Once upon a time there are no mosquitoes . "No me moleste mosquito ... / Just let me eat my burrito!" The Doors sang in the song "The mosquito", that is the mosquitos of the English speakers, from the album Full circle, of 1972, second record made after Jim's death Morrison.
And today's mosquitoes seem to be much more annoying than they were then. Surviving the harsh winter, the first mosquitoes of 2010 will buzz in Europe as early as mid-May and, as announced by La Repubblica, they will last for twelve generations, which means that we will have them all summer long.
It is not worth undergoing the redundancy of certain alarmisms, because nature itself holds the key to protecting us from these buzzing insects.
Mosquito bite: prevent them with natural remedies
To prevent mosquito bites, lotions with essential oils based on citronella are useful, a natural remedy that you can find in herbal medicine. Eliminate all stagnant water both at home and on balconies, terraces and gardens.
For example, saucers and watering cans are one of the ideal places where tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs. If you have water tanks that you cannot empty, cover them with tightly stretched lids or mosquito nets, so that the mosquitoes cannot enter to lay eggs.
A “grandmother's remedy” is that of the copper wire, which you can store in small containers (for example, the usual saucers): the copper of the electric wires is sufficient, but use it only if you really can't eliminate the stagnation of water.
The catambra, a very beautiful plant that seems to be an effective natural remedy against mosquitoes, has been patented by a nursery in the province of Brescia and secured as a "mosquito repellent", thanks to the high concentration of catalpolo (a natural substance) with which it would exercise a powerful repellent action against mosquitoes and six-legged flying insects.
A curious novelty from the States : the University of Florida is developing a new preparation based on acylpiperidine, naturally occurring among the active ingredients of pepper commonly used in cooking. It seems that no volunteer was stung after having heroically held his arm in a glass tube where about 500 of the ravenous insects were buzzing.
3 essential oils against insects to prevent and treat bites
If the mosquitoes have already hit
Affected but not sunk. With large reddish swellings that beg us to be scratched. But you, no, don't let yourself be tempted. Itching is an allergic reaction of the skin to an anticoagulant component injected by the sting of mosquitoes at the time of the puncture.
As with all allergens, the strength of the reaction is different from person to person and also depends on the species of mosquito that has the point.
To mitigate the itching, pass over the skin of the garlic cut in half: the impact burning will leave room for a feeling of relief from the itching and the disappearance of the swelling. Alternatively, cut a slice of lemon and rub it on the sting; the same effect can also be obtained by passing a slice of onion on the skin.
Again, pour half a teaspoon of salt into half a glass of water and dab the irritated areas. Prepare a mixture of water and baking soda and apply it to the area that was tip.
If you then have lavender leaves available to rub gently on the affected area to alleviate irritation or for the same purpose you can use lavender essential oil to dab onto the skin. Finally, among the natural remedies, aloe vera is infallible: apply a small amount of juice or gel to the affected area to soothe the sensation of discomfort resulting from the sting.
Usefulness of mosquitoes
But can these insects only be annoying or can we venture some hypotheses about the usefulness of mosquitoes? Mosquitoes, which appeared on earth long before us, occupy their place in nature, and participate in the stability of ecosystems, especially those in the so-called wetlands.
With their nectar-based diet, mosquitoes are plant pollination agents, such as the bee and the butterfly. Mosquito larvae are also a source of food for some fish, in particular they are appreciated by goumari, some birds, and bats, which devour up to one million per single specimen and are often used as real instruments, or better allies, for the reclamation of the city areas. Therefore, mosquitoes "serve", in the sense that they participate as protagonists in the economy of nature.
