(WBBM NEWSRADIO) - As people are being urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites to reduce the risk of contracting diseases including West Nile Virus, a bug expert is separating fact from fiction.
Allen Lawrance, curator of etymology at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, says, if you tend to get more mosquito bites than others, it could be because of how you smell to them.
“Everybody is affected a little bit differently,” Lawrence says. “Some people never get bites. Some people get a ton. It is also true that some people are more sensitive to the bites and will swell up a little bit more and notice them more.”
Lawrance also says there are several myths about ways to reduce your risk of mosquito bites.
“Wristbands won’t work, eating garlic will not work, and insect repellent plants do not work. Candles and bug zappers probably will not make a meaningful impact,” he says.
Lawrance says the best ways to reduce your risk of mosquito bites include using repellent containing DEET and getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
He also recommends staying indoors around dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
If you go out at those times, he suggests wearing long sleeves, long pants, shoes, socks and mosquito repellent.
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