Personal protective measures people can take to reduce mosquito bites include:

• wearing shoes, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt outdoors when mosquitoes are most active;
  
  
• wearing light coloured clothing and staying indoors between dusk and dawn because mosquitoes are most active during this time;
  
  
• ensuring screens on windows and doors are tight fitting with no holes;
  
  
• applying a bug repellent to clothes and exposed skin when it is necessary to be outdoors.  
  
  
• Avoid using personal insect repellents on children less than six months of age;
  
  
• When using a repellent containing DEET:

• Use a product with a low concentration if you are only going to be outside for a short time; 
• Re-apply, or use a higher concentration product for longer periods of time.  Studies have shown that 30% DEET will provide protection against mosquito bites for 6.5 hours, and 10% will protect for 3 hours;
• Use a product with no more than 10% DEET, not more than once per day on children age 6 months to 2 years;
• Use a product with no more than 10% DEET, applied 3 times per day maximum on children ages 2 to 12 years, avoiding application of repellent to children's hands and faces; and
  
• Avoid spraying repellent in enclosed areas and breathing in the spray
  
  
• Repellents containing 2% soybean oil are an alternative that provide protection against mosquitoes for approximately 3.5 hours;
  
  
• Other products containing P-methane 3.8-diol will provide up to 2 hours of protection against mosquitoes and should not be used on children younger than 3 years of age or applied more than twice daily for those older than 3 years of age;

• Avoiding the use of citronella-based or lavender-based personal insect repellents due to the proposed phasing out of their use in Canada. For further information please click on the link to the web site of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.