Mosquito season is near in the Borderland, how you can save yourself from bites
EL PASO, Texas - Immo Hansen is a Professor of Biology at New Mexico State University. He is an expert on all things mosquitos. Hansen told ABC-7 that in previous years, he has seen mosquitos begin to pop up as early as March, but this year he has yet to see one. Nevertheless, they are coming, which raises the question- how can we prevent them from plaguing our backyards and bodies?
The editor of the Farmers' Almanac, Peter Geiger, says you can plant certain species of plants to help keep the insects out of your yard.
"Lavender is very attractive it smells very nice to us but mosquitoes, flies, fleas hate it. Mint is another mosquito repellent but its one that should be used with care because it's a very aggressive type of plant. So if you put mint in a pot and place the pot near your doorways, it'll help keep mosquitoes out of your house sort of speak. Lemongrass is another one it's packed with citronella which is the best-known alternative to Deet so if you crush the leaves and rub it on your skin, test a small area first, it repels bugs from you," Geiger shared.
Professor Hansen told ABC-7 he has "not seen a scientific study that putting these plants in your backyard really reduces mosquito densities." He does say that spraying greater concentrations of various essential oils will help keep them away- but that you may have to keep reapplying based on the concentration you use.
Mosquitos begin to reproduce and thrive when the weather has a certain level of humidity and rainfall. They love to breed in standing water- which is why they are so common during the monsoon. Now is the time to plan. To prevent mosquitos from becoming a nuisance in your backyard, Hansen recommended ensuring there is no standing water in your backyard, whether it's an exposed cup, bucket, or puddle.
He recommended purchasing mosquito-eating fish for those of you with a pond or a body of water near or around your house.
"If you have a pond in the backyard, get some mosquito fish- some gambusia. These mosquito fish are just awesome. They survive in really dirty water, the water can get warm, you don't have to feed them at all, all they do is feed on insects that fly into your little pond," the professor shared.
To protect yourself from bites and even diseases, chemical combinations and various essential oils can be used to help deter mosquitos. At NMSU, Professor Hansen has conducted several studies on this exact topic. In one, various essential oils were put on a human subject's arm, which was then put into a container filled with mosquitos. The professor and his students measured how long it would take for the mosquitos to be deterred by the smell of the essential oils. In this study, Hansen shared that peppermint oil was the most successful and quickest deterrent for mosquitos.
ABC-7 asked if there are certain plants that people should put in their yards to help prevent mosquitos from coming into their backyard.
Here is the professor's response: "putting specific plants in your backyard is not going to reduce the number of mosquitos you are going to find there. I know there are plants you can buy from Home Depot that claim that they repel mosquitos. These are plants that produce essential oils that if you concentrate them they repel mosquitos. But I have not seen a scientific study showing that putting these plants in your backyard really reduce mosquito densities."
Professor Hansen shared this list from the Environmental Protection Agency, which shows all of the ingredients that can be used in minimum risk pesticide products. It includes a long list of various essential oils and other ingredients.
