Fans Are The Best Mosquito Repellent

 Health, News, Skin Care 

Why a simple house fan is the best mosquito repellent.... and it’s definitely not the reason you’re thinking of…

 But regardless of how good the cure may be, nothing can compare to effective preventive measures, and according to a recent article in the NY Times, researchers have uncovered the best mosquito repellent – a simple house fan.
Although many may jump to the conclusion that this method works because a fan generates enough wind to keep the mosquito from landing on your skin, the reality is somewhat more scientific.

Repel Mosquitoes With House Fan

In fact, the wind from the fan disperses the carbon dioxide you exhale, and carbon dioxide attracts mosquitoes and other pests. In a 2003 study, a team of entomologists at Michigan State University set up traps in the wetlands by the C.D.C. to catch mosquitoes. The team found that releasing carbon dioxide into the traps attracted more mosquitoes, and the more carbon dioxide they releases, the mosquitoes they caught.
The team also used fan-generated winds of various speeds helped keep them away. But found there was no link between wind “velocity” and “mosquito body mass.”
“We recommend that fan-generated wind should be pursued as a practical means of protecting humans or pets from mosquitoes in the backyard setting,” they wrote.
As I mentioned in our previous How To Relieve Mosquito Bites post, being based in Thailand gives me the opportunity to try out these repellents and remedies on a daily basis. Many Thais use fans to keep mosquitoes away both indoors and outdoors, and it really works. But until coming across this information, I have to admit that I too thought it was simply a case of ‘blowing’ them away, now I know different.