As darkness settles over the woods, the large female Hematophagous set its wings and prepared to swoop down on her unsuspecting prey. The warm evening breeze had carried with it the sweet smell of carbon dioxide and sweat, revealing her target’s location. The creature moved closer, driven to obtain the nourishment only a meal of fresh blood could provide.

The victim, completely unaware of the impending assault, stands fishing along the bank of a pond. As the angler wipes the perspiration from his eyes, he makes yet another cast. The movement alerts the blood-sucking predator, and she moves in for the attack.

Before the victim can react, the creature forcefully saws through his skin and tissue with its serrated proboscis. As the creature begins consuming the victim’s blood, it secretes just enough anti-coagulant into the wound to keep the bright red meal flowing steadily. In a matter of seconds, it devours nearly two to three times its own weight in blood then soars off to lay low for a while.

While this may sound like a scene from a low-budget horror movie, it’s actually a daily part of living in Northwest Missouri. The villain in our little scenario is one of more than 50 species of mosquitoes which call the Show-Me State home.

Anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors, especially between the hours of dusk and dawn, should heed the words of the ancient Chinese warrior Sun Tzu, who taught his men to “know your enemy” before going into battle. Understanding mosquitoes and how to fend them off can help win the comfort war in the outdoors.

Without trying to be sexist, science has proven that females cause all the problems in the mosquito world. In fact, males don’t even have a proboscis or mouth capable of sucking blood and instead choose to harmlessly dine on nectar and fruit juice.

Females, on the other hand, require protein-rich blood for egg development and laying. As luck would have it, the majority of mosquito species prefer their meals to come from warm-blooded critters like us outdoors people.

It is believed female mosquitoes locate their victims primarily through scent. They are extremely sensitive to the carbon dioxide, as well as several substances found in sweat. It is also believed that mosquitoes can detect heat, so finding a sweaty hunter or angler is not very difficult.

So now that I’ve revealed the enemy, how does one counter these blood-sucking disease carriers? Rather than share untested, unproven mosquito-repelling tips like placing a dryer sheet or two on your person or rubbing catnip on yourself, let’s stick with the tried and true.

The best defense against mosquitoes is to keep as much skin covered with clothing as possible. This includes wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, hats and maybe even a headnet. Tighter weaved fabrics like cotton work best and experts agree you should choose khaki or lighter colors, as mosquitoes seem to target darker colors, especially blue.

Choosing a good repellent is also recommended. While many use the proven ingredient DEET, alternatives which are effective and safe include Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or PMD (offered by Off, Cutter, Repel and other brands), or IR3535 (found in Avon Skin So Soft). Users of any type of repellent are strongly urged to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Many long time outdoorsmen have used Permethrin on their clothing and certain gear for years to repel and kill insects. It has been so successful in warding off bugs that a North Carolina based company called Buzz Off now markets clothing impregnated with it. Permethrin-treated clothing continues to repel even after repeated laundering.

One recent innovation that seems to be a favorite of outdoorsmen is the Thermacell, which uses a butane cartridge to heat a pad with the insecticide Allethrin on it. The heat vaporizes the repellent, creating a zone that is unpleasant for mosquitoes. The company even markets the repellent pads in an earth scent for hunters.

For those needing to control insects in a single area, many traps on the market use electricity and/or propane to lure mosquitoes in and kill them. Another way of controlling the critters is to eliminate or place larvacide in their breeding areas.

While installing bird or bat houses may sound like a natural alternative, many experts agree they often don’t significantly impact mosquito populations. Experts also recommend avoiding electronic bug zappers, as these mainly kill moths, beetles and other beneficial insects and not mosquitoes.

The United States Department of Agriculture, the University of Missouri and others also advise people to avoid spending money on electronic devices that claim to emit ultrasonic sound to repel mosquitoes. Save your money because studies have shown these devices provide no protection against mosquitoes.

Next time you head out into mosquito territory, keep Sun Tzu’s advice in mind and “know your enemy.” Combat these blood suckers with a multi-tiered defense and make your time in the great outdoors more fun and less of a battle.

Outdoors correspondent Jeff Leonard can be reached at outdoors@npgco.com