Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection that has continuously plagued our beloved island. More so due to Singapore’s tropical climate which heightens the risk of dengue infection.
Based on the latest quarterly dengue surveillance data by the National Environment Agency (NEA), 29 deaths have been reported in the year 2020 with the number of cases surpassing a record high from the year 2019.
This is a major cause for concern as the monsoon season approaches. Bear in mind that only female mosquitoes bite humans and they need water to lay their eggs. This implies that as the rainy season approaches, chances are that more public places and even your home can be the breeding ground for mosquitoes.
When an uninfected female mosquito, especially the Aedes aegypti mosquito, bites an infected person, they can spread the disease to other people for the rest of its life. If you’re wondering how easy it is to get infected, let’s just say it’s fairly easy if you don’t take any precaution when you’re outdoors.
While the disease is treatable if given proper and timely treatment, it can be deadly if the infected person enters a critical phase about 3-7 days after developing the illness. Severe dengue can cause the infected person to suffer from the following warning signs:
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● Severe abdominal pain
● Persistent vomiting
● Rapid breathing
● Bleeding gums
● Fatigue
● Restlessness
● Blood in vomit.
Ahead, we’re sharing several ways for you to fight and prevent the spread of dengue at home.
REMOVE STAGNANT WATER
As female mosquitoes rely on water to complete their life cycle, you can break their cycle by removing traces of stagnant water in and around your house.
Possible breeding areas in your house include your dish rack, flowerpots, buckets, planters, trash can, and any water-holding container. When these containers are not in use, scrub and turn them over so that the water doesn’t accumulate.
You should also remove the stagnant water outside your house which can be found in the perimeter drain, gully trap and discarded containers. That way, you can reduce the mosquito population in and around your house.
SPRAY OR APPLY MOSQUITO REPELLENT
When you need to perform an outdoor activity, it’s best to apply mosquito repellent on exposed skin and your clothing. This reduces the chances of attracting mosquitoes due to your sweat and excess carbon dioxide.
Never allow your children to handle a repellent. Instead, apply it to your hands first and then on your children.
You can also spray mosquito repellent inside your house, provided that you don’t spray it directly to anyone in the house. Spraying the repellent in your room before bedtime may kill all the mosquitoes that are hiding in dark corners. That way, you can sleep in peace.
INSTALL WINDOW SCREENS
The screens are usually made of metal or plastic mesh which is stretched in a metal frame. This can keep mosquitoes and other insects from flying inside the house while maintaining the view and regulate the airflow.
Window screens are generally used by landed homeowners but this doesn’t mean that you can’t install one at your HDB. By installing window screens, you can keep out the mosquitoes while enjoying the outdoor view.
WEAR LONG-SLEEVE TOPS AND LONG PANTS
Your choice of outfit when you’re outdoors can also prevent mosquitoes from biting you. Female mosquitoes have receptors that can detect excess carbon dioxide and sweat. Such receptors work to lead them straight to your bare skin.
By wearing long-sleeves and long pants, you’re creating a barrier between your skin and the mosquito.
These methods only work to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your house. If you’re looking to keep them out of your house, you may want to consider enlisting help from the professionals like Pestbusters.
Our integrated pest management programme is designed to strike out and fully eliminate mosquitoes from your house. Among the strategies we have to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds are larviciding, BTI (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis) and misting.
For indoor purposes, we harness the use of BTI, a biological agent that is specially formulated to eliminate mosquito larvae within 2 to 24 hours. We’ll first spray the substance into stagnant waters where you found the larvae. Once the larvae ingest the agent via filter-feeding, their guts will be destroyed and die within a day. You can rest assured that this agent is harmless to humans.
Don’t wait too long to contact us as you may prolong the chance of mosquitoes breeding in and around your house. Contact us at (+65) 6288 2828 or: (+65) 9180 9990 or enquire online today for the total removal of mosquitoes!