Rainy season is about to come. With all the rain we get through the season, this causes standing or stagnant water. It is quite apt to tackle queries about mosquito repellants or foggers. Thus, is mosquito fogging harmful to humans?
This stagnant water is where mosquitoes want to stay and reproduce. To prevent mosquito borne diseases like dengue and malaria, a lot of people used mosquito fogging machines to get rid of them and to secure the health of their loved ones. However, some have issues or concerns about it. Is it harmful to people?
Is mosquito fogging harmful to humans?
Generally, mosquito fogging is not harmful to humans. In order to ensure the health and safety, people must refrain from using toxic chemicals that might be harmful to one’s health.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly one million people died yearly because of dengue. Aside from being dangerous to one’s health, mosquitoes are pretty annoying too.
Many of us don’t know what a mosquito fogging machine does. Mosquito fogging machine kills mosquito to control their population.
Despite that, if not properly administered, fogging can cause more harm especially to our health. Fogging can also have an adverse effect to other non-deadly insects. It can also be harmful for your children or pets.
Are mosquito foggers safe?
Researchers found that long term exposure to the fog without protection can pose negative effects for human health such as poisoning, asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Fogging may also cause respiratory complications and harm in one’s health in the long run.
Foggers used different equipment or machine. Hence, they must wear protective attire like masks for eye and ear protection, as well as rubber gloves to protect themselves from the possible harmful and adverse effects of the chemicals found in mosquito fogs.
Is mosquito fogging poisonous?
The active ingredient used in fogging is neurotoxin which specifically targets insects. Nonetheless, this toxins may kills all the insects regardless if it’s a mosquito or not.
Mosquito fogging can be poisonous, depending upon the degree or combination of chemicals used. Therefore, it will require the proper control and precautions when it comes in choosing the right chemicals to be used.
Using the right mosquito spray and other mosquito products that should be used to effectively kill mosquitoes around your home or backyard is very important.
Some fogging chemicals smells terribly that’s why safety precautions must be observed like the amount of chemicals to be used or the duration of the spraying activities.
Mosquito fogging can give you rashes or allergies and sometimes can cause heavy breathing especially for those who have asthma and other respiratory diseases.
According to studies, due to constant exposure to fogs, mosquitoes gained resistance against the fog rendering the fog more effective on killing non- mosquito insects.
How long does fogging for mosquitoes last?
Fogging for mosquitoes may last for 30 to 35 minutes every month. You can apply this product every 30 days or when you start seeing mosquito activity in your home.
In doing mosquito fogging, all the members of the family should remain outside. They should stay outside for at least 30 minutes after the spray or after the household is well ventilated.
Does fogging get rid of mosquitoes?
Fogging has been proven to kill and help people get rid of mosquitoes. There are a lot ways on dealing with or getting rid of mosquitoes. Yet, based on studies, fogging is proven to be the most effective in dealing with these insects.
There are natural ways for using different products. Some people are also utilizing sprays and repellents to get rid of mosquitoes.
Mosquito fogging machine kills them in great numbers to control their population, unlike manual sprays. Fogging helps prevent the spread of dengue and other related diseases.
What is the best mosquito fogging solution?
Percentage or level of the chemicals is an important factor in choosing the best mosquito fogging solution. If taken a large amount of toxic chemicals can give or can cause harmful effects to one’s heath.
Therefore, still, the best mosquito fogging solution is the one that has no harmful effects yet effective in killing mosquitoes.
Fake insecticides are being sold rampantly in this rainy season so we have to be careful on the chemical solutions that we are going to use. Being cautious in choosing the right insecticides will prevent you from having health issues as a result of just killing these unwanted pests.
Nonetheless, there are companies that offer organic spray options, which are said to be less dangerous or harmful. Such sprays are normally made up of natural plant-based essential oils.
Conversely, the best mosquito fogging solution is the one that is effective in killing mosquitoes and has no harmful effects to one’s health. We must not risk our health in dealing with these deadly insects.
Mosquito fogging safety precautions, how?
Before conducting mosquito fogging, appropriate equipment and protective gears must be administered and selected properly. The most suitable time for mosquito fogging is in the evening and early in the morning. These are period when the mosquitoes are most active.
In conducting mosquito fogging, you must ensure that operations are carried out safely without posing any health risks. In undertaking this at home, the following are the suggested safety precautions:
- All of the electric switches and appliances must be put off before undertaking fogging.
- Water and food containers must be sealed and keep in the storage area and must be well protected to exposure to fog.
- All family members, including pets or animals should remain outside. They should stay outside for at least 30 minutes after the spray or after the household is well ventilated.
The operators of fogging machine should be properly trained in safe handling of insecticides and fogging chemicals. They should follow the required safety precautions.
Mosquito fogging chemicals
The chemical used in the mosquito fogging machine is very similar to the insecticides used in most domestic repellents. The amount of insecticide in the fog is very small and is odorless.
The small drop size allows the chemicals to disperse and kill mosquitoes that are hiding underneath. There are other toxic chemicals that have harmful effects to human that causes irritation of eyes, nose and headaches.
Mosquito fogging chemicals may be poisonous and can be detrimental to our health if not properly administered. Hence, it is essential to use the recommended concentration of mosquito fogging chemicals, the insecticide formulation and the right level of concentration of chemicals.
Conclusion
The local government units must prioritize the health and welfare of the people. They must provide mosquito fogging to the every community. To protect the city from vector borne diseases, particularly dengue, the particular locality must intensify the anti-mosquito fogging drives.
Good planning and management, training of operators in application technique and the use of equipment are important in attaining an effective and safe fogging operation.
It is essential to prepare an accurate and comprehensive plan on the target area where to conduct mosquito fogging. Whether on streets, roads, building, and protected areas like water collections and farms.
Mosquito fogging is a good program to prevent and control diseases like dengue and malaria. It must be conducted once in a while to prevent the continuous doubling and spread of mosquitoes in a certain area.
Also, this should be done in order to prevent diseases like dengue, carried by infected mosquito that rapidly spread in all regions. Dengue virus is said to be transmitted only by female mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes spread in dark areas, most common in stagnant water found inside and outside of our houses.
To curb the insects escalation in multitude numbers, mosquito fogging must be conducted, and families must clean their respective houses and gardens to achieve a cleaner, safer, and mosquito-free environment.
Every citizen must maintain the cleanliness and have a proper waste and garbage disposal.
According to the Department of Health, avoiding mosquito bites remains the best prevention from infection, adding that there are several practical measures that one can take to avoid being bitten and being infected of mosquitoes at their homes.
Nevertheless, this method alone is not enough to secure protection of everyone from mosquito bites.
To lessen and manage dengue and other related diseases outbreaks, a series of actions need to be done not only by public authorities, but also by local authorities in barangay with the coordination and help of its citizens.
