Dengue and Rain: How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Home
After the rain come the mosquitoes. What to do about standing water, tanks and screens, how to choose a repellent and what to say about homemade traps, with CDC sources.
When the rains pass, water that stays still in yards, tires and buckets becomes a breeding site. The mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and Zika (Aedes aegypti) bites mostly during the day, lives indoors and outdoors and needs very little water to reproduce. Here is what the CDC recommends, ordered so you can do it in one afternoon.
1. Get rid of standing water, every week
The female lays her eggs stuck to the walls of containers that hold water. The eggs stay glued even if the container dries out, and when water covers them again they hatch and, in about a week, become adult mosquitoes. That is why the rule is to empty and scrub, not just empty.
- Once a week, empty and scrub with a brush or sponge: buckets, cans, plant saucers, pet bowls, toys, tires, vases and trash cans.
- Turn over or store indoors what you do not use.
- Keep plants in soil, not in water.
- Change the water in fountains and bird baths every week.
2. Cover the water you store
If you store water for an emergency (and you should), the CDC asks for a tight lid on buckets, tanks and cisterns. If they have no lid, cover them with a mesh whose holes are smaller than an adult mosquito. Septic tanks should also be sealed. If you want to know how much water to store, it is in this guide.
3. Screens on doors and windows
Install screens and repair any with holes. If there are no screens or air conditioning, the CDC recommends sleeping under a bed net.
4. Repellent: what to look for
The CDC recommends repellents registered with the US EPA containing one of these active ingredients: DEET, picaridin (icaridin outside the US), IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD, and 2-undecanone. In your country, look for those ingredients on the label, use the product as directed and reapply as the maker says.
- If you use sunscreen, put on the sunscreen first and the repellent second.
- Do not apply it under clothing.
- For babies and small children, follow the label and ask your pediatrician.
- Clothing treated with permethrin gives an extra layer of protection.
What about homemade traps?
Many people build traps with a cut bottle, sugar, yeast and water. They may attract some mosquitoes, but the CDC guidance we reviewed does not list them among the main measures. They do not replace emptying water, covering tanks, installing screens and using repellent. If they work for you as a complement, fine; do not rely on them alone.
If you get a fever
The CDC explains that there is no medicine to treat dengue and that the best approach is to avoid the bite. If you have a fever or other symptoms in an area with dengue, see a health care provider. Do not self-medicate.
A habit that helps
Log in Despendo the water you store and check the lid each time you rotate it. That way the same gesture that keeps your water fresh also cuts off the breeding site.
Sources and further reading
Get the free 72-hour kit checklist
Leave your email, confirm it and we will send you the printable PDF. You will also get family preparedness tips and Despendo news. No spam, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
By subscribing you accept our privacy policy.Despendo is an independent app. This guide is general information: adapt it to your family, climate and medical needs, and always follow local authorities' instructions.
