Defense Against the Dark Mozzie

We live in a tropical country so it's extremely common place to find mosquitoes everywhere, sucking up blood and spreading diseases like the little hateful pests they are. Everyone hates them but there are those who hate them more than others and I'm one of them.

I have skin that is allergic to mosquito bites so whenever I get bitten, the bite-site can stay red and swollen for weeks and even leave a scar behind. Plus mosquitoes really like my blood so I can get like 5 bites on each limb making that a total of 20 bites at one go in just 1 hour. I've got bites all over my body even in places that the sun don't shine (literally). So when I say I hate mosquitoes, I really hate mosquitoes with a vengence!

And it just so happens that baby girl had to inherit the same sensitive skin I have and maybe even worse!

All swollen due to 2 mosquito bites on both hands
(One time she had a lot more bites on her legs and feet which swelled up even worse)

In the light of the increase in dengue fever cases this season, you should protect yourself and your family with these tips that I myself found useful.

1) Ensure There's No Stagnant Water in Your Home

Credits: dengue.gov.sg

We all know that mosquitoes can only breed in stagnant water so this is important in making sure that they are unable to do so. Follow this Dengue Prevention Checklist to ensure your home is protected! Besides your family, your neighbours will thank you as well =)

2) Mosquito Repellent
You just can't depend on everybody to do Step #1 so you've gotta go one step further. Putting on repellent may seem like common sense but many of us often don't do it simply because it is too inconvenient. I can definitely attest to that! Also, the adult repellents tend to be very sticky and unpleasant on the skin, which makes us even less motivated to apply it.

After receiving a bottle of repellent meant for children after baby girl was born, I found out that it really wasn't as sticky as the adult version!

Kid-friendly mosquito repellent

I used it myself and have to say it works 90% of the time (the other 10% is usually because I don't lather up enough).

If you're too lazy to lather yourself up each time you leave the house, then a faster alternative is the mosquito patch!

Mosquito repellent patch

The patch works by emitting a lemongrass scent that mosquitoes hate and avoid. So all you need to do is paste it onto your clothes and viola, you'll be defended.

Baby girl's go-to mode of mosquito defense these days

It's slightly more pricey because it costs 50 cents a sticker but as it can last for at least 2 days (we tested it that's how we know) so it is still value for money. However, aside from the price, the scent from the sticker can be irksome to some people so if you're not okay with the smell, it might be better for you to get the odorless liquid one instead.

3) Homemade Mosquito Repellent

Credits: ehow.com

For those of you who (seriously have too much time on your hands and) prefer to DIY your own organic repellent, check out these 4 cheap and easy homemade repellent recipes. Google 'homemade mosquito repellent' and you can find many more recipes from where that came from. Let me know if it works and I might just try it too =)

4) A Stockpile of Cream for Bites
If unfortunately for some reason you still got bitten, then make sure you have the 'antidote' ready in your house at all times.

Betopic cream & Gentrisone cream for morning & night applications respectively

We got these from a friendly elderly doctor in our neighbourhood. I'm not sure if you can purchase them over the counter but they're really effective. The night cream especially, can reduce the swelling dramatically after it's applied the night before.

As my mum is a nurse, I'm intending to load up on these as much as possible just in case (I'm kiasu that way).

How do you protect yourself/your child from getting bitten by mosquitoes?