| By :
Stewart Wrighter
It is inevitable, as summer months go on, that someone in the household will experience a bite or sting from a bug found either inside the home or outside in the garden. Of course, most of these annoying and itching bites will just be that alone. But some bites or stings offer some other complications which should quickly be taken care of if infection is to be avoided. For example, mosquitoes are those annoying and tiny bugs that drive us to distraction whenever we are outdoors, particularly at dawn or dusk. But make no mistake, these devilish creatures can also come out in the daytime too if the area is in dim light. Many people who work at their desks during the day often find their feet and legs being bitten and although this may not be deadly, it certainly is annoying having to scratch the legs instead of getting on with work. The odd thing about these blood sucking creatures is it is only the female that feeds on blood. The male, usually the one who buzzes around our ears a lot, feeds on the nectar from flowers. The female needs the blood to lay her eggs and this is why she looks for the easiest mark no matter if it is animal or human. When she sticks her nose in to feed (well, proboscis is the correct term) she injects some anti coagulant to make the blood run free. But it is this act that gives people one of several viruses that she can spread. Take, for example, malaria which is the bane of most developing countries. Although the mosquito itself does not get the disease, because the parasite is too big, she does inject the parasite into the host body when she is applying the anti coagulant. After about three weeks, these parasites increase to such an extent that they overwhelm the host and they get very sick indeed. In humans, malaria is a killer disease and most third world countries deal with it on a case by case basis. However, at home we can certainly undertake some precautions to stop these pesky mites from multiplying. If anyone has a tire swing in the back yard, make one or two holes in the bottom so that any rain water runs out. Mosquitoes need water when they are laying their eggs so any stagnant water around the place is a prime target. Indeed, if there is a bird bath on the property, empty it at least once per week so that the mosquitoes do not lay their eggs there. Any barrels that contain rainwater should be emptied regularly too along with paddling pools that the kids use to have fun in. Indeed, anywhere, including ditches and ponds which have stagnant water, should be treated with some chemicals to eliminate the larvae. It is virtually impossible to get rid of the mosquito and its larvae completely, but getting rid of the habitat that it needs to breed is the next logical step. Failing this, experts can come in and drench the place with chemicals to keep the numbers down.
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