38 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

This Grist link shows several diseases/ insects we should worry about. Some are not in the US though,
and many are in the south. But still..........
http://grist.org/cli...in-your-monday/

See this thread also-
http://www.altenergy...nto-mosquitoes/

[Pat]

I have not seen many semesters around this year, its been so hot.  The last storm we had here I saw bats work d my house
, at first I thought I was dreaming.

[dconklin]

FamilyTreeClimber, on 01 August 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

I wonder why the virus has pretty much stuck around California but not other areas of the country.  As I mentioned, we get a few cases in the SF Bay Area every Summer.

1% seems very low to panic about.  I wonder how that compares to Lyme disease which is spread by ticks?  I have known people to get that and it can really make you sick.

This isn't new for NJ either, but they make it like a huge deal.  I haven't heard of any cases in a few years tho so that is why I say it is back.  Seeing the numbers here tho, we don't really need to be in a panic.  I wonder if they do this to mask the fact that bed bugs are making a comeback and spreading like crazy - I am sure they don't want to talk about that one! I have heard of many people getting these little buggers now, I bet West Nile can be a way to make people worry more about that.  They should focus more on bed bug education then mosquitoes that bite and leave.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

You know msm, they love to fear monger. It sells.

"I make my living off the evening news, gimme something, something I can use-
When it's said and done, we haven't told you a thing.
We all know that crap is king." Dirty Laundry- Don Henley

[dconklin]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 06 August 2012 - 08:15 AM, said:

This Grist link shows several diseases/ insects we should worry about. Some are not in the US though,
and many are in the south. But still..........
http://grist.org/cli...in-your-monday/

See this thread also-
http://www.altenergy...nto-mosquitoes/

Pretty scary really that they all have the potential to spread north with the climate change.  I know the mild winter we had last winter really gave us some major bug and spider problems here.  I am constantly finding new bugs around here.  Actually I just killed a bug because it looked a lot like a wasp so I didn't give it a chance (it was in the house and I am allergic.)  It was a tough bugger but not a wasp.  Looked kind of like a mosquito now that I could see it closer but it was quite big compared to a mosquito.  It had one heck of a biter on it or stinger probably, and it had some nasty looking rough looking lines on it's legs.  They looked sharp! Never seen this before here, but it has been changing here lately.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

dconklin, on 16 August 2012 - 05:45 PM, said:

Pretty scary really that they all have the potential to spread north with the climate change.  I know the mild winter we had last winter really gave us some major bug and spider problems here.  I am constantly finding new bugs around here.  Actually I just killed a bug because it looked a lot like a wasp so I didn't give it a chance (it was in the house and I am allergic.)  It was a tough bugger but not a wasp.  Looked kind of like a mosquito now that I could see it closer but it was quite big compared to a mosquito.  It had one heck of a biter on it or stinger probably, and it had some nasty looking rough looking lines on it's legs.  They looked sharp! Never seen this before here, but it has been changing here lately.

Could have been a Crane fly.
http://www.mosquitoe...iscInsects.html

[dconklin]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 17 August 2012 - 04:08 AM, said:

Could have been a Crane fly.
http://www.mosquitoe...iscInsects.html

It is hard to tell, but yeah it could have been one of these too.  I know it had a huge (what looked like) stinger, but it could have been one of these buggers instead.  I wasn't taking any chances tho! It was quite huge and bigger then any mosquito I have ever seen before so possibly it was one of these.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

dconklin, on 19 August 2012 - 06:12 PM, said:

It is hard to tell, but yeah it could have been one of these too.  I know it had a huge (what looked like) stinger, but it could have been one of these buggers instead.  I wasn't taking any chances tho! It was quite huge and bigger then any mosquito I have ever seen before so possibly it was one of these.

Fukishimoskeeter!

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Dallas and the surrounding area postponed spraying because of recent heavy rains. Standing water in junk
yards and old tires laying around will only make matters worse.
Then they'll go back to spraying.

Spraying.

Seeing those trucks (and airplanes) on the news spewing out their toxic chemicals is horrifying to me. What
about the
people
in the area;
breathing in those toxic fumes?

We've got new technology flooding the market every 16 seconds via phones & pads; but when it comes
to insects and oil spills, we're still dealing with it with 1940's methods?
Surely there must be a better way.

CDC stats on this link.
http://www.cdc.gov/n...12_detailed.htm

[dconklin]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 20 August 2012 - 03:02 AM, said:

Dallas and the surrounding area postponed spraying because of recent heavy rains. Standing water in junk
yards and old tires laying around will only make matters worse.
Then they'll go back to spraying.

Spraying.

Seeing those trucks (and airplanes) on the news spewing out their toxic chemicals is horrifying to me. What
about the
people
in the area;
breathing in those toxic fumes?

We've got new technology flooding the market every 16 seconds via phones & pads; but when it comes
to insects and oil spills, we're still dealing with it with 1940's methods?
Surely there must be a better way.

