Smile, it's painless!

The rainy season here in Florida starts today and goes through the end of November. This also coincides with the hurricane season, by the way.

There is another season that happens here at the same time...mosquito season. My husband, Gene, chief pilot at Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD) and his squad of pilots are ready to battle the enemy (mosquitos). All the DC3's and helicopters are serviced, fueled and waiting. We've had some rain so the enemy is mobilizing out in the swamps, lakes, fish ponds, in fact any standing water they can find. They're hatching and soon they will begin to feed and grow. As pupae and larva they live in standing water and are unable to fly. This is where Gene and the other pilots will attack first, before they reach adulthood and fly off to menace the neighbors. Helicopters, boats and trucks are all used in this stage of the fight spraying a bio-degradable insecticide.

When the remaining mosquitos mature and fly off the females will begin searching for blood to incubate their eggs (females are the ones who bite). Any warm, red blooded body will do. Cattle, dogs, birds, humans and others are targeted by these bloodsuckers. Cattle and other animals in unprotected areas have been known to suffocate from the large numbers of mosquitos on their noses! Mosquitos are more than just pests. They can carry serious diseases like Malaraia, Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. The LCMCD laboratory scientists test the blood of chickens to determine the threat locally. They also work to develop safer and more effective ways to combat mosquitos. This is not happening just in Florida, there are Mosquito Control operations all over the United States. So the next time you see your local "Mosquito Assasins" in flight, give them a wave. They're fighting for your right to picnic and play ball outdoors!