Other mosquito species can transmit Dirofilaria immitis, the nematode that produces
heartworm disease; however, A. notoscriptus has the highest vectorial capacity and
tends to have the highest rates of
dog heartworm in the field.
Essential Oils: Claim to prevent
heartworm by repelling the pests from feeding on the pet
in the first place — Ineffective and possibly tormenting for the pet (essential oils
tend to have a very strong scent to us, imagine how they would smell to a
dog that can smell 200,000 - 300,000 more acutely than we can?).