Naija Diaries: Mosquitoes! 8 Simple Steps To Preventing Malaria

Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes (drags ear). How many times did I call you? I am warning you o. (drags ear again) Hennnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

"Blood Thirsty Vampires" aka Mosquitoes are small, midge-like flies which compose the family Culicidae. Females of most species are ectoparasites, whose tube-like mouthparts (called a proboscis) pierce the hosts' skin to consume blood. Though the loss of blood is seldom of any importance to the victim, the saliva of the mosquito often causes an irritating rash that is a serious nuisance. Much more serious though, are the roles of many species of mosquitoes as vectors of diseases. In passing from host to host, some transmit extremely harmful infections such as malaria, yellow fever, west nile virus, dengue fever, filariasis, and other arboviruses, rendering it the deadliest animal in the world.

Typically, both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar and plant juices, but in many species the mouthparts of the females are adapted for piercing the skin of animal hosts and sucking their blood as ectoparasites. In many species, the female needs to obtain nutrients from a blood meal before she can produce eggs, whereas in many other species, she can produce more eggs after a blood meal. A mosquito has a variety of ways of finding their prey, including chemical, visual, and heat sensors. Both plant materials and blood are useful sources of energy in the form of sugars, and blood also supplies more concentrated nutrients, such as lipids, but the most important function of blood meals is to obtain proteins as materials for egg production.
The feeding preferences of mosquitoes include those with type O blood, heavy breathers, those with a lot of skin bacteria, people with a lot of body heat, and a pregnant woman's attractiveness to mosquitoes also has a heritable, genetically-controlled component.
Source: Wikipedia

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
The fear of mosquitoes is the beginning of wisdom. The mosquitoes in Nigeria are something else. I hate them so much. They are too intelligent. They can smell you from 50metres away so that means they smell their food before they even see you. My children are literally just recovering from a bout of malaria and to tell you I was worried is an understatement. We have certainly upped our Malaria Prevention Game and I will point out a few lessons I have learned along the way. Please, if you live in Nigeria, adhere to these guidelines. Mosquitoes do not look at your face with pity before sucking you/your kids blood.

8 Simple Ways To Prevent Malaria

1. Keep your house clean and dry. Mosquitoes breed in dirty, warm and wet environments.
2. Fleet your house every 3-5 days and fumigate your compund every two weeks. Make sure you target the corners too.
3. Shake all your curtains every morning for two weeks. Mosquitoes hide there and they are weaker in the morning.
4. Apply mosquito repellent cream on exposed areas on you/your kids body. We are using Odomos. Its quite effective.
5. Wear protective clothing as often as you can especially in the evening/night.
6. Shut the doors. Every door you enter, please shut it behind you.
7. Ensure the children sleep under mosquito nets every night.
8. Endeavour to take anti-malarial medicine before travelling to Nigeria. If you forget to take it before travelling, please take it upon your arrival into Nigeria. It is important you do this to ensure your body is ready to fight the virus if you get bitten.

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xoxo