People popping pet pesticides? They must be joking!

The war on mosquitoes has taken a bizarre and dangerous turn.

After the Zika scare two years ago, it appears that a group of researchers from around the globe put their collective thinking caps on to find different ways to protect people against mosquito-borne ailments.

They’re now saying that the wave of the future to keep us from catching diseases spread by these flying bloodsuckers is the “repurposing” of flea products used on dogs and cats.

Yikes! I’m not even convinced these pesticides are safe for our furry friends, let alone us.

Fortunately, there are easy, non-toxic methods to keep these pests at bay and allow you to enjoy the summer as bug-bite free as possible.

Safer ways to banish bugs

Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m reading satire or so-called “real” news. Especially when stories like this one come out.

Researchers from prestigious institutions all over the world, such as the Imperial College London and the California Institute for Biomedical Research, must have thought they had a real eureka moment when they came up with this idea: How about giving the pesticides that prevent fleas on dogs and cats to people, too?

They’re claiming that one dose will repel mosquitoes for up to three months!

The chemicals they’re talking about are called “isoxazolines,” and are currently found in several veterinary drugs such as Bravecto and NexGard.

But as I said, I don’t think I would even dare to dose my pups Macy and Chance with one of these chemicals.

If you check the Bravecto label, for example, you’ll find what experts refer to as the “acceptable” level of side effects on your pets — ones that include vomiting, diarrhea, gas, lethargy and seizures.

Then, there are the reports of kidney and liver damage, along with thousands of “adverse drug event” reports sent into the FDA and a Facebook group frighteningly called “Does Bravecto Kill Dogs?”

Seriously, how these researchers even came up with this nonsense is unbelievable, let alone writing up an entire study and having it published in the prestigious journal for the National Academy of Sciences!

Of course, you don’t want these creepy crawlers making a meal of you every time you, your kids, or your grandkids step outside (and sometimes inside your house as well). But there are far safer and better ways than being dosed with a dangerous flea treatment.

One of the most important things you should do first is to check window screens and your patio slider for tiny openings. Bugs don’t need a welcome sign to figure out how to get inside your house.

Next, these three steps will help to keep mosquito populations as low as possible around your home:

#1: Find and eliminate all sources of standing water on your property. Anything, even that garden pot out back that collected a few inches of rainwater, can serve as a nursery for hundreds of mosquitoes that can hatch in as little as a few weeks.

#2: Make sure that storm drains in your area aren’t covered with leaves or other debris so that the water actually flows into them, rather than pooling in the street.

#3: To enjoy sitting outside on your porch or patio at night, light some citronella candles, but remember that you’ll need to be in the immediate vicinity to get the bug-repelling benefits. Another tip to consider is using a regular house fan when sitting outside. That not only will provide a cool breeze, but help to dispel the carbon dioxide we exhale, which attracts these pests.

Also, wearing long sleeves and pants will help protect your skin from bites, as will applying a natural bug repellant to any exposed areas.

HSI panel member Dr. Mark Stengler recommends a spray called Buzz Away. There are also several products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus, which repels both mosquitoes and ticks.

And in case any of the researchers who participated in the flea drug study are reading this, I’ve also conducted some very successful scientific experiments with mosquitoes using an evidence-based tool — one called a fly swatter. When you make contact, it works every time!

“Flea medication for people and other new tools to combat malaria” Susan Scutti, July 5, 2018, CNN, cnn.com