The continuous buzz around your ear when you want to sleep and the itching mozzie bites all contribute to the hate we have for mosquitos. Just about everybody living in South Africa has experienced this annoying little insect and know what it feels like to be disturbed by them.

Mozzie bite

Some people are allergic to the protein in the saliva of the mosquito and the reaction to the bite is often a red, swollen area around the bite area. In most cases, not much more happens than the nasty red spots on the skin, but sometimes people can develop Skeeter Syndrome – that’s when people react to the mosquito bite.

In severe cases, the patient may have trouble to move and may develop a fever. If at any moment the patient struggles to breathe, the person should be taken to the hospital immediately.

In other cases, people might develop an infection where the mosquito bite took place. This normally happens when the person scratches themselves and bacteria enters the wound. Simple first aid would normally be sufficient, but when the infection becomes worse, it is advisable to consult a general practitioner.

Unfortunately for our furry friends, mozzies bite anything who has blood in them – including our pets. Luckily, their fur protects them a bit, but they’re not free from mozzie bites at all.

Disease carriers

Unfortunately, mosquitoes aren’t so innocent at all. Besides malaria, these little critters also carry other diseases that can be transferred to humans.

Malaria – although we tend to think that malaria is only contractable in malaria areas, such as Mpumalanga and Limpopo, there has been many cases where people got malaria outside these areas without travelling to typical malaria areas.

Chikungunya – a less common disease but still found in isolated areas of South Africa. In 1952 this disease broke out in Tanzania and was then identified.

Dengue – it is one of the top ten health threats throughout the world. There isn’t any treatment against this virus yet, and a vaccine has become available, but is not widely available throughout Africa yet.

Zika – this virus only became a threat in 2016. Although most people don’t react with many symptoms, it can be dangerous to pregnant mothers. The disease can cause abortion, stillbirth, birth defects or neurological disorders.

Yellow fever – another disease that is not widespread in South Africa but more in Africa. Yet, people should be aware where this fever occur and make use of the vaccine as there is no treatment available for this disease.

West Nile – another virus that are not common in South Africa. The first case was identified in a woman in the West Nile region of Uganda.

Breeding ground

Most people are aware of the fact that it is the female mozzie that suck blood from humans and vertebrae animals to reproduce and lay eggs. She basically lay her eggs in or near water areas. This could be at lakes, edges of slow flowing rivers, swamps, ponds, containers with water and in between plants where water can be found.

Some mozzies prefer clean water while others prefer still standing water that are rich with nutrients. Even a little bit of water inside a tree trunk or an empty tin can be enough breeding ground for the female to lay her eggs.

Get rid of them

One of the main things to get rid of mozzies to ensure that there is no water in or around your yard. This could be difficult, as many properties in South Africa have swimming pools or ponds. And although we keep them clean, there are still various areas that we don’t think about, especially after rain.

The best and most permanent way to get rid of these mozzies is to get professional help, like Premium Pest Control. We have all the experience to ensure that your property, estate or office will be mozzie-free so that the occupants and your family can have some peaceful sleep throughout the night.

Source: https://www.nicd.ac.za