What personal protection measures can I take to help avoid mosquito bites?

Probably the simplest action whenever possible is to try to avoid areas or times where mosquitoes are most active, such as near coastal marshes, wet woodlands or other swampy locations. But as was pointed out in FAQ #2 above, many mosquito species are long-distance fliers, and as such will often come find you. If you happen to live in a mosquito-prone area or have occasion to visit such, then your next line of defense is try to stay indoors if possible during peak mosquito activity, which for many species is near dusk, during the evening or night, and into early morning. Using and keeping your door and window screens in good repair is an obvious measure. [In many areas, folks who are fortunate enough to have screened-in porches are very grateful they do!] Wherever mosquitoes might still be a problem inside a residence, the old practice of using mosquito bed-netting could be resurrected. However, some particularly troublesome species, such as the common saltmarsh mosquito or the Asian ...  more