Mosquitoes

While the warmer weather we are experiencing so early in the season is pleasant, it can awaken certain creatures that have been dormant throughout the colder months.  Mosquitoes and their eggs can become active in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mosquitoes have been in the news a lot lately because of the Zika epidemic and microcephaly cases in South America.  But mosquitoes have always been the source of untold misery and suffering to human beings.  These creatures kill more people than any other on Earth.  Be prepared.

These links are not intended to fear monger, but for calm awareness.

Telegraph: Which Animal Kills the Most Humans?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11644785/Which-animal-kills-the-most-humans.html

Centers for Disease Control:  Avoid Mosquito Bites

http://www.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/

Birmingham, Alabama to Being Spray for Mosquitoes

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/03/birmingham_to_begin_spraying_f.html

Zika’s Advantage in Brazil’s Cities:  People aren’t Scared of Mosquitoes

http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-03-09/zika-s-advantage-brazil-s-cities-people-aren-t-scared-mosquitoes

NYT:  After Living Brazil’s Dream, Family Confronts Microcephaly

http://tinyurl.com/z5yyl2t

I am a bit concerned about this. I have never sprayed for mosquitoes and won't now, for fear of damage to other wildlife, but we have a small wetlands on our property and the potential to become Mosquito Central. Fortunately, we have a good-sized flock of barn swallows that lives to hunt mosquitoes all summer long, but I will be looking for other natural solutions.

So if anyone has ideas, here would be the great place to post them.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis_israelensis

Zika is rarely dangerous to adults, unless he/she is planning a family or is a women who is pregnant. Old people like me don't have that much to worry about.

http://www.cdc.gov/zika/about/index.html

Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by Zika virus that is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.

^^^ Except they suspect an association between Zika and  Gullian Barre auto-immune disease, which is plenty serious.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm

It's important to remember that Zika is just the latest mosquito borne disease to make into the United States. 

Dengue has re appeared and Chikungunya has made an appearance. Bird flu, equine encephalitis, etc. etc.

2 reasons why this matters- one, despite concern that they would all become wildly endemic, so far that has not happened. Two, that doesn't mean that it can't.

Diametrically opposed facts? Maybe, but helpful ones. No, we're not all gonna die, not today, but we have gotten fair warning to put together a meaningful pest control and surveillance program. 

From Robert Roe, Health Officer Maplewood.    I will plan to provide updates as they become available.   The Centers for Disease Control and the New Jersey State Health Dept. web sites have good  reliable information that is regularly updated.

As far as mosquito control, removal of stagnant breeding sites is fundamental.    A few years ago, I surveyed several dozen homes in a two block area.  The homes were well groomed and maintained.   But, almost every home I visited had stagnant water breeding sites that the owners were not aware of.  So, carefully check your yards for stagnant water sites such as garbage and recycling cans, planters with water in the bottom, roof gutters that do not drain, and even cat food cans.   In warm weather it may take only 5-7 days for a mosquito to go from an egg laid in stagnant water, to black colored wiggly larvae which you can see in the water, to flying biting adult.   

@RobertRoe, I've called the Township about my neighbor, which is a contractor's business place, several times over the years about a permanent dumpster that can't help but hold water. Once June rolls around, our back yard is unusable. The county came once and inspected, pointing to this dumpster as the source. What can I do beyond calling again?

I have a birdbath in my backyard, but I use mosquito bits (made by the mosquito dunks people) to control the larvae there.

THEY'RE HERE! Already. Ugh. And I am slightly crazy about any standing water, and spray the organic stuff, and put the mosquito bits anywhere it is moist. Not yet this year, as I didn't think they would be here yet. I really hate mosquitos

ok, I hate to bring this up for fear of jinxing things - but I don't notice too many mosquitoes this year.  We usually have issues with the asian tiger mosquito, but hardly notice them at all this year.  Any other observations?  Or my mosquito trap working?

jamie said:

ok, I hate to bring this up for fear of jinxing things - but I don't notice too many mosquitoes this year.  We usually have issues with the asian tiger mosquito, but hardly notice them at all this year.  Any other observations?  Or my mosquito trap working?

Dry weather. We get a stretch of rainy days, they are gonna be feasting on us like Jeffrey Dahmer. (Too soon?)

Your biggest, non-chemical ally = fans.  Mosquitoes are poor fliers. In fact they seldom fly more than a mile during their lifespan. If you are outside, a fan keeps them away since they cannot fly in the air circulated by a fan.

jamie said:

ok, I hate to bring this up for fear of jinxing things - but I don't notice too many mosquitoes this year.  We usually have issues with the asian tiger mosquito, but hardly notice them at all this year.  Any other observations?  Or my mosquito trap working?

Well I said the following one week earlier last year - they did get worse after this post.  This year I have not used my mosquito trap and I hardly have noticed any so far.  Any other observations out there?