(NBC News) As the Zika virus continues to spread, so do questions about how to prevent the mosquito bites that carry it.

Consumers rely on a variety of methods to keep the pesky insects at bay, but researchers say many of these don’t actually work.

“Stay away from any solution involving sound because it doesn’t matter to mosquitoes at all,” says Joseph Conlon with the American Mosquito Control Association.

Conlon advises consumers to check for the EPA registration on your product to verify that it works, but says that one of the most effective prevention methods is a simple fan.