It is National Mosquito Control Week, KDHE Provides Tips on These Bugs

Lucas Kenney
3 minutes ago
2 min read

When it's summertime, there's three things almost guaranteed in a travel bag; sunscreen, snacks, and bug spray. Everyone hates pesky bugs during the summer, and none are more annoying than mosquitoes. June 21st through the 27th is National Mosquito Control Week, so the Kansas Department of Environment is offering a helping hand with some tips on how to take care of these blood sucking nuisances.

One of the most important notes to remember regarding mosquitoes is the diseases that they can carry. The most popular and one of the worst diseases they can carry is the West Nile Virus. The KDHE has provided a list of things you can do to prevent these bugs from biting:

Using EPA-registered insect repellents.
Wearing long sleeved, loose-fitting shirts and pants.
Avoiding the outdoors at dusk and dawn.
Using screens on windows and doors.
Using mosquito netting on strollers and playpens.
Managing standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Even when preventing them, mosquitoes sometimes still find a way to our skin. The West Nile Virus is the most common and most important disease to look out for when getting bit by a mosquito, so here's some facts about WNV that could be helpful to you:

The mosquitoes that carry WNV are most active at dusk and dawn.
It can take 2-14 days for symptoms to appear after a bite from an infected mosquito.
Symptoms range from mild flu-like illness with fever, headache, body aches, rash, vomiting and diarrhea, to severe illness.
About 1% of people infected with WNV develop neurological infection that can cause brain damage and even death.
Older people and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk.
From 2021-2025, Kansas had 98 cases of neuroinvasive WNV and seven deaths.
No vaccines or specific treatments exist for WNV in people.
The only way to prevent WNV infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

While they may just seem like pesky bugs that leave you itching, mosquitoes can become a hazard quickly, so make sure to stay safe, wear bug spray, and follow these tips from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to ensure these blood suckers stay away.

Visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Facebook page for more information and graphics.