Mosquitoes explode with recent rains

HEMINGWAY - August was the 10th wettest August on record with 7.32” of rain according to official records in Florence. Then it was topped by September. The wettest previous September was 1957 with 9.03” of rain and this year it went over with 11.24”
When heavy rains come, many counties begin applying the safest and most effective kind of control - a type of disease that only affects mosquitoes and midges. To be effective, this “larvacide” needs to be done immediately after heavy rains, before the adult mosquitoes emerge to begin biting - and laying more eggs.
Other counties that are more lax, try to “shut the barn door after the horses have escaped,“ by waiting too late. Then they spray for the adults, in a battle that cannot be won, because there are always enough blood bites and eggs laid to increase the population of mosquitoes until a hard freeze comes.
There are other drawbacks to spraying for adults. The adult sprays are chemical poisons, which have been shown to have health effects on people, especially on children, who are more susceptible to toxins than adults.
Adult sprays are also what the military calls “friendly fire,“ where we mistakenly shoot our own allies. Spraying adult mosquitoes kills off our friends - other insects such as dragonflies which eat mosquitoes, or their eggs and larvae.
This means that spraying for adult mosquitoes often makes the problem worse, because the mosquitoes breed back much faster than the controlling predators. Oftentimes one spray will make further sprays necessary, because the mosquito population explodes by the time new eggs hatch.
It is important to make sure that mosquitoes do not have places to breed. They only need a couple ounces of water, so a trash filled ditch will often have plenty of containers for mosquitoes to breed in, even after the ditch has drained out.
Birdbaths, pet dishes, wading pools and other toys, rain gutters that are clogged with leaves, and old tires are all perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Any water that stands for three days or more should be dumped periodically.
Flowing water will not breed mosquitoes, nor will water that has minnows in it. But stagnant water in puddles or ditches that do not drain quickly is often the source of many mosquitoes. The mosquito disease that is used by the best public control agencies is also available to the public, and can be purchased at farm and garden suppliers as “Mosquito Dunks” They are effective for 30 days, and can be used in any standing water. They also can be easily crumbled and only a small amount used for smaller puddles.
According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) People can protect themselves from mosquito bites by:
·  Using a repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. Follow the label directions when using any repellent;
·  Keeping property clear of standing water in which mosquitoes can breed;
·  Staying inside when mosquitoes are most active (dawn and dusk) or wearing long sleeves and pants;
·  Keeping screens on windows and doors in good repair; and
·  Being aware of the symptoms of West Nile virus.