Mosquito infestation.

I was at a friend's place in Chapala Haciendas and she was saying how within the last week or two, there has really been a lot of mosquitoes and she had been a prime target, and she had the welts to prove it. I also saw several of the buggers when I was there.

Does Chapala have any of those "smokers" that go around puffing out a cloud of something-or-other that kills these guys?

We checked around for any standing water and her two neighbors did the same and nothing was found, but that doens't mean anything since they could be coming from a block away.

Should it be reported to the health department (is there such a department) or what suggestions come to mind?

Thanks.

my suggestion is to be aware that at certain times of the year that there are more mosquitos and to look down and see that we are on the shores of a large lake in a sub tropical clime and [gasp!] it's the rainy season.
health department?-bwahahahahahahaha!-SNORK!

Yes, it's the time of year for them.
They spread disease. I prefer to use repellents applied topically to myself and pets rather than spray the yard and kill everything.
It's only for a short time and the cool nights and drier days kills them off until next year.
Hope you find this helpful.

This year there does seem to be more mosquitoes than usual. Annoying--and dangerous.
In the past Chapala has had a spraying program. I have not noticed it this year. Perhaps that is a good sign--means dengue fever is not such a danger now? Of course, it could just mean the funds for spraying are not available.
Like Luna, I prefer to use personal sprays rather than see broad spectrum pesticides being used.
And, as noted, they soon will be gone and will not reappear until the rains return.

Be aware Dengue fever comes from Day Mosquitos not Night Mosquitos.

I bought some mosquito dunks from Amazon - they kill the larva in water. And you can still drink the water. Classified as safe in every state in USA. Amazon informed me they were stopped at the border cos I didn't have a import permit.

Zedinmexico wrote:Be aware Dengue fever comes from Day Mosquitos not Night Mosquitos.

Can you provide a source for that information,we also have had more zancudos this year than in previous years.

I live in Chapala Haciendas and wouldn't care for the trucks to run by spraying toxic bug spray in our air. Recommend that your friend use natural bug repellant. The health food store next door to Superlake or Walmart sells some yummy stuff that worked better than Off in the Peruvian jungle. Essential oils and aromas work great. Essential oils on the back of a dog collar also works. For the welts, a banana peel rub or lavender essential oil takes the itch away.

There was spraying already done in San Antonio Tlay. since the rains began, can't remember exactly when but I was trapped in Superlake when it happened and was not happy about it. A police truck did it.

TrueBrit wrote:I bought some mosquito dunks from Amazon - they kill the larva in water.  And you can still drink the water.  Classified as safe in every state in USA.  Amazon informed me they were stopped at the border cos I didn't have a import permit.

Where I lived NOB the farmer next door used them every year in the rain barrels and stock troughs all summer. They had no mosquito larva at all and the dairy cows were fine. I spoke to Laura at the Garden Center in Riberas, gave her a print from the internet with all the info, and asked that she order them. I stated the belief that she would have no problem selling them due to Dengue. She never got them, don't know why. Perhaps someone should talk to her about it once more.

Dengue virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, particularly A. aegypti.[4] These mosquitoes usually live between the latitudes of 35° North and 35° South below an elevation of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).[4] They typically bite during the day, particularly in the early morning and in the evening,[19][20] but they are able to bite and thus spread infection at any time of day all during the year.[

This info is from Wikopedia.  The original source was from the Guad Reporter but wiki has more detailed info as shown above. Hope this explains it.

Z

itsme wrote:Where I lived NOB the farmer next door used them every year in the rain barrels and stock troughs all summer. I spoke to Laura at the Garden Center in Riberas, gave her a print from the internet with all the info, and asked that she order them.She never got them, don't know why. Perhaps someone should talk to her about it once more.

Amazon (USA) claims on their site that these can be shipped to Mexico and that is why I ordered them.  Everyone I knew NOB used them with great success.  I received an email from Amazon that my order was being returned to the vendor.  I called to find out why and they told me that you need an import permit for this kind of insect control.  And that only licensed [sic] personnel could obtain them.  No idea of the flaming hoops you would have to jump through to get them here.

Go to the nearest Centro de Salud and ask for them. They're free. The Sec. de Salud also sends out foggers to cruise the streets. They keep track of cases of dengue and respond accordingly. I have no idea why pedro seems to scoff at the efforts by the health secretariat to help prevent dengue.

Go to the nearest Centro de Salud and ask for them, they have a larvicide named abate (temephos). They're free. The Sec. de Salud also sends out foggers to cruise the streets. They keep track of cases of dengue and respond accordingly. I have no idea why pedro seems to scoff at the efforts by the health secretariat to help prevent dengue.

i was merely scoffing at the thought of going to the health dept. not state secretariat, simply because of some "unpleasantness" during the "regular" mossie season. if there is a threat of dengue-i am sure the sec't will deal with it. when i played v-ball the fogger guys were out in cristiania park when appropriate.

Pedro wrote:i was merely scoffing at the thought of going to the health dept. not state secretariat, simply because of some "unpleasantness" during the "regular" mossie season. if there is a threat of dengue-i am sure the sec't will deal with it. when i played v-ball the fogger guys were out in cristiania park when appropriate.

Well, health department to many means a Centro de Salud which are run by the Sec. de Salud. Same thing.

The mosquitoes that carry Dengue like to fly in the mornings, close to the ground. The have black and white striped bodies. They are not very good flyers and do not like fans or breezes. For them to transmit Dengue, they have to have bitten another human that has an infection.

I haven't been bothered by them, but google "home made mosquito traps". They are made from discarded 2 litre pop bottles. They are (mainly) attracted by CO2 in our breath so the trap is baited using sugar water and bread yeast, in Puerto Vallarta they are reporting that hundreds of mosquitoes meet their doom in two weeks. Then you throw the bottle away and start a new one.

from what the op wrote,there appears to be nothing out of the ordinary to report to salud or anybody else.put on some deet and use a floor fan on your bed at night and or ceiling fans indoors.mossies don't like breezes

I live in San Juan Cosala and have several mosquito zappers - one inside and one outside. I've noticed that despite my zappers the mosquitoes are much worse that any year in 14 years. They start around 4pm in the afternoon. I'm having to leave my repellent on in the living room all day. This is the worst year I remember!

We have found that the zappers do not work as advertised. For mosquitoes you have to order an attractant "octinol" from the manufacturer. They cost about $4 US each. If you use Axixic's technique, you could modify the pop bottle by placing a plastic tube into the bottle and then run it into the 'trap' area of the zapper. It should work, and you also get any stray house flies as well.

I will be giving it a try!

it's not even bad up here, not sure where the friend lives, if they have screens, or live near the creek, leave their doors open but something doesn't sound right. Maybe they could put bleach down the drains or in any puddles around their house to help. When I walk, I just spray some natural stuff and all is well. I forgot about those zappers, they were selling a two pack at Costco earlier in the season.

clueless- where did you see those little "smokers"? I have been looking for months. I am making a repellent incense using citriodora eucalyptus, holy basil (tulasi) and cake bush (smells like anise). I know various native groups have small, charcoal braziers and they burn herbs to repel insects (and evil spirits). It might be copal, but I think that is a little expensive for their use. Google has come up dead