It will continue to be hot and humid through the rest of summer in Iowa, and with that in mind it’s a good time to go over tips of how to prevent insects from pestering you.

Greene County Public Health Director Becky Wolf says insects, especially mosquitoes, are most active at sunrise and sunset, and in tall grass and timber areas. She points out insect spray is a good way to protect yourself against insects and she describes one important ingredient that will give you better protection.

“The good old deet, and that’s the D-E-E-T. That remains the most popular bug spray ingredient because it’s the most effective in protecting you against ticks, mosquitoes and other bugs and all the diseases that they carry.”

Wolf notes that insect repellents that include picaridin or permethrin are good to use as well. She talks about how to apply insect repellent and what parts of the body should be covered.

“You actually should hold your repellent 6-8-inches away from your exposed skin and your clothing. There’s no need to spray under your clothing and spray in a slow, sweeping motion. In order to cover your face and your head you want to spray the repellent on your hands and then cover your face, and your ears, and your neck, or when you’re applying it on kids.”

Wolf notes that insect repellents should be reapplied every six hours. As a reminder, the City of Jefferson will continue to spray for mosquitoes every Tuesday and Thursday at dusk, weather permitting, during the summer.