head to the doctor.
You should also be on the look out for lyme–disease–carrying ticks.
Dockham says, "It's out there, it can start with a rash or ring like target lesion around the area that you have been bit, so if you see that you want to get in and be seen right away."
New this year, you can also download ad app for your iPhone or droid to keep away the bugs. These apps use an ultrasonic sound that scares away the skeeters.
Unfortunately, it also works on dogs and cats, so if you have pets, this probably isn't your best option.
