Those Darn Mosquitos!

by Nadine Sigle, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent


My garden is finally taking off after the many challenges it’s had this spring and early summer. It started with parched soil and cooler than normal temperatures making planting later than normal. I persevered and by Memorial Day thought it was in pretty good shape. The tomatoes and peppers were out and mulched, the potatoes were looking good and I had harvested some broccoli, spinach, radishes and lettuce.

The following Sunday however brought heavy rains, high winds and hail. The hail did a real number on things. My tomatoes looked like sticks, the spinach and lettuce were beaten to a pulp, and the broccoli leaves were shredded. I was a little disheartened to say the least, but I replanted some tomatoes and used the spinach and lettuce rows to plant beans. It looks like it is finally going to take off.

But I think I’m also going to take off or be carried off by the large mosquitoes that swarm after me while working in the garden. With the rains, came the mosquitoes. And the mosquitoes this year are monster size! They look like planes coming in to land and are eyeing me to refuel. As they dive bomb me, I’m swatting and slapping and it looks like I’m engaged in a war.

Well, it’s time for the war to end and they aren’t going to get the better of me. I’m arming myself with DEET containing repellent and spraying myself before going outdoors. I’ll also put on long pants to keep my legs covered. Not only will the pants help protect me from the mosquitoes, but also the chaffing which results from crawling down the rows while I harvest and pull weeds. Long sleeves are also a good idea as well as making sure I don’t have any standing water in puddles, flower pots and buckets.

By protecting myself from the mosquitoes, I’ll avoid the unwanted bites and the itching and scratching that goes along with them. I will also be protecting myself from becoming infected with West Nile Virus. West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals when they bite. For more information on West Nile Virus, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a really good fact sheet. Visit www.cdc.gov/westnile to access the sheet.

I think I’m getting a handle on protecting myself from the mosquitoes and their unwanted side effects. Now it time to figure out how to battle the potato bugs!!