Department of Public Health

All residents are urged to continue taking personal precautions to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV). These include using insect repellent, covering exposed skin when outside, and avoiding outdoor activities between the hours of dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are at their most active.

Peak times for mosquitoes are from dusk to dawn. Use mosquito repellent any time you are outdoors, but especially during peak times. And remember, being outside even a short time can be long enough to get a mosquito bite. If weather permits, wear long-sleeves, long pants and socks. Use mosquito netting on baby carriages or play yards when your baby is outdoors.

Keep mosquitoes out of your house by making sure screens are repaired and are tightly attached to doors and windows. And prevent mosquitoes from breeding by removing standing water around your house from places like wading pools, recycle bins, and flower pots. Mosquitoes can begin to grow in any puddle or standing water that lasts for more than four days.

Choosing an Effective Repellent

When choosing a repellent, look at the active ingredient on the product label. Repellents that contain DEET work very well against mosquitoes. In general, higher concentrations of DEET don't work better, they simply last longer. You should use less than 30 percent DEET on kids and infants over 2 months. Don’t use any DEET on infants less than 2 months old. Whatever product you choose, be sure to read the label to see what the concentration of DEET is and how often it should be reapplied.

There some other products that are proven to be effective against mosquitoes. They are permethrin, picaridin or IR3535. A number of "natural" products are available for use as mosquito repellents, but tests show that most of these products do not provide the same level of protection or work as long. The exception is oil of lemon eucalyptus, which provides as much protection as low concentrations of DEET.

Learn more about how to protect yourself at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv