Mosquitoes love me. They adore Bailey; Spencer, not so much. It seems that balmy evenings outdoors can be hindered for some of us by the sharp fangs of a tiny little bug.
Today’s Science section of the New York Times related a story about a lovely backyard barbecue, sans mosquitoes, and harmful chemicals.
The hosts placed an oscillating fan on the table, which kept the bugs at bay.
The Mosquito Control Association ( yes, that really exists!) claims that the little insects are weak, slow fliers, and the added wind from the fan is a deterrent. It also speculates that the fan blows away the human emanations that the female mosquitoes zero in on. It seems that only the females bite, using our blood for their eggs.
Whatever the reason, if this low tech, natural remedy works, we are all in.
Give it a try at your next outdoor event, and let us know how it works.
photo: glasshouse images
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Tags: fans, low tech, mosquito bites, mosquito deterrant, nature, New York Times science section, outdoors
Indigo jones 
July 21, 2013 at 8:30 am |
Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed!
Extremely useful information specially the closing
part 🙂 I deal with such info a lot. I used to be looking for this particular information for a
long time. Thanks and good luck.
July 31, 2013 at 11:11 am |
“Mosquitoes are relatively weak fliers,” it says on its website, “so placing a large fan on your deck can provide a low-tech solution.” The group says mosquitoes fly slowly — from roughly 1 to 1.5 mph, depending on the species.