It is always mosquito season in Florida, but late summer to fall is particularly painful in recent years. Why? Partly due to Republican control of Florida and their small government ethos which included eliminating funding for mosquito control districts in order to cut property taxes by a couple dollars per year. There is less money for spraying that was once taken for granted. Mosquito control districts still exist, but residents often must call the district and ask them to spray in a particular area. See the complete list of Florida Mosquito Control Programs HERE.
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| Zika Virus vector mosquito (Aedes albopictus) Asian Tiger Mosquito |
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| A mosquito meter indicating that it is a "blood donor day" for the bugs at the entrance to Collier-Seminole State Park near Naples on the old Tamiami Trail (Hwy 90 east). They weren't kidding either. On a recent afternoon one just stepped out of the car to be swarmed by hundreds of the voracious insects. |
The insects are vectors for more diseases than any other animal on the planet and one should take precautions to avoid bites whenever possible.
Therefore buzzing mosquitoes, itchy bites, and spray-on repellents are all part of outdoor summer Florida fun, and for some of us, they’re unavoidable.
Natives know to wear long sleeves or hoodies, long pants, and flap hats that cover the ears and neck, but protective clothing can be very painful for newcomers to our hot and humid climate.
Therefore buzzing mosquitoes, itchy bites, and spray-on repellents are all part of outdoor summer Florida fun, and for some of us, they’re unavoidable.
Natives know to wear long sleeves or hoodies, long pants, and flap hats that cover the ears and neck, but protective clothing can be very painful for newcomers to our hot and humid climate.
If you feel as if you have a huge mosquito target on your back—or arm, or leg—it’s not in your head. Here’s why, and what you can do about it.
Why Mosquitoes Prefer Some People Over Others
“The phenomenon does exist, and you can demonstrate that scientifically,” James Logan, head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said of the insects’ apparent preference for some people. “You can also show that’s due to body odor.”
Mosquitoes hunt using all of their senses, but smell is a predominant factor. A higher metabolism, higher body temperature and more sweat make you more likely to be bitten. But a person’s scent is just one element. Mosquitoes are attracted to the lactic acid your body produces, the carbon dioxide you exhale and the natural bacteria that live on your skin.
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“The good news is that these people smell normal, so they smell like a human being,” Professor Logan said. “The bad news is that they will probably always be that level of attractiveness.”
Professor Logan and his team are studying the genetic reasons for this attraction, as well as natural repellents produced by people’s bodies.
“If we identify the genes that control the production of natural repellents and susceptibility to mosquitoes, we can develop a drug that would keep mosquitoes away rather than putting DEET on,” he said.
Professor Logan is a bit of a hunk and media sensation in some parts. More on him below.
Professor Logan is a bit of a hunk and media sensation in some parts. More on him below.
Keep Mosquitoes at Bay Before They Bite
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using a repellent registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. The most popular and accessible form of E.P.A.-approved repellent is DEET, short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide.
You shouldn’t be fooled by higher DEET concentrations on repellent bottles, however. Unlike the SPF rating in sunscreens, higher concentrations of DEET don’t mean more protection. Instead, the higher the percentage of DEET in a repellent, the longer it will be effective before you have to reapply.
You should know that DEET will eat the paint off of a car so consider that before applying it to your skin. It is a toxic chemical. Studies have shown up to half of people that use DEET products exhibit negative symptoms such as rashes, skin irritation, numb or burning lips, nausea, headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating. And if you ever get DEET in your eyes or if it travels to sensitive regions of the human body, its game over. Severe burning and distress can occur. Of course the upside is that DEET is very effective.
Janet McAllister, a research entomologist for the C.D.C.’s division of vector-borne diseases in Fort Collins, Colo., recommends visiting the E.P.A.’s repellent-finder website to choose the right one for your needs.
“If you’re going to be outdoors for eight hours, you might want to try a higher concentration repellent, but if you’re only outdoors gardening for maybe an hour or two, you could use a lower concentration,” Dr. McAllister said.