CDC stats on this link.
http://www.cdc.gov/n...12_detailed.htm

Wow, NJ was reporting the news like we had a major outbreak! Well the news and the newspapers were anyway, but you know how they can be.  I didn't realize how hard Texas was hit with it

My Mom gave me a penny royal plant which is supposed to be good at repelling these little buggers.  I use Castile soap (peppermint) to clean and sprinkle garlic in the yard.  I haven't seen many biting bugs at our house, tho we will get some between living by the river, lazy neighbors in town (standing water and tall weeds), and our wild cat population problem.  

I have read that you will never find mosquitoes, fleas or ticks in a garlic fields so instead of running out and getting the industrial garlic spray I use plain garlic.  Too bad states couldn't do something with garlic instead.  Sure some do not like the smell of garlic, but it isn't strong to the human nose for long and it is non toxic!

[FamilyTreeClimber]

Shortpoet, I saw that on the news.  They were showing video of trucks going around streets spraying (I'm not sure if that's how they are doing it or if it was archive video).  It gave me flashbacks to the 1970s when they sprayed in my neighborhood for the mediterranean fruit fly.  I remember how everything smelled for days afterward and some idiot politician who drank malethion to show us how safe it was.

I'm really baffled as to why we (as people) feel the need to do these mass sprayings.  I'm not downplaying the seriousness of those who get ill.  But Texas has had 455 cases.  Now compare that to the amount of people who were reported with the flu in Texas last week (total 19,052).  It just seems like a bit of overkill.

Report on West Nile and Flu viruses in Texas:
http://www.dshs.stat...veillance/2012/

I agree with Shortpoet.  It seems that we haven't really progressed in our eradication of these disease carrying pest despite our efforts with spraying.  Seems like a losing battle to me.  It also seems that we have become too beholden to these sprays and the companies that make them.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

People, imo, rely on chemicals out of laziness.

If everyone got on the stick, and walked their yard, and dumped out any standing water they find; in old pots, planters,
junk laying around...
junk yards are the worst, discarded tires, we wouldn't have to spray.

Jimmy's too wired.Take a pill.
Got a bug bite? Spray with chemicals.
Didn't get that promotion? Take another pill.
mosanto, dow, bayer-large pharmaceutical companies, oil companies-they're all out to make money
and the hell with the customers/consumers.

Our addictions to chemicals whether it's liquid or in pill form is making us all sicker, not better.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Record number of cases and deaths set this season.
Source

[dconklin]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 24 August 2012 - 04:50 PM, said:

People, imo, rely on chemicals out of laziness.

If everyone got on the stick, and walked their yard, and dumped out any standing water they find; in old pots, planters,
junk laying around...
junk yards are the worst, discarded tires, we wouldn't have to spray.

Jimmy's too wired.Take a pill.
Got a bug bite? Spray with chemicals.
Didn't get that promotion? Take another pill.
mosanto, dow, bayer-large pharmaceutical companies, oil companies-they're all out to make money
and the hell with the customers/consumers.

Our addictions to chemicals whether it's liquid or in pill form is making us all sicker, not better.

Completely agree there! We won't even go there with my opinion on the ADHD and stuff with kids.  I think too many are misdiagnosed and forced to take meds for it.

I think our town is going to be enforcing the standing water bit.  They found the Asian Tiger Mosquito in town.  It is a day biting mosquito and is quite aggressive.  They found 3 in the cemetery up the street.  I am pretty sure this is the bugger that kept biting me a week ago at my Aunt's house (lives in town too.)  Darn thing got me 4 times before I was able to kill it

Our Mayor had told the newspapers they were talking about putting out warnings.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

dconklin, on 30 August 2012 - 05:05 AM, said:

They found 3 in the cemetery up the street.

Can it cause this?

[dconklin]

Haha!! No zombie sightings have been reported in NJ yet So far I seem to be normal - well normal for me anyway!

I think our mayor is talking about warnings because we have a lot of people in town who don't take care of their yard and leave standing water.  He didn't really talk about the virus so much as he did the fact that they bite during the day and are quite aggressive.  They keep biting until they find the right spot.  Also supposedly this is the first time our county has reported having the Asian Tiger Mosquito, but not the first sighting in NJ.  

I thought it was funny too that they found the mosquitoes in the cemetery, I wouldn't think they would find what they are looking for there!

[Pat]

We have had several cases reported in our area and one person has passed away.  The very hot, dry summer has kept the mosquitos away, now that it has rained for afew days real hard they have returned.  Hope we have a real cold winter to kill off the bugs.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

We've been saying it for a long time- "Links to back up that statement?"

And of course, with all the lies from campaign folks, the truth checkers are out in force.

So it's no great surprise that the "kill ratio's" of mosquitoes are being questioned. Several states are claiming
a high percentage of kill rates, but don't have the data to back it up.
Duh.

Article

[Shortpoet-GTD]

From Reuters-
20,000 water birds (eared grebes) in Utah (around Salt Lake) have died from West Nile virus.
Wildlife officials believe the eagles were feeding on the dead water birds and contracted the virus.

About 27 have died so far, and others that became sick are on medicines to save them.

This is another example of climate change/global warming. It stayed warm enough into October
in Utah for the mosquitoes to survive.