I tried the oscillating fan stuff, and got bitten three times in a couple of hours. Guess there are some mosquitoes which can actually fly over a fan's currents.
Local hint: in Spain, we are being invaded by the tiger mosquito[1], which is faster, stronger, and stealthier than regular mosquitoes. They don't care about oscillating fans. So don't trust the fan thingy. I would recommend DEET-based repellents or Autan, which contains Icaridin[2] and has never failed me. I've seen those fuckers hover my legs in rage, unable to land and bite me.
Its saliva causes infection in a large number of individuals, the marks last for 7-14 days[1], and itches as if your leg is on fire. The only remedy is to apply heat[2] and wait for your body to get used to it.
The worst part is that you have to change habits, never lean outdoors if there are mosquitoes, you can't stop have a nice conversation with people on the street without getting your legs bitten, because those fuckers are fast. Even cafe terraces have to install mosquito repellents, because people stop staying outdoors.
In Spain, most houses have an outdoor patio, but people don't use it anymore. It is nice being outside, but the tradeoff is a week of really, really itchy legs (and a possible infection)
It's not fatal, but the pain is way higher than a regular mosquito bite, and it makes you paranoid whenever you are outdoors. God I hate them.
PS: always apply a repellent on your skin before going out
Comments
I tried the oscillating fan stuff, and got bitten three times in a couple of hours. Guess there are some mosquitoes which can actually fly over a fan's currents.
Local hint: in Spain, we are being invaded by the tiger mosquito[1], which is faster, stronger, and stealthier than regular mosquitoes. They don't care about oscillating fans. So don't trust the fan thingy. I would recommend DEET-based repellents or Autan, which contains Icaridin[2] and has never failed me. I've seen those fuckers hover my legs in rage, unable to land and bite me.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus
[2] http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=Autan.uk-FAQ...
That same species is just now invading Silicon Valley:
http://belmont-ca.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/deadly-as...
Sorry man, you'd better start preparing.
Its saliva causes infection in a large number of individuals, the marks last for 7-14 days[1], and itches as if your leg is on fire. The only remedy is to apply heat[2] and wait for your body to get used to it.
The worst part is that you have to change habits, never lean outdoors if there are mosquitoes, you can't stop have a nice conversation with people on the street without getting your legs bitten, because those fuckers are fast. Even cafe terraces have to install mosquito repellents, because people stop staying outdoors.
In Spain, most houses have an outdoor patio, but people don't use it anymore. It is nice being outside, but the tradeoff is a week of really, really itchy legs (and a possible infection)
It's not fatal, but the pain is way higher than a regular mosquito bite, and it makes you paranoid whenever you are outdoors. God I hate them.
PS: always apply a repellent on your skin before going out
[1] http://www.azbowserfamily.com/images/72907mosquito.jpg
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/ (however, I just dip a spoon on hot water and apply it against the bite for some seconds)