And those citronella candles — do they work?
“No,” Dr. McAllister said, “not unless you’re standing directly over the candle. It’s the smoke that repels them, not the citronella.”
“They’re very hard to fool,” she added. “Even if you’re standing next to a mosquito trap, they can still tell a live animal from not.”
Leigh Krietsch Boerner, science editor for The Wirecutter and The Sweethome, product review websites owned by The New York Times, recommends a “dry” insect repellent spray with 25 percent DEET.
“We don’t recommend using higher than 30 percent of DEET for anything,” Ms. Boerner said. She and The Sweethome team tested how different repellents dried, smelled and felt on the skin. They applied some to fabric to make sure it dried quickly, didn’t leave residue and didn’t stain clothing.
Dry versions typically spray on lightly and contain a small amount of cornstarch, which leaves your skin feeling dry after application and avoids that oily sensation that comes with other repellent sprays. The downside to dry sprays, however, is that cornstarch (or talc, in some sprays) can leave a white powder on clothing, but it can be easily brushed off, Ms. Boerner said.
Dr. Mark Fradin, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has studied the efficacy of repellents. He recommends a three-pronged approach to prevention: avoid mosquitoes’ natural habitat, apply repellent to skin and apply repellent to clothing.
Similarly, when you’re applying repellent, don’t skimp. Many people treat it as if it has a “cloaking effect,” and that won’t protect you at all.
“A dot behind each ear or on each wrist will not set up a force field,” Dr. Fradin said. “If you skip a one-inch swath, they’ll find it.”
For decades, people used DEET for personal protection until serious toxicity concerns surrounding environmental and health hazards surfaced in the 1980s. While the Environmental Protection Agency has since declared that high doses aren't toxic for humans and the CDC endorses DEET, the compound still incites a soupçon of anxiety in some and is unpopular among parents of young children.
Consequently, a host of DEET alternatives have come on the scene. As of April 2005, the CDC endorsed two additional repellent agents—picaridin, a colorless and odorless chemical, and the all-natural oil of lemon eucalyptus. While DEET is believed to disable the insect's antennae receptors—thwarting its ability to detect body heat, carbon dioxide, or lactic acid, the three clues that an all-you-can-eat blood buffet is near—picaridin forms a barrier on the human skin, similarly deterring hungry insects. The stinky oil of lemon eucalyptus confuses the bugs, masking both carbon dioxide and lactic acid exhalations.
Treat Bites the Right Way
Even with preparation, you’re likely to get at least a few bites over the course of the summer, especially if you’re more prone to bites than others. When it comes to treatment, Dr. Fradin recommends ice, a low-potency hydrocortisone and simple patience.
“We try to dissuade people from using a topical Benadryl cream because of the risk of sensitivity or reaction,” he said. He also recommends staying away from caladryl and calamine lotions for the same reason. Many turn to them to alleviate itching, but these may be better options for skin irritation from something like poison ivy.
“I don’t think caladryl does much for insect bites,” Dr. Fradin said.
Should you have an intense reaction to a mosquito (or other insect) bite, prescription-strength steroids may be needed, and you should consult your doctor. You should try not to scratch, and instead gently tap the area around the bite to alleviate itching. After that, you just have to wait it out. Dr. Fradin offered one crumb of comfort.
“It will eventually stop itching,” he said.
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| Dr. James Logan, entomologist, studies mosquitoes from around the world in an effort to make them less dangerous. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine keeps mosquitoes in a cavern beneath the streets of London. The bowls contain mosquito larvae in water, while the boxes are where adult mosquitoes live. |
The Hunk Mosquito Doctor
You can't hear it over the noise of London's traffic. But it's there. That faint, whining hum. Right under my feet, thousands of mosquitoes are dining on human blood.
To visit them, you have to go through a sliding glass door into the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This school started as a hospital on the Thames River, where doctors treated sailors returning from faraway places with strange parasites.
Today, the building holds countless exotic diseases that you hope you'll never catch. The mosquitoes carry just a few of them, and their keeper is an entomologist named Dr. James Logan.
