Avoid Chemicals, Use a Fan to Keep Mosquitoes Away

by Veronica Roll, age 14

During the summer, mosquitoes are uninvited and unwanted guests. Keeping them away can be difficult. But Frank Swift, president of Swift Food and Equipment Incorporated in Philadelphia, has found a simple and effective way to fight mosquitoes without using smelly chemical repellants.

His solution? A small electric fan. The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) endorses the idea.

The slight breeze of a fan can blow a mosquito away because they are relatively weak flyers. In fact, mosquitoes can only fly from one to 1.5 miles per hour, depending on the species. The average mosquito cannot compete against the wind of a fan. Fan’s can blow air up to 15 miles per hour.

Entomologists (scientists who study insects) from Michigan State University have done studies backing up the fan remedy; the fan greatly reduced the number of mosquitoes in the area. This is also why you feel less mosquitoes on a windy day.

Mosquito repellants, such as DEET, have strong odors, leave skin greasy, pollute the air, and can be toxic. Using an oscillating fan or even a box fan as an alternative can repel mosquitoes without the negative side effects of chemicals.

[Source: The New York Times ]

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