The war is on

As the temperature heats up and summer makes its debut, it is obviously going to be a banner year for mosquitoes.

Maybe it was the lack of cold weather over the so-called winter, but it is almost impossible to spend much time outside at the Hall household without getting attacked.

I have done my part in trying to rid the mosquito menace by swatting several each trip outside, but the reserves are called out quickly to take the place of their fallen comrades.

We do not have any swamps or standing water, at least that I have found, so it is a mystery as to why the mosquitoes have chosen to make their stand at our house.

We bought one of the little candles in a pot that is supposed to rid the immediate area of bugs, but it almost seems like it draws more of them in. I change locations, which works for a few minutes until word spreads that the blood of Craig is available at a new location.

I read a story the other day that says you can use a fan to help alleviate the problem. I have not tried this yet, but did sit outside with Trish the Wife the other day and urged her to talk to see if the hot air would chase off the critters.

It didn’t.

They aren’t all that bad during the hot parts of the day, but in the evening when I like to sit outside and try to wear the dogs down by playing ball, the air is thick with them.

I have even considered putting up a Martin house (no relation to the Martin Tate home) since they are supposed to be quite the mosquito eaters, but have not done that yet as I fear the sparrows will take the house over and I will spend as much time battling them as I do the mosquitoes.

Some people have suggested using bug repellent, but I really don’t want the smell of Off! to mask my manly odor.

I guess the next step is to buy those Tiki candle things and fill it with citronella. Two problems right off the bat. I fear the ground is so hard it might require a backhoe and the smoke from the citronella makes me gag.

And then I got to read the story in the Journal the other day from the LeFlore County Health Department advising care as mosquitoes can carry the West Nile Virus. Egads. I don’t want any of that WNV stuff, although fortunately it is has been rare in the great state of Oklahoma.

Hopefully my chances of getting WNV are about the same as winning the lottery.

So it is onward in the great fight against the Mosquito Swarm of 2012. Fight hard brothers (and not just my brother Brian) and sisters (which I technically don’t have) and we shall prevail, or maybe the city will spray to rid us of this problem.