When you look at the pros and cons of creatures on this planet, is there any worse one than the mosquito? Besides being bat food and an occasional pollinator, it’s impact is almost all negative. Besides all the general itching and annoyance, mosquitoes kill and sicken more people than any other animal or insect, bringing us malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and more. No wonder scientists are releasing lab-modified sterile ones so they will stop reproducing altogether. Or even genetically modify males to produce toxic semen.
While we view mosquito bites as a summer annoyance in the USA, Canada, and Europe, in the tropics it’s a different story. You need to at least try to avoid getting any bites. It’s the only sure way to avoid any threats. Over the years we’ve had Zika spreading as high as Miami and this year there’s been a spike in yellow fever outbreaks in part of Colombia. Dengue fever has spread to higher elevations thanks to global warming and our lackluster response to it.
There are plenty of steps to take to reduce your risk of bites. Here are a few to consider if your travels will take you to affected areas.
Insect Repellent with Plenty of DEET
I’ve tried a whole slew of natural bug repellents and understand how parents want to keep chemicals off the sensitive skin of their children. Unfortunately, very few of them are really effective (All Terrain is probably the best). The CDC only recommends one natural ingredient as being effective — lemon eucalyptus — and the natural solutions need to be reapplied every 15-20 minutes.
The safe bet is one containing DEET, as this is still the best solution on the market by far for battling the bugs. Choose a brand with a healthy amount of DEET included, preferably 30% or more. You can find plenty of options at REI, Target, or even your local drugstore. If you prefer shopping at Amazon you can get this 100% DEET option or these 25% wipes from OFF! that you can pack in a carry-on.
Permethrin Treated Clothing
While this won’t provide a full solution, clothing treated with permethrin can provide another layer of protection against biting insects. Unfortunately, since ExOfficio stopped selling travel clothing and Craghoppers pulled out of the US market, the two main sellers of this solution are now gone.
There are still some around if you search though. Insect Shield is a brand that was marketed through those brands and now they are selling a few items of their own. Otherwise look for clothing that is marketed with names like BugsAway, Nosilife, and the like with the word “Permethrin” in the description. It’s the same general treatment no matter the brand and the effectiveness lasts for around 70 washings. I’ve had good experiences with socks, pants, hats, and shirts. Not many people wear a travel item enough to wash it 70 times.
The main big brand still standing that’s using Insect Shield is Columbia Sportswear, under their Skien Valley line. Here are a few examples for women, click through to see more.
You can do a DIY job with any clothing you already have though by buying spray-on permethrin. It doesn’t leave a stain and humans can’t smell it.
Half the battle is just covering up though. Always wear long-sleeve shirts, socks, and pants when mosquitoes are out and biting (especially at dusk) and put bug spray on any exposed areas. Light-colored clothing is best, both because it’s less attractive to the bugs and because you can see them more easily in contrast when they’re near.
Unfortunately, while mosquitoes carrying some diseases are out in force at the end of the day, the ones that transmit Zika are active all day.
Mosquito Nets and Coils
If you’re staying in a resort that is in an effected area, chances are they’re taking real precautions for you with bug spray in the closet, screens on the windows, and a mosquito net over the bed. If you don’t see all that they’re probably spraying the grounds actively (like you saw in season 3 of White Lotus.) Some will use plug-in repellent devices or mosquito coils during turndown to keep your sleeping quarters cleared. Use the net and close any openings.
Note that for one of the mosquito maladies, yellow fever, there’s an effective vaccine available and you’re actually required to get it before traveling to some tropical countries. So hopefully you can rule that one out. So far there’s no Zika vaccine, though a lot of them are promising and are in the trial stage.
Two malaria vaccines are approved and many are in development, though naturally the supplies are going to the most vulnerable people in the areas where the risk is highest, primarily children in Africa. With more than 600,000 people per year dying from the disease, the first step is to bring those numbers down, then the plan will be to spread it out wider as more candidates in development reach the finish line.
For now, follow the steps in this article and take the threat seriously if you’ll be in a danger zone. Just because you’re on a luxury tour or staying at a luxury resort doesn’t mean you’re immune, especially if you’ll be in a tropical jungle area with standing water around.
