Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Of the 50 species of mosquitoes in Indiana, you swear you've been bitten by every one of them?
You wouldn't be alone.
One of the most-heard complaints this summer, after the weather, is about the number of mosquitoes spawned by this spring's heavy rains.
While they may seem big enough to carry off your cat, those mosquitoes really aren't any bigger than they've been in the past, said Purdue entomologist Ralph Williams.
But there are a lot of them, he said. "We're experiencing a bumper crop of nuisance biting mosquitoes."
Last year was one of the worst years for numbers of mosquitoes, Williams said. This year, because of the recent rains and high temperatures, he said, "The mosquito populations we're seeing right now are as bad as last year. They're excessively high."
Fortunately, the mosquitoes biting us now are not the dangerous ones, at least to people (they do carry heartworm, and pet owners should treat their animals accordingly).
"It's a common species, and it's not a major threat for human disease," Williams said. The encephalitis-bearing mosquitoes don't come along until later in the summer, and their activity is closely monitored by the state's Board of Health.
They may not be threatening, but they're definitely annoying, and several area agencies are making an effort to help people cope.
Warsaw's street department has been spraying since June 9 and sprays six days a week, weather permitting.
"We spray the town twice a week, is what it amounts to," said street department superintendent Kim Leake. The only time the city can't spray is when it's raining or if it's too windy, Leake said.
If you don't live in a town that sprays, or if you still have a mosquito problem, what can you do to keep the pest population down around your house?
First, it's important to remember that mosquitoes always develop in water. It can be floodwaters, woodland pools, slow-moving streams, ditches and around the edges of a lake; it also can be something as small as a tree cavity, rain barrel, bird bath, guttering or old tires.
The most effective way to control mosquitoes is to keep them from breeding. Short of a drought, that includes emptying any artificial water containers, draining wading pools, stocking garden and lily ponds with top-feeding minnows, keeping rain gutters unclogged and flat roofs dry, filling tree holes with sand or mortar and keeping margins of small ponds clear of vegetation.
It also helps to keep adult mosquitoes from migrating in from surrounding areas. Since adults like to rest in vegetation, keeping weeds trimmed and sprayed will help control the adult population as well.
If you venture outside, the best thing you can do is wear a mosquito repellent, Williams said. Available under a number of brand names, repellents can protect you from bug bites for up to five hours, depending on the amount of perspiration, skin rubbing, temperature and the number of mosquitoes.
For your yard, a granular repellent called "Mosquito Beater" is recommended by the Extension Service for keeping mosquitoes away for several hours.
One method of insect control people often use in their yards is not effective in controlling mosquitoes. According to a recent article in "Scientific American," entomologists analyzed the bodies of insects killed by bug "zappers." Of 13,789 dead insects, only 18 were female mosquitoes (the only kind that bites), and 13 were biting flies.
Williams said that when the mosquito problem is expected to end is anybody's guess. "As long as we continue to have intermittent rain showers, we'll continue to have mosquitoes. You just have to look at the weather patterns."
And if this spring and summer are any indication, you won't have far to look.
For more information on mosquito control, ask the Kosciusko County Extension Office for its brochure, "Mosquitoes In and Around the Home."
