Lazytart.com

There was a piece on the news tonight about an early outbreak of mosquitoes in the area this year. I laughed when they were speaking to a “mosquito victim”, as if she had been assaulted by the tiny insects. It’s no surprise that mosquitoes are annoyingly plentiful in Wisconsin all summer long. But for some reason there are people who are confused as to why we’re seeing the pests so early on in the year. Well, it really isn’t all that early.

Winter has lasted into the first week of April for the past two years now. The spring has been cut short to the point where winter is here on Friday, and by Monday the weather is sunny and 70 degrees. From one extreme to another in a matter of just a few days. For this reason, people are in the mindset that insects and pesky biting bugs are arriving ahead of schedule when in fact, they are arriving right on time. Wisconsin has been drenched in water since the snow began to melt. So not only do we have water accumulating from miles of snowdrifts, but weekly visits by rain clouds compound the problems of standing water everywhere. Standing water, as we all know, leads to millions and millions of mosquitoes. And mosquitoes lead to months of miserable pesticide smelling clothing and itchy welts on the skin.

Though I am armed to the hilt with my various lotions and repellents, I too will be one of the mosquito victims this summer.  It could be worse. So far the news hasn’t reported any tick victims. Nothing is more irritating than a wood tick burrowing its’ head into my thigh for a midnight snack.