Protect Yourself & Family

Following these tips will help to protect you, your family, your friends, and your community from mosquito-borne illnesses. The more steps you take, the more protected you are!

Wear Protective Clothing

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
• Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting.
• Treat items such as boots, pants, socks, and tents with permethrin or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.

Permethrin-treated clothing will protect you after multiple washings. See product information to find out how long the protection will last. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions. Do not use permethrin products directly on skin. 

Use Insect Repellent

Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents, which are proven to be safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Look for these ingredients to be safe: DEET, IR3535, Picaridin ,or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

• Always follow the product label instructions, especially when applying repellent to children.
• Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, or cut or irritated skin.
• Adults should spray insect repellent onto their hands and then apply to a child’s face.
• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
• Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years old.
• Re-apply insect repellent as directed.
• Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing.
• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.

Natural insect repellents, or repellents not registered with EPA, are not known to be effective. To protect yourself against diseases like chikungunya, dengue, and Zika, the Centers for Disease Control and EPA recommend using an EPA-registered insect repellent.
Choosing an EPA-registered repellent ensures the EPA has evaluated the product for effectiveness.