To get to them, you have to go underground, then through two sets of doors and a net, and into the restricted access room.
"We don't want any mosquitoes to escape onto the streets of London, obviously, because we've got tropical mosquitoes here," says Logan.
On the side of the net with the mosquitoes, it feels like the worst kind of August afternoon. Humid, hot and still — just the way mosquitoes like it. We're in low caverns that were built almost 100 years ago, and we have to duck so we don't hit our heads.
"Luckily we have quite short people who work in our insectaries," Logan says. "But these rooms are part of the vaults of the building. At one time during [World War II], for example, they were used as shelters."
Clear plastic boxes line the walls, each one holding hundreds of mosquitoes. Some are from Pakistan, others from Tanzania. There are mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus and dengue fever.
The really dangerous ones live in a different room, though. When you jostle a box, the mosquitoes go crazy, hungry for blood.
"What I can probably do as well, actually, is put my hand inside if you want to see them," he says.
When I press him on his willingness to be eaten by his mosquitoes, he makes a confession.
"Actually, I have to admit, I have to put my hands up and admit I don't do it myself," Logan says. "Not because I'm a wimp, but because I react really badly to mosquito bites, to that particular species. So we have some people who don't react at all, and they can do it. Or we take blood from people and feed them artificially."
Malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. This lab is doing research that could help lower that number. It's the reason people call Dr. Logan the mosquito slayer.
He cultivates these insects to learn how better to obliterate them on a massive scale.
Speaking of massive, he points out a box behind me with enormous mosquitoes, each one the size of a small beetle.
This species doesn't actually feed on humans. The larvae eat other mosquito larvae, so this is actually a beneficial kind of mosquito. I stick my microphone into the box, and that spine-tingling whine immediately pierces my ears.
Suddenly I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye. It's definitely a mosquito on the loose.
But Logan isn't worried. "It's a male," he says.
How, I ask, can you tell that the tiny thing buzzing around is a male.
"They have bushy antennae," he says, noting that only the females bite. Then he snatches it out of the air.
Dr. James Logan is an entomologist who's not afraid to squish a bug.
With longish hair and a sad, thoughtful eyes, Grossi, a Virginia native, looks more like a puppy dog than a jarhead. But when he arrived at Camp Leatherneck in 2010, the 27-year-old was assigned to a recon unit—a hardcore, tip-of-the-spear group trained to drop into dangerous spots in the dead of night. Before long, he was on a helicopter headed through predawn darkness to the Sangin Valley, one of the most hostile parts of generally hostile Afghanistan. He landed in shit that smelled like 200 crazy warriors: "They hit us all day and didn't let up for a week."
Between artillery battles, Grossi noticed a funny-looking little dog trotting around, sniffing and poking. Afghanistan hand no shortage of strays, but usually those dogs came out at night in snarling packs; the soldiers had no problem complying with the Pentagon rule that you may not touch a stray dog. But Grossi felt that this good boy was different. With a large head and thick chest, he carried himself like a big dog, but on stubby legs. "His front legs and paws were like a basset hound's and his back ones like a rabbit's, but he made it work," Grossi says. "I've never seen a dog so comfortable in his own skin. He had a show dog trot."
Grossi watched as the animal navigated the compound "like he was mayor of the place." Maybe it was the animal's spirit, or maybe the monotony of war, but one inevitable day, man met dog. "As I got closer, he started to wag his tail. That blew me away. What does this dog have to wag his tail about? Its hot, he's covered in fleas, and he's clearly never been treated well by a person. He's in Afghanistan. But he's wagging his tail."
Grossi offered up some beef jerky and the dog accepted it with elegant caution. The Marine reached out to rub his ears, which to a dog, is the equivalent of planting a kiss on the lips four minutes into a first date. To his surprise, the dog leaned fully into his hand. Oops. Grossi felt a jolt of responsibility kick in. "I remembered where I was and started walking away. I got a few feet and felt this poke at my heel. I looked down and Fred had this expression like, 'Where ya goin'?"
