The Buzz on Mosquitoes
The word “mosquito” derives from the Spanish word “musketas” which literally translates to “little fly”. There are more than 2500 species of mosquitoes worldwide, 150 of these being found in the US of which 73 are found in Florida.
All species of mosquitoes have one thing in common. They are pests and can put a damper on our outdoor activities. They can cause decreased milk production and weight in farm animals and cause heart worms in dogs . Nothing compares, however, with the threat of disease they can easily transfer to humans.
Some of the most common diseases spread by mosquitoes are Malaria, Dengue, Encephalitis and Yellow Fever. Although it was feared in the 1980’s the threat of the HIV virus being spread by mosquitoes has been dismissed. The new threat is the West Nile Virus.
The West Nile Virus
The West Nile Virus is not new to West Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It is, however, new to the US. The first US outbreak wasn’t reported until 1999 in New York City when horses, humans and birds were infected and fell ill with the virus. Out of 62 humans diagnosed with the disease in 1999, 7 died. In the year 2000, 2 people died out of the 21 people from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who were diagnosed with the disease.
The disease usually affects birds but becomes a threat to mammals, such as humans and horses, when it is transmitted by a mosquito bite. When birds migrate there is more of a chance of spreading the disease to other parts of the country. This year that has become evident by outbreaks literally in our own backyards. On July 7, 2001 the disease was detected in a dead crow in Lowndes County, Georgia. Most recently a Cooper’s Hawk was found to be infected with the disease in DeKalb County, Georgia. The latest report is that one person has died from the disease in Georgia. So far this year birds testing positive to West Nile Virus have been found in CT, FL, GA, MA, MD, NJ, NY and RI.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus include headache, fever and body aches (similar to a mild flu) and occur 5 to 15 days after the bite from an infected mosquito. Most people experience no symptom at all. Complications occur when the virus causes Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Symptoms of Encephalitis are nausea, stiff neck, confusion, weakness, high fever, severe headache and coma. The elderly and people with low immune systems are more at risk for contracting the complications of Encephalitis.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health is keeping us informed with frequent updates that can be found online at http://health.state.ga.us/epi/vbd.shtml. As of 7/24/01 they do not recommend Georgians staying indoors because the risk of contracting the disease is low. According to their publication, “Even if you live in an area where mosquitoes are known to carry West Nile virus or other viruses, very few mosquitoes will actually be infected…” Your chances of becoming ill if ever bitten by an infected mosquito is also very low.
They do encourage us to protect ourselves (especially seniors and those with immune deficiencies) from the virus by taking simple measures to avoid mosquito bites.
Don’t Invite Mosquitoes to Your Party
Mosquitoes love stagnant water. That is where the mother lays her eggs, where the eggs hatch, where the larva hang from the water’s surface breathing oxygen from a tube and where the pupa rests, waiting to shed its skin and become an adult. This cycle cannot happen in running water. A well-circulated pond will not become a mosquito breeding tank. If your pond has areas where the water surface is still or where lily pads and plants allow “trash” to build up on the surface of the water you should use Mosquito Dunks to prevent any mosquitoes from becoming adults.
Find
Mosquito Dunks at our online store.
Anything that can hold water will breed mosquitoes. Get rid of them, keep them clean and fresh, or turn them upside-down so water can’t collect in them.
Buckets - Boats & Canoes - Old Tires - Pet Dishes - Unused Wading Pools - Planters - Wheelbarrows - Birdbaths - Cluttered Rain Gutters
Puddles are some of the worst offenders. Fill them in or re-do your landscape so that puddles do not stay around after a big rain. Also check around outdoor faucets and the air-conditioning unit for water accumulation. Septic tanks that leak need to be repaired immediately.
Adult mosquitoes rest on weeds and thick vegetation. Keep the lawn mowed and clear out brush for better mosquito control.
Don’t allow them into your house by screening the porch, doors and windows with 16 to 18 mesh screens.
Don’t Be Attractive…
...at least to the mosquito. Mosquitoes see movement more than an actual object and they see sharp contrasts of dark and light colors. Choose clothing that blends in with the environment. If you are 30 feet away from a mosquito dressed in a green outfit sitting next to a bush the mosquito wouldn’t know the difference between you and the bush — at least not until he is within 10 feet of you.
Mosquitoes are attracted by the smell of carbon dioxide and lactic acid, both
of which are given off by us when we exhale especially when we are active.
Mosquitoes follow our body scent upwind against breezes up to 6 miles an hour.
When a mosquito is within 10 feet of you it can feel body heat. The mosquito’s
heat sensor is more accurate when the humidity is high.
Ways to protect oneself from mosquitoes:
Wear long sleeves and pants instead of shorts.
Use repellents on exposed areas of the skin. Products that contain DEET are proven to be safe when used at 20 to 30% concentration on adults and 10% for children. Do not use on infants and pregnant women.
Don’t depend on bug zappers. They kill more beneficial bugs than they do mosquitoes.
Burn citronella candles and torches.
Use mosquito coils that burn slowly and emit a smoke that kills mosquitoes and keep them away.
Natural Predators
Mosquitoes are a favorite food of bats and dragonflies. A single dragonfly can eat up to 600 insects a day. That number is dwarfed by the brown bat who can eat 1200 mosquitoes in an hour!
More Mosquito Facts
Only a female mosquito will bite. She requires blood every 3 to 4 days for egg production. She will often drink more than her weight in blood in one “sitting”.
The male mosquito prefers the taste of flower nectar.
Men are more likely to be bitten than women.
Young adults are more likely to be bitten than any other age group. Next in line are older adults.
A mosquito does not “bite”. She actually siphons the blood out by a tube.
It is believed that a larger person attracts mosquitoes more than a smaller person because of the amount of carbon dioxide and heat emitted by the person.
The only place mosquitoes do not live is Antarctica.
The correct plural spelling for mosquito is “mosquitoes” (with an “e”) in English and “mosquitos” (without the “e”) in Spanish.
Most species of mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn.
From the Pond-A-Thon Edition of What's Up, Doc?, July / Aug / Sept 2001 / © 2001, The Pond Doc's Water Garden Center. All rights Reserved. Reproduction of this article prohibited without prior consent of The Pond Doc.
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