The female mosquito is a deadly blood-seeking machine and some species are known to fly as far as 50 miles to get their blood meal. Because they are known carriers of at least 30 arboviruses including malaria, dengue and west nile virus, the mosquito is no longer regarded as just a nuisance, but is now regarded as a deadly threat.

Just one bite is all it takes to contract disease.

Most experts would consider repellents the #1 weapon against mosquitoes, and Deet the best thing out there. The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed Deet in the 1940s for use by the military and it was registered for public use in 1957. Since it hit consumer shelves it has been used billions of times with fewer than 50 reported cases of serious side effects. Today roughly one third of Americans use DEET-based products and it repeatedly tops the competition in efficacy studies.

"Florida would be uninhabitable without mosquito control" according to Joseph Conlon, technical advisor to the AMCA (American Mosquito Control Association) a New Jersey-based nonprofit group. www.mosquito.org

Dr Fradin a professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina, recommends using your hairdryer to relieve itching. He claims it's effective because it is a counter-irritant - you're so focussed on the heat that you forget about the itch.

The same theory applies to the nail trick. You make an X over the bite with your fingernail and the pain blocks the itching sensation.

Both these techniques increase blood flow to the area. However if you want a more conventional fix, simply apply ice or cold water compresses to the bite.  Then there's always the tried and true, calomine lotion - It's not pretty but it works

It's midnight when you hear it and you're instantly awake. That high pitched drone (halfway between a buzz and a whine) is unmistakeable.

Understandably not everyone likes wearing eau de D'eet to bed, so if you don't want your nights continually interrupted, invest in some screens, shutters or mosquito netting to create skeeter- free zones in and around your home.

Beat the buzz AND the bite and turn your bedroom into a boudoir with some fabulous  mosquito netting http://www.mokito.net/

Debating what to wear for that night out on the deck? Well stay away from dark colors especially black, and ladies keep your lbd for indoor use only. Mosquitoes are attracted to black so stay neutral, and keep it long and loose (sleeves & pants).

"Mosquitoes are attracted to bigger people," says Dr Fradin  "maybe because they have more blood."

Genetic factors also play a role - some people give off scents that are more attractive to mosquitoes than others.

Keep bushes trimmed, debris out of the gutters and grass mown, throughout the mosquito season. These measures will eliminate some of the most popular mosquito roosting places around your yard! www.mosquitotraps.com/diy-mosquito-control.php

However be warned, excess activity can make you more of a mosquito magnet. Mosquitoes are attracted to sweat - so the hotter, stinkier and sweatier you are, the more likely you'll be attacked. So if you ever needed a reason for a ride-on mower!

An hour before you venture outdoors, take any over-the-counter allergy medication like zyrtec or claritin. These products and more, are readily available from your local pharmacy.

"A mosquito bite causes an allergic reaction," says Dr Fradin, "and antihistamines reduce that reaction."

Health officials advise homeowners to regularly check for and eliminate standing, stagnant water as this provides prime breeding sites for mosquitoes. Water in birdbaths for instance should be changed weekly.

If you live in the country and have livestock or horses, using larvicides like mosquito dunks in the water troughs is recommended. The doughnut-shaped dunks are available from home and garden shops. They contain a bacterium that's deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things. The dunks should be replaced every 30 days.

In the U.S. West Nile virus has been most responsible for transforming the mosquito from an itchy nuisance to a deadly threat. With that transformation has come an onslaught of products and devices, including mosquito traps, designed to kill mosquitoes. A number of the more well known brands include Skeeter-Vac, Mosquito Magnet® and the Mega-Catch™trap.

Skeeter-Vac and Mosquito Magnet® traps use propane to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) to lure and kill mosquitoes. However, some experts believe that these devices generate such great amounts of CO2 that there's a risk of attracting mosquitoes that wouldn't be there in the first place.

Unlike conventional traps that rely on various chemicals to attract mosquitoes, Mega-Catch™ traps employ a wide range of sensory stimuli to attract mosquitoes. And the company's Ultra trap, which has an optional CO2 cylinder, features their patented variable quantity slow CO2 gas release system which they say addresses the problem of over-production of CO2.

"For the most part, these products do what they claim", says AMCA technical advisor Joseph Conlon about mosquito traps. "These companies are really serious about it and are backing it with sound science".(The Gazette, Jul 12, 2004)

While it may sound daunting, we can all make a difference in our own back yards by following the basics which include the four "Ds" of mosquito control according to medical entomologist Dr Mark Johnsen:

* Drain - dump, clean or cover all containers around home and businesses that can hold water for more than three days

* Dusk and Dawn - avoid outdoors during periods of peak mosquito activity

* Dress - wear loose-fitting, light-colored, long sleeved shirts and pants

* DEET - use mosquito repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET during outdoor activities

A DIY approach to mosquito control should also include daily trapping during the mosquito season. This will interrupt breeding cycles, dramatically reducing mosquito populations and even the number of eggs hatching - a single female mosquito can lay thousands of eggs during her lifetime.

While there is no one item or solution, a proactive approach and combination of techniques will ultimately be the best way to help control mosquitoes and provide protection from these invasive, disease-carrying pests.