Ankle Biter Mosquito

Submitted by: Kimmie

Most of us know what they are though we rarely see them.  Sneaky little suckers. What makes these different than the mosquitoes that we grew up with? I wanted to know.  So, I figured I’d do a quick research.

Unlike the normal big flying mosquitoes that come out at night, (that you can see) these things bite during the day and you rarely see them! Apparently, they came to Southern California a few years ago, in a container ship from Asia. (Thanks Asia!) They are actually called the Asian Tiger Mosquito and/or Yellow Fever Mosquito. The females need blood to produce eggs! She bites during the day and she bites very fast and repeatedly!

They usually aim for the ankles, but can bite anywhere, especially exposed areas.  A couple weeks ago I was in my friend’s backyard for maybe a half hour and I forgot my Bug repellant. Three bites in a matter of minutes and I didn’t see one bug. If you’ve gotten bit, you know, they are relentless, and their bites are not the normal itch. It’s one of the worst itches I’ve ever had. If you scratch it, the redness really spreads.  I have had to draw circles around the red a couple times because I was concerned about the spread. Some people have literally had to be treated with antibiotics.

As bad as that is, it’s not even the worst part. They carry diseases, such as West Nile and Zika Virus to name just a couple. So, not only are they annoying but they can cause you to become very very sick.

Since they are not going to leave any time soon, prevention is of the utmost importance. You should never leave standing water around your home. They can lay eggs in a very tiny amount (spoonful) of water. Wearing long pants or long sleeves is a good deterrent, but it’s hot here, and I have had people tell me they have been bit through their clothing. So, always ALWAYS wear some form of bug repellant.

For Bug repellant, I recommend, use and sell, Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug guard. So many people have been buying this up this summer. I’ve never seen it sell out over and over like it has this year! It comes in plain bug repellant and also the Bug guard Expedition spray contains sunscreen as well. It’s a strong and dependable repellant.

If all else fails and you get bit, my friend turned me on to this and it does help a lot! It’s called the Bug Bite Thing. Its purpose is to suck out the venom, thereby stopping the itch. I used it on the last couple bites I got and they actually didn’t get huge and went away pretty quickly. Unlike the ones I got at the beginning of summer that ended up red, huge and itching for weeks.

So, enjoy your summer, but be careful and proactive, because these bites can cause disease.