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How Insect Screens Keep Your Family Safe

Having insect screens installed in your home may seem like a luxury but the truth is, screens improve the health and safety of your family at home.

While insects can be irritating, some can be dangerous and none more so than the mosquito. Mosquitos kill more people every year than any other insect. In fact they have the highest death toll of any animal, claiming 1 million human lives a year, mostly through the spread of malaria.

The Risk Presented by Mosquitos

Mosquitoes also transmit diseases to dogs and horses, resulting in deaths among these animals as well. Malaria isn’t the only mosquito-borne disease but it is the most common. Other viruses include

  • Chikungunya
  • Dog Heartworm
  • Dengue
  • Yellow Fever
  • Eastern Equine Encephalitis
  • St. Louis Encephalitis
  • LaCrosse Encephalitis
  • Western Equine Encephalitis
  • West Nile Virus

Australia is free of endemic malaria but every year around 700-800 Australians are affected while travelling elsewhere in the world. Beside the risk of contracting a mosquito-borne disease, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation which is extremely uncomfortable. This is caused due to a reaction our skin has to the mosquito’s saliva, causing itchiness, redness and a bump.

Keeping Mosquitos Out of Your Home

Here are a few all natural remedies to deal with pesky mosquitos:

  • Make a mixture of lemon oil and eucalyptus oil. This mixture is extremely effective in repelling mosquitos naturally without toxic chemicals. A component in the oils (cineole) has both antiseptic and insect-repellent properties when applied to the skin. Thankfully because this is a natural mixture, there are no harmful side effects.
  • Use the pungent aroma of garlic to repel mosquitos. It’s not just vampires that garlic repels, it also repels insects such as mosquitos. Crush a few cloves of garlic, boil it in water and use the water to spray around your home to keep it free from mosquitos.
  • Tea tree oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, as well as being able to repel insects. Simply rub some tea tree oil on your skin or add a few drops of it to a humidifier. This way the scent of tea tree oil wafts through the air and kills the mosquitos.
  • Citronella oil is extremely effective in fighting mosquitos and other insects. In fact it has long been used to make candles that can be lit to repel insects. You can use it by infusing some citronella extract in a candle or adding it to a humidifier.

Of course while these are all natural remedies, none of them are as effective as preventing mosquitos from entering your home in the first place, after all prevention is better than cure.

In order to keep mosquitos out of your home, in every season, ensure your doors and windows are fitted with Freedom Retractable Screens. It is the most effective, convenient and affordable way of staying mosquito-bite free all summer.