Free Republic

Cities America are spraying chemicals through their streets in response to a rise in several deadly mosquito-borne illnesses, in an unprecedented move. Massachusetts, New York, Texas and California are among the states deploying pesticides to repel the increasingly disease-ridden insects. The decision comes on the heels of an onslaught of mosquito-borne illnesses throughout the US, including West Nile Virus, which hospitalized White House Covid doctor Anthony Fauci this month, 'Triple E', a brain-swelling disease that has killed two Americans so far this year, and 'sloth fever', a disease transmitted from sloths to mosquitos. Officials are spraying the streets at night...

Clove oil is made up mainly of eugenol, which is known to kill the larvae of disease-spreading mosquitoes such as Aedes aegyptiDepsoitphotos VIEW 1 IMAGES The best method of limiting the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases is to kill the mosquito larvae, but doing so often involves the use of synthetic insecticides. A new study now suggests a method of improving the effectiveness of a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative – clove oil. Thanks to a chemical compound within it known as eugenol, clove oil is already known for its ability to eradicate mosquito larvae when added to standing water. Not only is...

Does anyone know what the military is spraying right now in the skies over Mississippi? Locals are reporting (I've seen photos) numerous military helicopters, lined up in formation, flying in grid patterns, dropping a yellow liquid into the sky. This is in the area of Keesler AFB, Biloxi, etc.

Mosquitoes are more than just a pest – they can be downright dangerous carriers of disease. One of the most innovative ideas to control populations of the bugs has been to release genetically modified male mosquitoes that produce unviable offspring. But unfortunately a test of this in Brazil appears to have failed, with genes from the mutant mosquitoes now mixing with the native population. The idea sounded solid. Male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were genetically engineered to have a dominant lethal gene. When they mated with wild female mozzies, this gene would drastically cut down the number of offspring they produced,...

No one likes the idea of being bitten by a mosquito, especially if that pesky pest also is carrying around viruses as deadly as yellow fever, dengue and Zika. But what if you could eradicate the diseased insects by releasing assassin versions of mosquitoes to kill them off? On Nov. 3, the Environmental Protection Agency approved a new approach from the biotech company MosquitoMate. The goal is to destroy populations of wild mosquitoes that could be carrying nasty viruses, according to a report from Nature magazine. Instead of relying on genetic engineering, MosquitoMate infects lab-grown mosquitoes with the common bacterium...

A hike at Ransom Canyon turned serious for two Lubbock women on Monday when they were attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Carrie Shores and Megan Raden are Texas Tech students who just wanted to enjoy the outdoors with their friends when mosquitoes that "looked like flies" began to bite them. The mosquitoes continued to bite them even as they were running; including bites on their faces. They were still a distance away from their vehicles, and both said the mosquitoes did not stop chasing them until they reached a residential area where officials spray repellent. Once Shores and Raden...

Why some people are prone to mosquito bites By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent > Last Updated: 7:01pm BST 30/08/2007 Scientists have worked out why mosquitoes make a beeline for certain people but appear to leave others almost untouched. Specific cells in one of the three organs that make up the mosquito’s nose are tuned to identify the different chemicals that make up human body odour. To the mosquito some people’s sweat simply smells better than others because of the proportions of the carbon dioxide, octenol and other compounds that make up body odour. It is those people who are most...

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Mosquito Bite John Fontaine Got Eastern Equine EncephalitisPOSTED: 7:44 am EDT September 1, 2006 UPDATED: 8:12 am EDT September 1, 2006 BOSTON -- A 9-year-old Middleboro, Mass., boy died from Eastern equine encephalitis Thursday. He is the state's first EEE fatality this year. John Fontaine developed a fever on Aug. 18 and was hospitalized two days later. His two-week battle with EEE ended at Boston Children's Hospital Thursday morning. Middleborough was among the communities in southeastern Massachusetts that have undergone two rounds of aerial spraying to kill the mosquitoes that carry the virus. The first round...

Only in Pennsylvania would insect control stand a chance of becoming a significant issue in a gubernatorial campaign. Many political observers believe Republican state Sen. Jeff Piccola of Dauphin County will emerge as Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell's GOP challenger next year. Piccola's insect-related criticism of the proposed 2005-06 state budget that Rendell unveiled Wednesday leaves little doubt that he will seek the office. Piccola blasted Rendell over the planned elimination of the Department of Environmental Protection's $4.4 million black-fly control and suppression program. He strongly opposes ending state-financed spraying to reduce the summertime population of black flies -- more commonly...