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Highlands Today

More Rain Means Mosquito Season Is Back

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By BILL RETTEW JR. Highlands Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 15, 2008

SEBRING - The next time you smack yourself to crush a mosquito, blame the bite on a mother trying to raise a family.

Only female mosquitoes seek blood, which is then used to nurture eggs.

Mosquitoes are back. Since the annual summer wet season returned, the number of blood-suckers is up.

Dorothy Harris, park specialist at Highlands Hammock State Park, said while it is still early in the breeding season, the number of mosquitoes should peak during August.

About three weeks after the regular seasonal rains return, mosquitoes start to multiply in large numbers.

The impact of the pests should lessen when cooler weather hits at or near the middle of October, said Harris. And the insects should almost disappear during January, February and March.

Peter Anderson, park manager at Highlands Hammock State Park, said life with mosquitoes at this time of the year is "just the way it is.

"It's a part of nature," said Anderson. "And we just have to learn to live with them and deal with them on a day-to-day basis."

Jamie DeMent, epidemiologist for the Highlands County Health Department, noted several ways to avoid itching and scratching, while spending time outside.

The "Five D's" are time-tested measures to help prevent your blood from fattening a bug: DEET repellent, staying inside at both dawn and dusk, dressing with socks, shoes, long pants and shirts, plus draining any standing water, including tires and bird feeders.

Charlie Reynolds is a master gardener with the University of Florida, Highlands County Cooperative Extension Service Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences.

Reynolds said mosquitoes lay 100 to 200 eggs at a time, every seven to 10 days, near or on standing water.

Mosquitoes squirt a small amount of anti-coagulant into the skin.

"Once they take off and fly, you're left with all that poison in your skin," said Reynolds.

Earlier this month, Florida issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory. An upper viral disease, eastern equine encephalitis was found in animals in 30 of 67 Florida counties. Advisories were issued for Jefferson, Volusia, Walton and Washington counties.

No Highlands County residents or animals had reported sickness from encephalitis or West Nile virus during 2008.

The county does not spray for insects like many Florida municipalities.

Spring Lake Improvement District sprays about seven gallons of mosquito repellant, two to three nights a week, during the wet season. The chemical Fyfanon costs the district about $1,500 for a 55-gallon drum.

A pickup truck motors along all the district's streets, spread over more than 3,000 acres, while shooting chemicals into the air.

"This is the perfect breeding grounds," said Nelson about the neighborhood near Arbuckle Creek and Lake Istokpoga. "Many times you go out and get covered up by mosquitoes. Spray, and the next day go back there, and not a mosquito will bite you."

Nelson is a fisherman and said that spraying or using bug spray are not foolproof methods for preventing bites.

"No matter what, the first 30 minutes before dark during the summer, and the mosquitoes will bite you.

Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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