Posted on 08/02/2016 11:13:19 AM PDT by John Conlin
Where have all the mosquitoes gone?
What is the mosquito population in your neck-of-the-woods?
OK all you conspiracy buffs put on your tin-foil hats and let’s take a mental stroll. This entire summer I have noted a surprising decrease in the number of mosquitoes. My parents live right along the South Platte and their pasture (birthplace every spring of TENS OF THOUSANDS of tadpoles) was filled with water most of the spring. I’ve known the area well for over 50 years.
They always have mosquitoes. LOTS of mosquitoes. And with this spring, normally the mosquito population would be way above average (and trust me, average is pretty bad).
Yet this summer the mosquito population is WAY down. Way down. I live in a SW suburb of Denver… mosquito population WAY down. You can sit out all evening and never be bothered by even a single one.
So what natural process could be driving this? Or perhaps it is not a natural process?
Perhaps the government is far more concerned about the Zika virus than they are letting on? Perhaps the government has taken pro-active measures in an attempt to minimize the spread of Zika?
When the West Nile virus first popped up, some hypothesized it was a test done by some nefarious player to see how a mosquito-borne virus would/could spread and potentially be used as a weapon.
So one would hope the government would have some type of plan(s) in place to deal with a mosquito-borne virus that presented a threat to the population of the US.
Did the government implement one of these plans in an attempt to control/limit the Zika transmission across the country? If they can keep the lid on it that good ol’ thing called winter will come along and put a halt to it for at least a number of months.
They would of course have to do this in secrecy. There is no way they could do so out in the open. Here in Colorado you see this type of thing with our good friend the prairie dog. If you have the misfortune of needing to get rid of a town of prairie dogs, good luck. You do so late at night (and cities/counties do this quite often) and the town just isn’t there the next day.
Otherwise you will end up fighting a small but zealous band of prairie dog supporters who will make your life miserable. In the People’s Republic of Boulder, they spend huge amounts of money to re-locate prairie dogs… all while decrying the lack of funds for schools, roads, etc. It is also always lost on them that there is already a functioning eco-system wherever they plan to dump the prairie dogs; their actions causing tremendous disruption. But of course they won’t be around to see this and they can feel good about themselves because of what wonderful people they are via “saving” these specific prairie dogs.
So the feds would have no choice but to do this on the sly.
So are the feds actively suppressing the mosquito population to both slow the spread of Zika and to learn about the effectiveness of such actions in preparation for an attack by a weaponized mosquito-borne virus?
But before we can take off our tin-foil hats, we need as Sherlock Holmes would say… more data.
So wherever you might live… how would you rate the mosquito population in your area versus historical numbers and what you might expect?
I have no idea whether the above is true or whether I even believe it… I just know there is a truly amazing decrease in our mosquito population in a year with a very wet spring. That ain’t the way it works here in Colorado.
Northeast Minnesota checking in...
The mosquito swarms require fog lamps to drive at night.
The swarms are not retreating as reported in this post.
Volunteers have set up emergency windshield washing stations at every milepost for a minimal fee.
Accuweather.com is forecasting very high to severe mosquito activity for tonight (FACT!)
I live east of Dallas and trust me when I say they are doing fine at Lake Ray Hubbard.
Back in the day, I went to a summer camp up in Ely. I’ll never forget the. First time I saw a black cloud move across the lake headed straight for us. We were rapping up dinner and dusk was coming.
We made it into the tents just in time. Man that’s a lot of skeets.
No mosquitoes here in North Texas. Not in August, where the ground is dry and parched, no standing water for those vermin to breed in.
That is a good thing!
We visited my aunt and uncle in Plaistow as a kid and I remember the mosquitoes very well. Terrifying. They were huge and there were a lot of the buggers. What made it bad was that we spent a lot of time in the back forest. Great memories in spite of the bugs.
No bugs here in Colorado. The dry and the cold winters take care of them.
We have very few this year (just north of San Francisco). My husband and I have commented on this several times. During the summer, we usually get dive bombed at night. Not this year. And I can water out in the yard without getting eaten.
I live in Florida.
Lots of the nasty things want my blood.
Count your blessings. :) Isn’t CA in a drought. Maybe that is the reason.
Here in Mid-Nebraska we had a very warm March then a cold snap and lots of snow. Killed them off. But we had a lot of rain so we thought we would have a bad skeeter year. Then it got really hot.
So far we have enjoyed a virtually mosquito free summer. We assume it was the cold snap and snow storm after the warm spring which killed them off. But who knows.
They will be back next year, I am sure.
I’m in North Dallas, and ours suck. Literally. We used to have a couple, not too bad. Then my roommate bought a Dynatrap thing and now our backyard is well stocked with the damn things. For every one it might kill, in attracts 3-4more to the yard :(
Zapped four of them with one of these. The other one got away.
Have noticed a lot more geckos around. A family of them moved into the patio at my brother's placed down the road, and one moved into the patio at my apartment.
Geckos munch mosquitos, flies, ants, wasps, and just about any other bug. Love 'em!
Really? I’m in Frisco and have seen VERY few per my earlier post.
Where are you?
eastern PA north of philly near Neshaminy Creek and Delaware River. NO skeeters. None. They don’t normally like me anyway, but I don’t even hear them.
We have butterflies, not many lightnin’ bugs this year and, AND, more honey bees than the last 10 years. Not many, but still more.
Do you have an epipen handy? If you don’t, please get one. Requires a prescription (not hard to get), but could save a life.
Reminds me: mine is old, need a new one.
If you don’t, a VERY cold shower and caffeine can help. Been there, done that. (Allergic to NutraSweet, friend gave me a drink with NutraSweet in it, didn’t check, chugged it, and then felt my throat swelling shut — anaphylaxis. Took an ice cold shower and drank a Monster. Survived, obviously.)
Suburban St.Paul, MN here.
In my backyard mosquitoes are fewer than in years past. But the mosquito control helicopter has been dive bombing the creek and swamp behind the house every other week.
Fewer still means about 10 bites/hour.
We have plenty mosquito’s, flea’s, roaches, palmetto bugs, etc. in northeast Florida.
If you seem to be suffering from a deficit of these critters, drop us a line. I’m sure we can hook you up.
Hardly any firelies either which was a bummer. I like fireflies.
Plenty of deer flies though. That's those flies that buzz around your head. I hate those flies and wish they would all die.
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