Putting the Bite on Gardeners

A call to Union County Mosquito Control confirmed what I suspected: The summer of 2008 has been one of the worst for mosquito infestation.

Fall cleanup is going to be rough. Each foray outside seems to net me a half-dozen bites. They start off as little bumps, then morph to quarter-sized red patches that itch like mad. The villains are both small black mosquitoes and the exotic black-and-white Asian Tiger Mosquito, a recent invader.

Click here to read more about that bad boy. Ooops, sorry, it's the female that bites.

The difference between the newcomers and the mosquitos of my youth seems to be that the Asian Tiger Mosquito is out in the day, not just at dusk. And they need no more than a bottlecap-ful of water to lay hundreds of eggs. Authorities urge property owners to clean up items that hold water, not just old tires and gutters, but even the saucers under outdoor potted plants.

There's still a lot of garden work to be done out there. But this year, I'm just itching for the first frost and a farewell to mosquitoes.

--Bernice Paglia