Mosquito Activity Forecast

Image via Wikipedia

Isn’t it a wonderful thing that the Weather Channel has started a mosquito activity forecast? All I have to do is type in my zip code, and a chart and hourly forecast pops up. 

 ”Forecast covers a broad range of mosquito types. Specific mosquito species may be more or less active than the overall forecast, depending on weather conditons or time of day.”

There was no such thing as West Nile Virus when I was little. We played outside and compared the sizes of our mosquito bites. Yes, they itched like hell, but they were a kind of rite of passage, a transition from whiny childhood to less whiny childhood. We quit running to our moms to be sprayed with OFF. We wore our mosquito bites with pride. “Hey, look at my mosquito bite. It’s huge!”  Only pansies cried over the wounds left by these insect vampires.

But, you can’t do that anymore. Mosquitoes are now vicious, blood scalpers. And the Weather Channel is letting us know when the thugs are in our area.

“Because mosquitoes tap into the blood of birds, animals and humans, they can be ghoulishly efficient at transmitting certain diseases. Fortunately, fewer than 100 of the world’s 2,700 mosquito species carry disease, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While some mosquito-borne diseases can be deadly to humans, many cause only minor, passing symptoms in most people.”

Ghoulishly. That’s what they wrote. Mosquitoes are “ghoulishly efficient”.  Although I’ve never seen anyone dress like a mosquito at Halloween, this may all change now. But, seriously, how did this happen? Why can’t kids go outside during the summer, catch lightning bugs and get bit by mosquitoes anymore?  When my kids were little, I put up a bat box on a high tree. Well, I didn’t. I made my husband climb up a tree and place it facing south, as the directions stated. We had bats at night. Might as well let them live close. Bats eat over 500-1000 mosquitoes in one hour. I’d like to meet the man who actually saw one do this, but if this is true, bats rule!

 Of course, when West Nile virus first made the news and we found a few dead birds lying about, I did become concerned. I would be a bad mother if I did not. But, I was confused. I thought mosquitoes only wanted human blood, and here they go landing on birds.

The CDC warns of mosquitoes on their site and has a cute title, “Fight the Bite.” 

The CDC states: “If mosquitoes are still flying there is still a danger from West Nile virus. Infected mosquitoes spread West Nile virus that can cause serious, life-altering, and even fatal disease. Keep using insect repellent, wear long sleeves and long pants and dump out standing water in the yard where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.”

There goes another childhood excitement: puddles. Kids love to jump in puddles, make mud pies, and some goofy kids will even sit down in puddles. Well, not anymore, puddle jumpers. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in shallow puddles. Any standing water is a no-no. A bird bath is a prime example. No water cooler talk for the birds anymore. There are baby mosquitoes ready to attack. They are like Navy seal mosquitoes, but with a different modi operandi.

While you take a bite out of your burger – don’t let mosquitoes take a bite out of you! Use an effective insect repellent to avoid being a Bug’s lunch.

This is from the CDC site. They don’t want you to bite into a mosquito. I think that’s what that means.

I don’t know. I don’t mean to make light of this. Many people have died after being bit by a mosquito. Florida, for example, is mosquito stalker heaven. It’s a vast swampland, and mosquitoes hang out at Disney World, searching for their next meal. But, don’t worry, mouse house visitors, I do know that Disney World has a full-fledged mosquiter stalker on site. The guy goes into the swamps every day, retrieves his traps, and then heads back to his lab. He knows where the concentration of mosquitoes are, and he maps out a plan of counter-attack. From what I have read, they are very pro-active in the fight of the West Nile virus.

My daughter accidentally discovered how not to get bit by mosquitoes. She was studying abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico, and was living with a host family. She did not have a screen on her bedroom window, so she woke up every morning with bug bites all over her body. She noticed that after the nights they went out dancing and drinking, she didn’t have any bug bites. So, she tried an experiment and drank a beer before she went to bed. No bites the next morning. So, every night she had a beer before she went to bed. She swears that she was never bitten by a bug when she did this. She probably should have a drinking problem, but she doesn’t. Her roommate should have chugged some beer, as she was bitten by a scorpion that was on her dresser handle.

I guess we could spray kids with OFF, and then give them a glass of beer before they went outside to play. That would be interesting in a neighborhood.

So, in the end, mosquitoes have mutated into a terrible, blood sucking, death provoking insect. It is no longer cool to see who has the biggest mosquito bite.  There are  little pens you can put on your bite to take the sting out of it. Kids are wearing long sleeves in 90 degree evenings. Many are staying in, playing video games and don’t know what the hell Flashlight Tag is. They are being sprayed with chemicals to keep the gnawing insects  away. Adults burn citronella candles on their patios. Bats are flying overhead. Chaos.

I’m so glad I was a child in the sixties.