Bug spray brings its own dangers and irritations
Is there anyone who isn’t bothered by bug spray? While we use it to avoid the dangers and irritation of mosquito bites, bug spray brings its own dangers and irritations.
From a sensory standpoint, it’s stinky and can feel greasy or sticky on your skin. Most of all, bug spray is simply not a very effective way to control mosquitoes.
Let’s dive deeper to learn more about bug sprays and their alternatives.
How Do Bug Sprays Work?
Bug Spray
The bug sprays you can use on your skin block mosquitoes from finding you. They contain chemicals that mask scents and other invisible signals that help mosquitoes find a host. If a mosquito can’t find you, they can’t bite you.
There are many bug sprays on the market that use different chemicals, but the most commonly used chemical is DEET.
DEET blocks mosquitoes from finding you by blocking insects’ scent receptors. DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are considered the most effective chemicals to keep mosquitoes and other pests away from your body.
Some bug sprays use oils such as cedar, geranium, peppermint, and citronella. These oils tend to smell better and be gentler, but they haven’t been tested for effectiveness against mosquitoes.
Why Use Bug Spray at All?
Why Use Bug Spray at All?
For short-term mosquito prevention, bug spray is quick, affordable, and portable. If you’re going somewhere that has mosquitoes, bug spray makes a decent defense in the short term. It’s inexpensive and easy to apply, and it will keep mosquitoes away for up to 10 hours.
The problem is that bug spray doesn’t do anything to control mosquitoes other than the short amount of time you have it on. If you’re putting on bug spray to go in your own backyard, you’ll have to apply it every time you go outside—which gets old fast.
Here are just a few reasons why you may want to think twice before reaching for the bug spray next time you go outside.
Problem #1: Bug spray can make you uncomfortable.
Bug spray contains DEET, a chemical with a strong smell. The smell serves a purpose—to mess with a mosquito’s smell receptors so it can’t find you—but it can also be annoying to you or those around you. Nobody wants to feel like a shower is required just to get rid of that bug spray smell every time they go outside
Other sprays may have more appealing scents, such as the oil of lemon eucalyptus. However, these sprays are often still greasy or sticky and can even leave stains on your clothes.
Adults usually understand the reasons to deal with these inconveniences. However, if you’re responsible for kids, you might meet with more resistance over bug spray.
Problem #2: Bug sprays only treat the symptom, not the underlying issue.
Yes, bug sprays can keep mosquitoes off you for a while, but they’re never going to treat the root problem. You can put bug spray on every time you go outside to sit on your back porch, but doing so won’t decrease the number of mosquitoes that call your yard home.
What if you didn’t have to remember to spray yourself down whenever you went outside? What if you could enjoy an evening outdoors without the smell of DEET or the need to shower once you went back inside?
Solve Your Bug Problems for Good
Mosquito Shield Professional Service
Rather than performing daily spray-downs, let Mosquito Shield help you get rid of your mosquito problems. We take a 3-pronged approach to keeping mosquitoes out of your yard for good:
- Killing existing mosquitoes with our Mosquito and Tick Proprietary Blend
- Masking scents, so mosquitoes aren’t attracted to your scent
- Creating an invisible barrier around your property that keeps future mosquitoes away
We also use our knowledge of mosquito biology and reproductive cycles to spray at the optimum times to prevent mosquitoes from coming back or slipping through.
If you’d like to get rid of your bug spray and enjoy your outdoor spaces this summer, give Mosquito Shield a call today at 1-800-908-7076 or get a free quote.