MOSQUITOES PUT THE BITE ON SUMMER FUN

MANHATTAN -- Summer is a time for many to hit the trails and enjoy the great outdoors. Picnics, camping and athletic events can all be part of the summer fun. The enjoyment, however, can sometimes come to a screeching halt when mosquitoes are near, especially if you are one of those people who seems to be a favorite target of mosquitoes.

According to one Kansas State University professor, it is true that mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others.

"There has been a lot of research on that and I don't have all the fine details but it boils down to various chemical attractants that all warm-blooded mammals have, but different people have different combinations," said Don Mock, professor of entomology. "Some of these are volatile fatty acids that we're not aware of in one another, but mosquitoes and other blood-sucking pests are very well-endowed with olfactory organs. They find their meal by being able to follow their noses, if you will, although their olfactory organs aren't in noses as we know them."

Mock said there are ways to protect yourself from mosquitoes, and common repellents do a good job. The best repellents contain DEET or diethylmetatoluamide and, when used as directed, these repellents are the most effective for repelling insects. They are also quite safe.

"There is some danger of DEET to a very small number of people, even if used properly," Mock said. "A few people have a metabolic disorder where they just can't handle any DEET that they absorb, but that's less than one in a million people. It is quite safe in general if used as directed. I don't recommend it on very small children, though. Preschool children are very likely, even if you put it on their wrists and arms, to get it in their mouth and eyes before long. So I don't recommend the repellents on small children."

Another effective chemical is permethrin, an insecticide contained in some repellents.

"Permethrin is actually biologically as safe or safer to humans than DEET. Permethrin repellents are applied only to clothing and then allowed to dry before one puts the clothing on.

They're very good tick repellents and they are also mosquito repellents. The really neat thing about permethrin products is that they bond to the apparel so well, they last through three or four ordinary washings, even with detergent. You put them on and they still have the repellency to the mosquitoes," Mock said.

Some mosquitoes can spread disease, causing them to be more dangerous than people think.

"Several different varieties of encephalitis can be transmitted in Kansas. We haven't had any cases diagnosed, to my knowledge, for many years. There was quite an outbreak in the mid-'70s. It's something that certainly could crop up, especially in a year where there are a lot of mosquitoes. We do have several species capable of transmitting virtually any encephalitis that is in the country. It's something that our medical personnel need to be aware of and always consider as a possibility, and I have faith that they would. Encephalitis certainly could occur here and it's more apt to happen in the latter part of the summer."

Mainly, however, mosquitoes are pests that annoy rather than harm.

"Most of the mosquitoes we have are merely nuisances because they're fierce biters. In any location, there are anywhere from seven to 20 species at a given time. Mosquitoes of different species utilize just about any type of standing still water. Some of them can utilize very contaminated water. Others develop in water that is quite clear."

According to Mock, people who want to stay away from mosquitoes should steer clear of shady areas and areas near water. Mosquitoes, however, can appear anywhere.

"The adults, once they come out of the water, do try to find habitats where they will not become desiccated. Mosquitoes will generally stay out of the very bright sunlight. However, if you walk into any wheat or alfalfa field, even miles from any streams, and you do that at dusk especially, you're likely to be met with quite a swarm of mosquitoes."

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For more information, contact Don Mock at 785-532-4749.

June 1998