"Looks like you made a friend," a fellow Marine called. Gross thought he'd said "Fred." And Fred worked.
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The Men's Health Ultimate Dog
. . .that's interesting
Men's Health scoured the country for a "hound of renown." They ultimately chose Falco from Port Orange, Florida (below) with his human companion Aaron Tucker.
What makes an ultimate dog? Does he lead a pack of men rather than a pack of mutts? Does he exhibit bravery in war zones where even soldiers shake? Or does he simply wait by the screen door every night for you to come home? In this special edition, Men's Health introduces dogs doing all those things and more—the best stories from nearly 900 entries in their Ultimate Dog contest.
A Rescued Dog Returns the Favor by Rescuing People
For two weeks, the detectives' best efforts yielded nothing. The young man who left a suicide note remained missing. Authorities thought perhaps the man had simply left town. Enter a bright, motivated, German Shepherd, partner of Florida FEMA task force member Aaron Tucker.
Falco has been trained to smell human decomposition. He can sniff a Q-tip'x amount of blood in 5 acres, and he's been locating missing people since 2013. He's often brought in for all-hope-is-lost missions like this one.
On this day, Falco's first instinct was to sprint west. The detectives shook their heads. They'd been focusing their search efforts in the opposite direction. The dense forest was tricky to navigate, but the dog charged right into a mass of brush and thorny vines. Three minutes later he gave his silent alert: seated, rigid body, nose down. Falco had located the dead man.
"Most police dogs sniff out drugs or bombs," says Tucker, Falco's companion and handler. "But our skill set makes it possible to close a chapter by bringing the missing home. We can bring peace to the soul and the family."
Falco stands out for his valor and leadership. When they're not in the field, Falco and Tucker teach search tactics to other K9 teams. They have a special bond. During one search mission, a man jumped out of the woods and came at Tucker. He ignored commands to show his hands until Falco intervened, barking and growling until backup arrived and took the man into custody.
Afghanistan Connects a Marine with a Cuddly Dog Named Fred
The Afghan commando had no particular reason for kicking the dog, a stray picked up by US Marine Craig Grossi. The dog—Fred by name—was just lying around with Grossi and some other heavily armed guys waiting out the heat when the commando turned rabid and booted the pooch, no reason. When the man lunged at the animal again, one of Grossi's fellow Marines sorted him out—with a swift kick to the chest.
"Okay," the commando said, recovering "Now I shoot him." He meant the dog, not the Marine. He aimed his AK-47; the Americans shouldered their M4s. The day went from warm to hot that fast. In Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold, the mercury regularly closes in on 115°F. That's dog-kicking weather anywhere, but not around Grossi and his fellow Marines, guys who strip down to flak vests and underwear to fight when the heat begins to brutalize.
Man kicks dog: It explains how an eile unit at war got into a standoff over Fred.
Grossi watched as the animal navigated the compound "like he was mayor of the place." Maybe it was the animal's spirit, or maybe the monotony of war, but one inevitable day, man met dog. "As I got closer, he started to wag his tail. That blew me away. What does this dog have to wag his tail about? Its hot, he's covered in fleas, and he's clearly never been treated well by a person. He's in Afghanistan. But he's wagging his tail."
Grossi offered up some beef jerky and the dog accepted it with elegant caution. The Marine reached out to rub his ears, which to a dog, is the equivalent of planting a kiss on the lips four minutes into a first date. To his surprise, the dog leaned fully into his hand. Oops. Grossi felt a jolt of responsibility kick in. "I remembered where I was and started walking away. I got a few feet and felt this poke at my heel. I looked down and Fred had this expression like, 'Where ya goin'?"
"Looks like you made a friend," a fellow Marine called. Gross thought he'd said "Fred." And Fred worked.
To read the rest of Fred and Grossi's story pick up a copy of the July/August issue of Men's Health or look for Grossi's book due out in November to be titled: Craig & Fred: A Marine, a Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other.
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