Mosquitoes, Ticks and Disease. Oh My!

If Dorothy had been sent down a hiking trail in Connecticut instead of the yellow brick road in Oz, this may have been the song she and her friends would have been signing. Although mosquitoes and ticks are nothing new for New Englanders, this year get ready for greater than usual numbers of both. So stock up on bug spray, you are going to need it!

A winter drenched in snow coupled with a cold wet spring are partially to blame for this pesky outburst. The snow acted as a comfy insulator for the adult ticks of last fall, allowing them to spend an extra long winter under a thick blanket of the white stuff, storing up their energy so now they are well rested and ready to go. In addition, according to Kirby Stafford, Vice Director and Chief Entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, we can expect the nymphal stage of ticks, which are the ones most known for carrying Lyme Disease, will be out earlier this year and in greater numbers.

“The peek time for this stage of ticks will be June going into July,” explains Stafford who cautions people taking part in “high risk” activities such as hiking, camping, yard work etc., to take the necessary precautions, make sure to do a thorough tick check once inside and bath within two hours of performing these activities. These precautions have proven to be helpful in combating ticks from attaching and causing disease. More information about ticks and how to protect yourself, your family and your pets from these ectoparasites can be found in Stafford’s Tick Handbook, available at www.ct.gov/caes.

Equally as annoying and disease riddled as ticks are the mosquitoes in the area, who have taken particular advantage of the excessive spring flooding and re-flooding of the swamps and vernal pools. They used the extra moisture to lay additional eggs and develop completely into extra large, robust, blood sucking machines. With 50 different species of mosquitoes buzzing throughout Connecticut seems we have no where safe to hide.

 Traditionally these pests tend to keep their meal times focused on dawn and dusk. But this year, according Dr. Theodore Andreadis, Chief Entomologist and Director of Mosquito Trapping and Testing in the State of Connecticut, mosquitoes are biting in broad daylight.

“These mosquitoes are aggressively biting, so make sure that if you are hiking, camping, barbequing or fishing that you have repellent,” explains Andreadis who is expecting that this year the mosquitoes carrying the Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus will be more abundant.

“No matter what the weather it seems we get hit,” says Andreadis. “Last year’s hot dry summer was perfect for the West Nile Mosquitoes that live more in urban and suburban areas. The wet cold conditions this year so far are perfect for the mosquitoes carrying EEE who prosper in swamps and vernal pools. EEE is far more deadly than West Nile,” warns Andreadis. “We have been very fortunate in Connecticut that we have never had a confirmed human case. One third of the people who contract EEE die from it and others are usually left with some degree of brain damage.”

Unfortunately there is no human vaccine for the EEE virus, but there is one for horses. Andreadis strongly suggesting that all equine owners in the state vaccinate their animals quickly this year as it takes several weeks before the vaccine works fully.

One very important line of defense against both mosquitoes and ticks is the use of repellents. Both scientists suggest using it. Repellents for mosquitoes vary, but according to Andreadis deet has a good track record. He recommends using the least amount needed in accordance to your activity and time outdoors.

“Apply the repellent to your clothing to lengthen the time of its effectiveness,” he explains warning that for mosquitoes no more than 30 percent deet is needed, higher levels do not become more effective.

However, for tick repellent Stafford suggests that a deet concentration level needs to be at least 30 to 35 percent to be effective. If you are constantly doing “high risk” activities there is also a clothing based repellent with permethrin in it.

In addition to deet based bug repellents, there are other natural based products. Always check with a pediatrician when using repellents on children under three, and follow the directions on the products for the safest most effective use.