Mosquitos in Texas, especially along the Gulf Coast, are akin to cockroaches: ubiquitous and perpetual.
Growing up in the woods of East Texas, the sun, heat, and mosquitos were a constant companion. Forget about escaping to the shade to gain respite from the relentless sun. The mosquitos had already staked their claim to that piece of valuable real estate. If you wanted to rest there, the price of rent was steep: blood. Your best bet was to pitch some form of shade right out in the middle of a sun drenched field. Vampires, as I’m sure you know, can’t abide sunlight.
When we were here at Blue Dolphin several years ago, they were awful. Then we moved to Harborwalk in Hitchcock and they were even worse at times. On occasion, the mosquitos were so thick it was like walking through a black fog. I hated walking the dogs on those mornings and evenings. One hand or the other was in constant swatting motion. I wasn’t trying to kill them. That would have only increased their insatiable blood lust and been utterly futile. I was simply trying to keep them out of my eyes, mouth, and nose. The one redeeming fact of Harborwalk was that they weren’t too terribly bad at the boat. At Blue Dolphin, they were bad everywhere.
I was dreading, well not literally, coming back to Blue Dolphin because of the potential mosquitos . . . and no-see-ums.
But, they are no where to be seen or felt.
I’m not sure what has happened. Of course, one would tend to think, “No mosquitos? Man, that’s freaking awesome!” However, they SHOULD be here. In swarms along with other small biting flies. Where have they gone? And WHY?
When I say they are gone, I mean GONE. I have not experienced a SINGLE mosquito since we have returned to Blue Dolphin. NOT ONE. And I go out at all hours of the morning and night. I would expect at least a few nuisance bugs.
I can’t help but think they are sort of the canary in the coal mine. Harvey flooded the whole Texas Gulf Coast. Houston has a huge chemical manufacturing infrastructure. Did something leach out somewhere that killed all the mosquitos and/or still persists in the environment?
Google yields nothing.
Maybe we are just lucky or God is smiling on us or the magnetic poles flipping is throwing off their sense of direction or the municipalities have been aerial spraying some new effective insecticide.
I suppose I’ll enjoy it until such time as I shouldn’t.