Skip to main content

Mosquito Products. Are they safe for our health ?


There are plenty of mosquito products we can use to get rid of these nasty insects. Some of them are effective some are not. I guess we all one of these mosquito products at home, but have you ever wondered how they work or are they hazardous for you health? So lets see what kind of mosquito products are out there and how safe they are.

Mosquito products could be classified in two categories based on their purpose. So there are in the first category are the mosquito products that kill the insects and in the second one we've got the products that repels mosquitoes. The products grouped in these two categories there are indoor and outdoor mosquito products.

To understand how these mosquito products work we must understand what attracts mosquitoes. So when humans and animals exhale, they give off CO2 (carbon dioxide) and other scents. Mosquitoes have sensors that can detect the presence of these chemicals at a distance of over 100 feet. Once the mosquito picks up the scent, they will immediately change direction and fly rapidly toward the intended victim. So the purpose of mosquito products would be either to attract and kill the insect or to deceive its senses.

In the fist category of mosquito products would be bug zappers and mosquito magnets. An electric bug-zapper works by attracting insects to a central ultraviolet light, surrounded by a lethal electrical grid so when the mosquito touches that grid gets burned. The best in this mosquito products category, would be the old mosquito magnet the most high-tech (and expensive) weapon in the homeowner's arsenal of mosquito products, made by American Biophysics Corporation. It uses propane to emit carbon dioxide, just as people do, which is one of the things that helps mosquitoes find you. Once mosquitoes are lured to the device, they are sucked into a trap where they dehydrate and die. So these would be about all the mosquito products that have the purpose to lure, trap and kill the mosquitoes.

In the second category of mosquito products are the repellents. They work by blocking the receptors on mosquitoes antennae for the: moisture, warmth CO2 (carbon dioxide) and odor produced by humans that are all attractants for mosquitoes. Even if it is a spray or an ointment the best repellent is DEET.
DEET (diethyl toluamide) was developed in Orlando in the 1950s and contains a synthetic chemical repellent. The mosquito products marketed today contain various concentrations of DEET some of them even to 100 percent witch is not so good for your skin. Mosquito products containing 5 percent to 7 percent DEET keep mosquitoes away for up to 2 1/2 hours.

Citronella, which is also part of this second mosquito products category, is a volatile, liquid oil derived from dried cultivated grasses. It works by repelling animals and insects without harming or killing them. It has a distinctive odor, which also repels certain animals. Oil of Citronella is considered so unlikely to cause harmful effects that some citronella products are exempt from the usual regulation. The mosquito products containing citronella come in the form of candles, cartridges, and rub-on products.

These would be the most important mosquito products available on the market today some of them effective some less effective but I think that the most important thing is weather they are safe for you, your family and your loved ones.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Kill Mosquitoes at Home

Mosquitoes are a problem specific to the summer period we face every day. When they invade your home, your sleep becomes a nightmare, and the whole family's health may be jeopardized. Here are some ways to show you how to kill mosquitoes at home . 1.An insect net is the classical and by far the safest. Since it was installed, you can sleep peacefully and be assured that the mosquitoes will not come around you. You'll also save money that you would normally pay for short-term solutions. It may be installed on any window or door. According to the existing woodwork, you decide if you can mount one youself or if you need a specialist to ask for help. 2.Air conditioning is another way to keep mosquitoes out. Although this is not the purpose of the device, chances are while using it to prevent mosquitoes access. They do not like cold air, but rather prefer the heat from the outside. 3.Anti-mosquito sprays will kill mosquitoes but only for a short period of time (several hours)
13 comments
Read more

Findings Could Lead To A Safer And More Effective Method To Control Mosquito-caused Malaria

Science Daily— A Mayo Clinic researcher has discovered a target site within malaria-carrying mosquitoes that could be used to develop pesticides that are toxic to the Anopheles gambiae mosquito and other mosquito species. It would not affect humans and other mammals. If supported by further studies, the findings could offer a safer and more effective control of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria. Yuan-Ping Pang, Ph.D., a chemist and expert in computer-aided molecular design at Mayo Clinic, identified two unique amino acid residues called cysteine (286) and arginine (339). These exist in three mosquito species and the German cockroach. Dr. Pang's findings are significant because the residues could potentially be used as a target site for a pesticide that would incapacitate only insects that carry these residues, which do not exist in mammals. The findings appear in the current issue of PLoS ONE, a new, peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Public Library of Scienc
3 comments
Read more

Protect Horses from West Nile Virus

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r050718.htm Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with Fort Dodge Animal Health, an animal biologics and pharmaceutical company, have developed the world’s first licensed DNA vaccine. The vaccine, which protects horses from West Nile virus, was licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week. The technology could serve as a basis for future development of human vaccines.
1 comment
Read more