“Standing water in your yard?”

“Mind if the kids and I stop by for a bite?”

Summer: the perfect time to teach a dog new tricks or – in our case – help her understand there are certain activities that should take place in the yard.

To recap: We recently adopted a new family member – Brighton. Like our previous pup Abby, she’s a Golden or, to be more specific, a British Cream. Raised by a breeder, most of her life was spent in a kennel or outdoors, so she has a lot to learn about home life. For the past week, every two hours out into the yard we go. She’s a fast learner – thank goodness! But as she explored her new yard, I became a mosquito target. They are downright sneaky; quiet, small and painless describes them. Each subsequent morning, more itchy raised red bite marks appear. I’ve never been so popular with these blood-thirsty pests! What’s up?

While covered in hydrocortisone, I did some research and reasons emerged. One pertains to weather and the other to an unwanted guest. Our long and abundant rains, and the following warm temperatures, created a perfect storm for reproduction and growth of insects, in this case mosquitos. If you think they don’t make ’em like they used to, you’re on to something.

In 2011, the native Culex variety was joined by a black and white South African one Aedes. The Aedes mosquito is more resilient than the Culex because, as an invasive species, it has no natural predator to thin its numbers.

Worldwide, Zika and many other deadly diseases are spread by the Aedes mosquito. Yearly, according to the WHO, it accounts for a million deaths. In 2011, they appeared in the San Gabriel Valley. They are aggressive daytime biters, going primarily for the feet and ankles. While the Culex likes bird and animals, the Aedes wants nothing but human blood. Its favorite type is mine – O-positive. Time to check out repellent! What else can we do? 

Try to eradicate their environment, such as the dripping water lines around backyard flowerpots and standing water in planters and birdbaths. Oh – change outside dog water twice a day.

Typical summer weather continues into next week with a slight cooling on Monday. In spite of being exposed to the threat of mosquito bites, hanging out in the yard with our new pooch is worth it!

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley
resident and  Official Skywarn
Spotter for the National Weather Service. Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.