The 5-step mozzie wipeout

1 Change water in vases and bowls on alternate days. The female Aedes mosquito prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water.

2 Remove water from flower pot plates on alternate days. Clean and scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs.

3 Turn over water storage containers.
This prevents water from collecting inside. Domestic storage containers have been the top mosquito breeding habitat in the past three years.

4 Loosen soil from potted plants to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water on the surface of the hardened soil.

5 Clear blockages and put Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI) insecticide in roof gutters monthly. BTI is a biological control agent that manages mosquito breeding.

Blockages could resulting in the buildup of stagnant water. Add prescribed amounts of sand granular insecticide monthly even if the gutters are dry.

SOURCE: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

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ANTI-MOZZIE PRODUCTS 

1 TIGER BALM MOSQUITO REPELLENT SPRAY

• 60ml spray

• $7.90

Lasts: Up to six hours

Contains natural ingredients like citronella, camphor and menthol

2 TIGER BALM MOSQUITO REPELLENT PATCH

• 10 individually-sealed patches in a box

• $8.50

Lasts: Up to six hours

Contains natural ingredients like citronella, camphor and menthol

3 SOUNDTEOH UV LED INSECT KILLER

• $39.90

• Utilises special UV LED to lure insects to high voltage grids, which then kills them.

LED lifetime: About 120,000 hours

Power consumption: 4.8W

4 MOZ AWAY INSECT REPELLENT LOTION

• $8.15

Lasts: Eight to nine hours

Contains Picaridin, another chemical that has proven effective for preventing mosquito bites

5 OFF! CLIP-ON MOSQUITO REPELLENT

• $8.90

Lasts: Up to 12 hours

A battery-powered fan circulates odorless repellent

6 HANSAPLAST ANTI-INSECT SPRAY

• $14.85 (twin pack)

Lasts: Up to six hours

Non-greasy, suitable for body and face. Contains ingredients: Ethyl Butylacetylaminopropionate

7 LEMON BALM

(Melissa Officinalis)

• About $8 a pot from plant nurseries


• Crushing the leaves of this herb and rubbing them on your skin supposedly provides a measure of protection against mosquito bites.

8 MOSQUITO PLANT

(Pelargonium Citrosum or Graveolens) 


• About $8 a pot from plant nurseries.

• Crushed leaves of the Pelargonium citrosum seem to offer short-term relief from mosquitoes. Rub leaves to trigger release of essential oils.

9 MOSREPEL ANTI-MOSQUITO BRACELET

• $6.35

• Reusable for 180 hours

Contains natural ingredients like citronella, camphor and menthol

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DID YOU KNOW?

Q: What is the Aedes mosquito's flight range?

A: The Aedes mosquito can fly as far as 740m, and as high as 60m - the equivalent of a 21-storey building.

Q: Can an Aedes mosquito carry the dengue and the Zika virus?

A: Yes, in theory. But doctors have not seen a co-current infection.

Q: Is the Aedes mosquito attracted to people with certain blood types?

A: There are few studies showing that people with blood type O are more prone to getting bitten, but it is not an established fact.

Q: When do Aedes mosquitoes bite?

A: The Aedes mosquitoes' peak biting period is at dawn and dusk, but they will also bite at other times of the day.In Singapore, due to artificial lights like white lights in homes, we will see them biting at night.

Q: How quickly does the Aedes mosquito reproduce?

A: A mosquito lays 100 eggs each time. This happens about three times in its lifetime (which is, on average, two weeks). Under optimal conditions, the egg of an Aedes mosquito can hatch into a larva in less than a day.Otherwise, the mosquito eggs can lie dormant in dry conditions for up to about nine months.

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WHAT ARE DENGUE AND ZIKA?

Both dengue fever and Zika are mosquito-borne viral diseases.

Dengue is caused by four related viruses, DENV1, DENV2, DENV3 and DENV4, while Zika is caused by the Zika virus.

The viruses that cause dengue fever and Zika are both carried by the Aedes mosquito, which can be identified by the black and white stripes on its body.

The symptoms of both conditions are similar: fever, skin rashes, muscle and joint pain and headache.

But of the two, Zika is the less serious disease. The majority of people infected will not show symptoms.

There is no cure. Minimising the spread of both illnesses begins with mosquito control.

You can get rid of the Aedes mosquito by doing the 5-Step Mozzie Wipeout.