They are notorious blood-suckers, but Florida Tech professor Gordon Patterson is on a mission to improve mosquitoes' image with humans. In a recent interview for Florida Today, Patterson, who is author of The Mosquito Crusades: A History of the American Anti-Mosquito Movement, says "They're marvelous animals that have managed to find a way to live in virtually every part of the planet."
Read the rest of the interview here.
For those of us who aren't fond of mosquitoes and are dreading their return this summer, here are some tips for keeping them away:
- Throw out tin cans, buckets, drums and any water-holding containers. Throw out old tires. They can collect water and become mosquito breeding grounds.
- Fill out or drain any low places in the yard that may cause puddles.
- Keep drains and ditches clean of weeds and trash so water will drain properly.
- Cover trash containers to keep out rainwater and drill holes in the bottom of trash containers so water can drain out.
- Repair leaky pipes and outdoor faucets.
- Empty plastic wading pools at least once a week or store in a position so water will drain out. Keep grass cut short and shrubbery well-trimmed around the house so adult mosquitoes will not hide there.
- Make sure your backyard pool is maintained properly. Abandoned swimming pools can become mosquito breeding grounds.
- Try to stay inside during peak biting times -- dawn and dusk.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you go out.
- Wear light-colored clothing.
- Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 29 percent DEET.
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