PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County officials say this mosquito season is off to a slow start compared to last year, but that doesn’t mean things won’t pick you.
They say it’s still essential that everyone take steps to protect themselves, even those like Pinellas County resident Steve Toelken. He doesn’t have problems with mosquitoes.
“For some reason here, they just don’t tend to bite us,” he said. “I don’t know what it is.”
Pinellas County Mosquito Control said it’s not that they’re not biting him; he probably isn’t having a bad reaction to them, so he doesn’t know he’s been bit, according to the health department; that happens often.
They said because some mosquitoes carry diseases, it’s important that people like Toelken still take steps to protect themselves, just like people who have bad reactions.
“Sometimes people can’t the disease and be carriers of it and not even realize because it’s so low systematically,” said Stephen Marlin, an epidemiologist with the Pinellas County Health Department.
We have all heard it before, to protect yourself from mosquitoes: dump standing water; wear long sleeves, long pants, shoes, and socks; use mosquito repellent with deet, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
“Make sure that if you are out during a time when mosquitoes are active during dawn and dusk, use something to defend yourself,” said Alissa Berro, the district director for Pinellas Co. Mosquito Control.
What about the advice you haven’t heard about, like changing your soap? Virginia Tech just finished a study that tested various soaps to see which scents repel misquotes. The scent mosquitoes didn’t like them os was coconut. Berro said she was haphazard about the study, and there is still some more work to be done, but she did find it interesting.
“It was particularly investing because a lot of times, the bacteria that you have on your body is one of those attractors. You would initially thing that soap would wash away that bacteria and change that,” she said. “But, as they’re finding some repel and some maybe will attract a little bit.”
Some other advice: use a fan directly pointing at you outside, and eat lots of garlic. Experts say it’s something mosquitoes can’t stand.
