Mosquitoes En Masse In Mass!

July 31, 2015

Mosquitoes are a pain--quite literally. They drive us crazy every morning, every evening, and twice as bad after it rains. They come to bite us on our decks, they stick us with their needles while we're relaxing by the pool, and they torment us while we're trying to enjoy those few precious summer cookouts we're allowed to have between winters. And, that's just at home! If you own a camp, it is even worse. After a week of camp, you could come back with as many as 50 bites! The question is: can you afford to get all those bites?

Health officials report that the first Massachusetts mosquito carrying West Nile virus has been found. That isn't to say that mosquitoes haven't been spreading West Nile virus till now, but it is finally confirmed.

Massachusetts is a pretty big state; so, where was this mosquito found? This little virus spreader was collected July 8th in Sheffield, Mass. That means, if you live in Western Mass, you're going to want to take extra precaution. West Nile virus causes flu-like symptoms for most, but less than 1 percent of the people infected can develop serious neurological illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis.

Protect Yourself

• Get rid of anything that allows water to collect in your yard. These are breeding sites for mosquitoes.

• If you're going to have a party in your backyard, consider getting a pest control company to do mosquito abatement. This will kill off adult mosquitoes living on your property and destroy eggs before they can hatch.

• One of the most effective and healthy ways you can avoid bites is by creating your own breeze. Mosquitoes are horrible fliers. If you put a couple fans on your back deck, not only will you stay cooler, you'll keep the mosquitoes away.

• If you intend to go for a walk, wearing mosquito repellant is still the most effective way to avoid bites. Get something that has DEET in it.

• If you don't like chemicals, oil of lemon eucalyptus is just as effective.

• Wearing long sleeves and pants will not only reduce the amount of skin you make available to those mosquitoes, you can also spray repellant onto the fabric, instead of your skin.

• Wearing light colors can make it harder for mosquitoes to track you, because they fly low to the ground and use your silhouette to lock in on you.

When Mass mosquitoes come out en masse it isn't just a pain, it can be dangerous. Protect yourself from summer bites. The wrong bite will leave you with more than just an irritating bump.