Five ways to prevent dengue in your bedroom

Dengue is a threat right now. There are currently over 22,000 cases recorded, the most Singapore has ever recorded in a single year.

You may think that you will not be that unlucky to get dengue, but truth to be told, dengue can get you anytime, anywhere. Being stricken with the virus is not a pleasant experience at all.

So the best way is to clear breeding spots for mosquitoes.

If you often spend the whole day in your room playing games, working or even watching Netflix and snacking, it increases the possibility of creating spots for mosquitoes to breed.

Here are five tips to prevent dengue in your bedroom.

Eating or drinking at your desk is fine but just remember to clear your table after. Leaving drinks unattended along with food can encourage mosquito breeding. A 20-cent coin-sized drop of water is all a female mosquito needs to breed.

Don’t forget to clean your desk after eating or drinking, unless you’re Harry Potter who has a Scouring Charm (Scourgify) at his disposal.

Your significant other may have given you flowers to let you know that they still think of you during this COVID-19 period. Yet, this nice gesture can turn into a nightmare if the buzzing menaces breed in the stagnant water of your flower vase.

Changing the water every two to three days will help prevent mosquitoes from breeding. At the very least, it can even keep the flowers alive for a longer period of time, earning you some bonus points from your partner!

Having a rubbish bin in your room may prove to be very convenient. It may also prove to be so for the mosquitoes, especially if your rubbish bin in the room is damp and untidy.

Clearing your rubbish bin constantly will remove that worry. Better yet, it will clear off another potential breeding spot, and save you from needless suffering too.

Breeding and maturation cycles of mosquitoes are sped up by warm weather. In humid Singapore, the air-con is a life saver but if a condensate line gets clogged, water droplets may start dripping and form water spots in your room. That will in turn create a potential breeding spot.

Doing housekeeping every four months will keep your air-con drainage line functioning well, thus preventing water from being collected, stopping mosquitoes from thriving.

Mosquito repellent will go a long way in preventing dengue. Applying it regularly every few hours may help protect you from dengue, especially if you are staying near dengue clusters.

Spraying insecticide in dark corners around your rooms such as under the bed or behind the curtains may help too.

These tips may seem simple, but they are important nonetheless. Let’s do our part to keep dengue at bay.