eee Spraying

eee ... eastern equine ensephilitus. This is a nasty fatal disease spread by mosquitoes. No outdoor firepits for us this summer. We've had a few deaths locally in South Eastern NE. So the RI DEM is spraying. Tonight was the second spraying. The first was a couple weeks ago when we weren't aware that they were spraying. A twin-engined turbo-prop flew over our house at around 300 feet altitude. Kind of unnerving. A few minutes later the same plane came back in the other direction. All good and we can accept that. And no problem. Tonight was phase two, but at least now we knew a low-flying plane was coming. So no problem again, whatsoever. Low flying plane spraying mosquito killer: good. Anybody else have experience with the nasty eee virus?

Meanwhile, I have a ton of dry firewood and a case of Bordeaux ready for my outside firepit, and I'm ready to proceed. Anybody want to join me?

We don’t get many mosquitos in my neighborhood thankfully, but that may be because they spray. 

In any case, I haven’t heard of eee. Has it made it anywhere other than the northeast yet?

In reply to mtn :

Maybe not.

I've lately been slapping a bunch of those Asian Tiger Mosquitos.  They don't usually bother me if the wife and kids are around. 

Mosquito- and tick-borne disease are definitely on the rise.  My elderly mom was recently diagnosed with Lyme.  It's been tough on her.

I have had many tick bites.  I though, ya know, probably a good idea to get a tick panel done.  Called up the lab, got a price.  I think it was just under three large.

DEET, 100% is your friend.  Except for ticks.  I think it acts as an aphrodesiac for them.  For the ticks, you need to spray down your clothes with 1% pyrethrin.

We had to get tic encephalitis vaccinations as part of our move over here.  I’d rate only second to the rabies vaccinations in eye-opening ‘my whole arm is tingling’ experiences

I also have two friends that picked up Lyme disease in the great smoking mountains, and didn’t get diagnosed until too late (3+ years), and a third that got it, and caught it early.

mtn said:

We don’t get many mosquitos in my neighborhood thankfully, but that may be because they spray. 

 

In any case, I haven’t heard of eee. Has it made it anywhere other than the northeast yet?

There have been several recent deaths from this in southern MI, so it's getting around.

Dr. Hess said:

I have had many tick bites.  I though, ya know, probably a good idea to get a tick panel done.  Called up the lab, got a price.  I think it was just under three large.

DEET, 100% is your friend.  Except for ticks.  I think it acts as an aphrodesiac for them.  For the ticks, you need to spray down your clothes with 1% pyrethrin.

I'm not aware of anything that will repel ticks reliably. Kill them, for sure (I  use permethrin, which I think is the same basic compound as pyrethrin, any time I'm around them). 

I've also only found 100% Deet necessary three times in my life, but the first time I found it necessary I didn't have it. So now any time I'm in a place that it may be necessary, I have it with me, but don't use it until it is obvious that my 40% deet won't work. Remember folks, if it doesn't melt your plastic, it isn't worth using!

mtn said:

Remember folks, if it doesn't melt your plastic, it isn't worth using!

berkeleyin' A!

I got a tick bite. I had been up in New England and outside down here in North Cackalacky in a 36 hour period, and didn't know if I had picked up the tick here or there. The bite looked worrying in a Lyme sort of way.

I went to the Doc, and they gave me a course of antibiotics that made me feel like absolute crap. I didn't get Lyme, though.

I keep meaning to hit tractor supply and get that pyrethian solution for my outdoor clothes, too.