Mosquitoes can be the biggest party crashers of the summer.
The mild winter and the above-average temperatures predicted for June and July are perfect conditions for a bumper crop of buzzing bugs. It’s not welcome news. Illnesses caused by mosquitoes, fleas and ticks more than tripled in the United States since 2004, according to a report released this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And more people have concerns about the West Nile and Zika viruses.
So, if you’re hosting a family reunion, graduation party or just a simple backyard barbecue, you’ll need a battle plan. Removing standing water on your property from plant saucers, clogged gutters and garden containers (potential breeding sites) is as important as stringing party lights and stockpiling ice. There’s an array of products marketed to help deal with mosquitoes and other annoying flying critters: sprays, herbs, zappers, citronella, coils, lanterns, candles, oils, dunks, fogs, torches, table-top diffusers, wipes, lotions and one-time yard treatments. (For advice on using repellents safely, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, epa.gov.)
Consumers have mixed feelings about various types of repellents (just scroll down to the reviews on any product page online), and research shows similarly mixed results. Solutions that work for some don’t work for others.
“I can understand why people look for different types of repellents,” says Joseph Conlon, spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association, “but DEET is the gold standard by which all others are judged, because of repellency tests, and it’s been around for 60 years.” Although some people continue to have reservations about DEET (especially in regard to children, pets and pregnant women), Consumer Reports testers have addressed many of these concerns and report that “the chemical is safe and effective when used as directed.”