Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ... the sweet sound of mosquitoes buzzing in your ears!

There is nothing more irritating than the high-pitched squeal of a mosquito intent on relieving you of some blood as it circles around your head while you are trying to sleep. I've never met a mosquito I liked.

Mosquitoes thrive in hot, wet climates and breed in standing water and their eggs can survive in dry conditions and then hatch a year later if they become wet. Fortunately (or unfortunately in other contexts), Cape Verde is not blessed with an over-abundance of fresh water, yet mosquitoes are found in the islands especially in the rainy season. It's actually hilarious that there is a "rainy" season in Cape Verde - it falls in the second half of the year - because Cape Verde gets an average of about 25 cm of rainfall per year! Believe me, don't pack the umbrella.

But still, these little critters are universally annoying. On many of the online travel sites, the biggest complaint registered by vacationers relate to mosquitoes. Moreover, mosquitoes can transmit dangerous viruses. There was an outbreak of dengue in 2009 in Cape Verde, but not of epidemic proportions. And mosquitoes are also known to transmit malaria in sub Saharan Africa. The government ministry of health, with the assistance of the World Health Organization, took all the necessary steps to minimize mosquito breeding and reduce the threat of mosquito-born illnesses. Today, the likelihood of being infected by either virus is insignificant.

Still, the question anyway is what you should personally do to banish these pests to oblivion and prevent them from ruining your vacation especially if you are in Cape Verde during the period of August through November.

There are several steps you could take.