Although a plan to use genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida to fight the spread of Zika is on hold for now, a new survey says that most residents approve such a tactic. [More]
mosquitoes
New Cluster Of Zika Cases Linked To Local Mosquitoes Reported In Miami Beach
By 8.19.16
The tally of Zika cases linked to bites from local mosquitoes down in Florida has just grown, after health officials said they’ve identified new cases in Miami Beach. [More]
FTC Sends Warning Letters To Online Marketers Peddling Ineffective Zika-Prevention Products
By 8.5.16
It’s been a busy week for authorities going after sham products: a day after the New York Attorney General’s office announced that six companies had agreed to stop selling products that are ineffective at warding off Zika-carrying mosquitoes, the Federal Trade Commission is reminding a slew of businesses marketing Zika-prevention products that it’s illegal to make health claims that simply aren’t true. [More]
New York AG: 6 Of 7 Targeted Companies Will Stop Selling Ineffective Zika Prevention Products
By 8.4.16
Well, that was quick: a day after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that the state had sent cease-and-desist letters to seven companies accused of peddling various Zika prevention products that don’t actually work, six of those businesses have agreed to stop selling and marketing the items. [More]
Pesticide Workers Finding It Tricky To Spray For Mosquitoes Amid Swarms Of Pokémon Go Players
By 8.4.16
Pokémon Go players have basically one job: catch Pokémon. Pesticide workers also have a job to do: kill bugs. Those two occupations are getting a bit tangled up in Texas, where truck drivers trying to spray for mosquitoes are happening upon swarms of Pokémon Go fans at all hours of the day and night. [More]
Florida Officials Investigating 4 Cases Of Zika That May Have Been Transmitted By Mosquitoes
By 7.29.16
For the first time in the U.S., health officials believe local mosquitoes may have transmitted the Zika virus to humans. [More]
Here’s A Map Of Where Scientists Have Found Mosquitoes Capable Of Carrying Zika In The U.S.
By 6.14.16
Mosquitoes are annoying enough, what with their desire to chomp on juicy humans. However, if the same kind of suckers that carry Zika virus elsewhere in the world could be dwelling among us, that could make them more than irksome: it could make them downright scary. So where exactly in the U.S. could mosquitos capable of carrying Zika mosquitoes show up? [More]
Consumer Reports Shares Mosquito Repellent Ratings For Zika Virus Prevention
By 2.5.16
Even if you’ve only been half paying attention to the news, you’ve heard something about the Zika virus, even if it’s only that a bunch of people have changed their travel plans, governments are advising couples to delay trying to conceive children, and someone had to rename a car. It’s spread mainly by mosquitoes, , and that’s something that our product-testing cousins down the hall at Consumer Reports can help with. They test mosquito repellents, and have released their ratings to non-subscribers. [More]
Science Says: Victoria’s Secret Perfume Is A Pretty Great Mosquito Repellent
By 11.11.15 — Updated: 5.23.17
When the hot, humid months of summer roll around, I usually skip using any flowery, sweet-smelling perfumes because I don’t like to be followed around by clouds of mosquitoes. But just because a scent is particularly odoriferous, that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be more susceptible to bug bites, according to a study that studied a flowery fragrance from Victoria’s Secret along more traditional insect repellents. [More]
Mosquitoes, Meet The Electric Fan: A More Than Worthy Opponent
By 7.17.13
Now that we know whether or not mosquitoes are likely to be coming for us, the next step is creating a line of defense. Sure, there are all those smelly citronella candles and bug sprays and the like — but there’s something even easier you can do, something so brilliant in its sheer simplicity I just want to go around telling everyone I know about it: Turn on a fan. [More]
5 Reasons Mosquitoes Find You So Darn Irresistible
By 7.15.13 — Updated: 5.2.17
I once had a roommate casually mention that she never got mosquito bites because she wasn’t allergic to the little buggers. Hearing this, while I was grumpily slathering hydrocortisone over seemingly innumerable red itchy skin splotches caused an overwhelming and totally rational jealousy. Why me? Why anyone? Stupid bugs. [More]
Turn On A Fan To Swat Mosquitoes
By 7.16.10
Forget about coating yourself with DEET, turning on that bug zapper or buying one of those gas-powered, suction-enhanced instruments of mass annihilation. If you want to rid your yard of mosquitoes, the answer may be as simple as turning on a fan. [More]
