How to stop mosquito bites 如何防止蚊子叮咬
 

　　夏天是蚊虫活跃的季节。被蚊子叮咬不仅让人心烦意乱，还可能对健康构成威胁。除了驱蚊剂、电子灭虫灯以外，还有哪些可以防蚊、驱蚊的方法？本文介绍常见的防蚊和驱蚊措施。

　　词汇：protection from insects 防虫

　　Summer is a great time of year – but, unfortunately, it's not just us humans that enjoy it. Mosquitos seem to make the most out of the season by biting us, and as well as being annoying, mosquito-borne diseases can be dangerous. What can we do to avoid getting bitten?

　　The most obvious answer is to use mosquito repellent. Professor James Logan from the London School of Hygiene² and Tropical Medicine explains that DEET, the chemical used in many repellents, confuses the insects' sense of smell, making it difficult to recognise humans. Though be careful – as biologist Roger Eritja points out – any bits of skin that aren't covered by repellent are still likely to get bitten. Logan also recommends using plug-in insecticides to kill or repel¹ mosquitos in the room. However, it might be best to avoid using electric bug³ zappers. Daniel Markowski from the American Mosquito Control Association highlights that mosquitos are only a small proportion of the number of insects they kill, and that many of the others are beneficial.

　　Clothing is another consideration that affects whether mosquitos choose to attack us. Amy Glover, writing in the Huffington Post, tells us that dark colours attract mosquitos. James Logan adds that loose clothing is preferable as it is harder for mosquitos to bite through – they're even able to penetrate⁴ jeans if they are worn tightly.

　　Light, loose clothing also means people sweat less. A 2019 study showed that mosquitos are able to use the smell of human sweat to find their victims. This is why Homes editor Katie Mortram recommends taking a shower before bed to avoid getting bitten. Another way to stop the smell of your sweat attracting mosquitos is to use deodorant⁵ to disguise the smell of your sweat. Masie Vollans – a researcher into mosquito ecology, points out that a compound found in deodorants⁶ has been shown to stop mosquitos landing on the skin.

　　What we eat and drink may also have an impact on how attractive we are to mosquitos. Vollans mentions two studies that found drinking beer and eating bananas can make people more attractive to mosquitos.

　　So, as well as using repellents and insecticides, thinking about our clothing, reducing our sweat and changing what we eat and drink could help to reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

　　词汇表

　　bite 叮，咬

　　mosquito-borne disease 由蚊子传播的疾病

　　mosquito repellent 驱蚊剂

　　tropical medicine 热带医学

　　DEET 避蚊胺（常见防蚊液成分）

　　insect 昆虫

　　skin 皮肤

　　insecticide 杀虫剂

　　bug zapper 灭虫灯

　　attack 攻击

　　attract 吸引

　　penetrate 穿过，穿透

　　sweat 出汗，流汗

　　victim 牺牲品

　　deodorant 体味除臭剂

　　land on 落在，停在

 

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