OK, good news/bad news, but fortunately, mostly good news. So, since we have more good news to cover, let’s actually start with the bad:

There is no known treatment or cure for the Zika virus, which is considered responsible for more than 1,000 cases of birth defects in South America.

The good news: As of mid-July, the only cases of Zika involving North Carolinians were all travel related illnesses, meaning none of them originated with bites in the state. Zika is rumored to have made its way to Florida, but here’s where we have more good news:

Zika can easily be avoided by wearing effective repellant and clothing. Yep, it’s that easy. See, Zika doesn’t alter the behavior of mosquitoes. Those carrying the virus don’t turn into some killer bee-like aggressor seeking to tear into human flesh and inject a virus. They’re just still obnoxious buzzing vermin that will leave you alone if you protect yourself and your family with the right precautions.

Repellant

Choose products that include DEET. Now, if you just cringed at seeing “DEET”, we have some comfort for you – no studies have shown any connection between using DEET products and health risks. In fact, in regards to the Zika virus, it’s far riskier to avoid DEET and expose yourself to bites than it is to use a DEET based repellant.

Make sure all exposed skin has been sprayed in order to most securely ward off bites.

Clothing

If repellant acts as an invisible barrier, clothing is our armor against flying viral insects. It might not be fun in North Carolina’s summer heat, but long sleeves and pants provide serious protection against pest bites, especially in cooler mornings and evenings, when mosquitoes will be most active. If you’ll be in damp, cool, or heavily wooded areas, tuck your pants legs into long socks or boots to provide the most protection possible.

And, as always, you can protect yourself and your family by staying indoors during peak mosquito activities. Maybe part of your planning to avoid Zika can be putting together a list of shows and movies to binge watch while hunkering down in the living room.

If you have any concerns about mosquitoes, Zika, or pests in general, please give us a call at 919-382-0651 or visit our contact portal. We’ll buzz on over and tell those mosquitoes to buzz off.