It’s July in Central Florida. The single biggest group of visitors? Mosquitoes. With the size and temperament of blue jays.
They’re out in force, with all the recent rain. They’ve been breeding quietly in puddles, in ponds, in the woods.
Unwelcome pest
Volusia County is under a Health Department advisory regarding equine encephalitis, spread by mosquito bites. We’re warned to take precautions.
Back in the early 1800s, Volusia County was part of what was Mosquito County, a huge tract of land, later broken into several counties. Enterprise was the county seat. It wasn’t named “Mosquito County” for nothin’!
Just got this in from my alert cousin, Gary, who’s into astronomy and all things heavenly. I had never really considered the mosquito problem from a backyard astronomer’s point of view.
Maybe this techhie repellant called Thermacell can be put to good use locally!
Check it out at One-Minute Astronomer.
Another, less high-tech repellant I’ve heard of recently is applying a little Listerine. The scent is supposed to confuse the mosquitoes, so we don’t smell tasty to them, and they don’t bite. I haven’t tried it out.
Then there’s the old standby, Skin So Soft. It seems to work pretty well. As do DEET products, but they are strong chemicals to apply to one’s clothing or skin.
