According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Human illness from West Nile virus is rare, even in areas where the virus has been reported. The chance that any one person is going to become ill from a mosquito bite is low. 

Still you can further reduce your risk of infection by protecting yourself from mosquito bites. 

Consider following tips to avoid mosquito bites:

Control Your Environment

• Mosquitoes breed in cool damp places.

• Change standing water in birdbaths and rain barrels at least once a week.

• Empty children's pools and store them when they are not in use.

• Clean out your rain gutters regularly.

• Keep your lawn and hedges well trimmed to reduce shady areas where mosquitoes tend to rest.

• Pick a breezy location when enjoying the outdoors. Mosquitoes have a hard time flying even in light wind.

• Consider appropriate lighting. Incandescent lights attract mosquitoes, while florescent lights neither attract nor repel them.  

• Limit the number of places available for mosquitos to lay their eggs by eliminating standing water sources from around your home. Learn more on the Prevention of West Nile Virus question and answer page (source: CDC).

• Check to see if there is an organized mosquito control program in your area. If no program exists, work with your local government officials to establish a program. The American Mosquito Control Association can provide advice, and their book Organization for Mosquito Control is a useful reference. Another source of information about pesticides and repellents is the National Pesticide Information Center, which also operates a toll-free information line: 1-800-858-7378 (check their Web site for hours) (Sourse: CDC).

What To Wear

• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing - avoid wearing dark colors

• Wear a wide-brimmed hat.

• Avoid heavily scented shampoos, toiletries and perfumes.  

• When possible, wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants treated with repellents containing permethrin or DEET since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing. 

Timing Is Everything

• Be alert to the peak times of day when insect activity is most high.Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk, and in the early evening, which are peak mosquito biting times.

Use An Effective Repellent  

• Select a repellent that is right for you based on the length of time you will be outdoors and the number of biting insects in the area.  

• Visit Insect Repellent Use and Safety for when and how to apply repellent, in CDC's Questions and Answers pages. See also Using Insect Repellent Safely from the EPA.

• Apply a light, even coating of repellent to all exposed skin. Areas of skin left untreated-even areas as small as a dime-are susceptible to bites.

• For extra protection, apply the repellent to your clothing, too.  

• Do not apply repellents containing permethrin directly to exposed skin. If you spray your clothing, there is no need to spray repellent containing DEET on the skin under your clothing (sourse: CDC).

• Remember heat, humidity, and increased activity may require more frequent applications.

Other tips 

• Do not allow dogs and cats to roam to other areas where mosquito populations may be higher.

• Check the integrity of screens around your home, porch and patio. If possible, use screens in areas where animals are housed.

• For pets, DO NOT use human products that contain DEET on animals. The concentrations of DEET used in commercial mosquito products for humans are too strong to be safely used on cats and dogs. There have been cases of dogs and cats exposed to DEET that have developed significant neurologic problems. Apply products that kill or repel mosquitoes and are approved and labeled for dogs and cats. (Be careful, not all products labeled for use on dogs can be used on cats.) A veterinarian can help decide on the appropriate product to use depending on species, age, health status, and degree of exposure. Insecticides-repellants containing pyrethrins or permethrin are sometimes labeled with mosquito repellant claims