Say no to winter, but save us from Mossies!

My 2 winters in Montana ruined me for freezing weather. The Great Plains can do that to a person. The wind is always blowing and the frigid air is not what I call refreshing. Its fricken cold! When I was stationed in Great Falls Montana, it snowed on the 4^th of July. The year was 1971. I related this to a resident of Casper, Wyoming back in 1986 and they remembered it quite well, even though they were to south a good piece.

I do not remember getting bit by mosquitoes in Montana.  I do remember the terrible cold.

I would much rather be warm. Notice I didn’t say hot. I can handle hot if its dry, but this past summer was wet, real wet. Like someone on Facebook posted, it only rained twice this summer - once for 45 days and again for 32 days.  We ended summer with a massive daily crop of mosquitoes. 3 times a week I watch the skeeter sprayer go past my house and yet they just kept biting me. My Bride rarely gets bitten, as they are feasting on me and my grandson.

The danged black salt marsh mosquitoes have been the bane of my outdoor existence (Aedes taeniorhynchus), a nuisance mosquito known as an aggressive biter, but not considered a disease-carrier of major concern. I guess that’s a plus, but holy smokes this tiny parasite packs a powerful and painful whelp. Their attraction to me has spurred my interest in remedies, because bug spray is only as good as my spraying ability. In other words, if I miss a single spot with Deet, the tiny insect nails me there. This includes biting my hiney through the webbing of my outdoor chair.

At others suggestions, I’ve tried Campho-Phenique, CeraVe itch relief moisturizing cream, Chiggerex 2X Power and Benadryl itch relief stick, which didn’t do a thing to relieve the itch and pain. I found a tube of Lidocaine ointment 5% that works real well. Of the other concoctions, only CeraVe works and it works well,

Something I found to be amazing is the cost of Campho-Phenique. I bought a ¾ fluid ounce bottle from Kroger for $5. Doing the rithmatick on this, the fluid is $800 a gallon. They sure are proud of this stuff. Chiggerex 2X Power works well and is my go to chemical for most bites and stings, but the black salt marsh skeeter demands a stronger topical analgesic.

If the temperature dropping into the 30’s, as it is predicted, stops me from getting bitten, then I am all for it, but our nightly visits to the backyard swing will probably suffer also. One person commented that we have 2 seasons and they are probably correct. It’s either too hot and humid, or it is too cold and wet to really enjoy our weather. 

I guess I’ll just be happy to not be bit repeatedly when outside.

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There goes another summer!

Like many, I have a pretty good memory of our weather patterns and one of the best jokes is there are only 2 seasons on the Gulf Coast - summer and winter. Well, guess what? Summer basically ended September 1st, after a scorching Amazon rain forest August, the likes of which I can't remember. It actually feels like Fall weather.

Granted the weather has historically been unpredictable, but for the sake of argument, we usually have a drought in July that kills our grass. Mowing season normally begins in March and is played out by Independence Day. Not this year and yes, we had a minor drought a couple of times. What we did have was a very wet summer in Baytown. When the growing season begins in March, I may mow my yard every 3 days (because I like the way it looks).

I know I am going to cut my grass a bunch of times over the next 3-4 months and then July will get here and I will have raised my mower deck up at least twice and can slow way down on cutting. Not this year. I raised it once by June and then lowered it again to March levels where it is now. I mowed 4 days ago and it needs mowing again. From a lawn maintenance stand point, this is great - if someone is paying you. I mow close to an acre each time I cut and no one is paying me.

I haven't had to add water to my pool but once and this is a blessing, as the lowered water bill can attest. My Master Gardener bride hasn't ran our water bill up but once this year and that's also a blessing. The squirrels have went absolutely nuts (imagine that) and water birds aplenty have enjoyed the frequent showers. Now here is the downside... mosquitoes.

For reasons I cannot exactly understand, they see me as a blood donor and my bride as landscape, They love me and ignore her. It hasn't mattered how much spray I apply, or how many insect cones I burn, I will get hit by these monsters repeatedly. Now in a very unscientific way, I am going to explain how I categorize the 4 basic mosquito types we have here. Great big ones that bounce off me and are easy to feel and kill. Big ones you can hear and usually feel their landing also.

Normal mosquitoes that sip and leave a pretty good itch behind and I may or may not sense their presence in time to kill them. Then there are these tiny near invisible devils that ninja in and you never even see them until you have a huge whelp that itches and burns for 30 minutes. I hate these to the point that for the last week or so in August, I didn't want to sit in the back yard and chat with my bride while she swings. I tried wearing long pants and long sleeves and they still bit through it to my absolute itching discomfort. On top of that our dew point has stayed above 75 for what feels like a furnace.

I was grateful the city sprayed a few times recently, but then the rains returned and returned. I heard one fellow complain about the city not spraying at all until the skeeters were out of control, but I do not believe this to be the case. My real problem is the tiny marsh mosquitoes, the likes of which I do not remember experiencing in the 26 years I've lived in Chaparral Village. Why do they pack a bigger punch than the other varieties? Their sting actually hurts and persists.

This past Sunday we had our first breeze of the season with a cool front. I am hoping and praying there will be a change in their infestation, as I want to go back outside without being slathered in some insecticidal protection. October is a big month for being outdoors for many hobbyists, like us geocachers and hunters. I love summer, but I am ready for a break. How about you?
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Wismer Drive Eyesore resolved!

From Mike Lester via Garry Brumback:
I conducted an “on-site” inspection this morning with Gerardo Ruiz, Storm Water Phase II Coordinator and Manuel Razo, Street Maintenance Supervisor, the following is what was determined during the inspection.

Location: Wismer Road from Old Alexander to HWY 146:

 -  Approximately half way down on the ‘west’ side of Wismer the retaining wall for the Retention Pond (on private property) has failed and the pond has drained into the road side drainage (water is about 3-5 feet deep)

- Approximately 2/3 of the way down on the ‘east’ side of Wismer is the “Dead Zone” area reported by Mr. Marshall, this area routinely holds water and periodically receives complaints concerning standing water, pollution and poor drainage

- At the intersection of Wismer / Hwy 146 on the ‘west’ side the road side drainage ditch has been “dammed” by beavers, this has caused the water in the road side ditch to hold the 3-5 feet of water depth and subsequently causing the water to ‘backflow’ through the underground drainage pipe to the ‘east’ side “Dead Zone” elevating the water depth to about 6 to 18 inches, this pond area is supporting minnows, frogs, at least one 5 foot snake and a couple of turtles, this aquatic life would be considered natural mosquito control and was confirmed by no indication of mosquito larvae or pupae alone the side of the pond area

- there are at least two beavers involved and they are probably residing in both the ‘retention pond’ area and the “Dead Zone” area based on food sources

- Please note that the beavers would not dam the area if the water or the area was ‘polluted’ the animals are very particular with their environment

-Planned action to resolve the immediate standing water issue and provide a long term solution to the drainage in the area:

- the beaver dam will be removed today (Friday, 08/06/10) by Public Works crews with a backhoe, this will allow the area to drain

- the retaining wall on the road side ditch will be repaired with reserve riprap by PW crews next week to insure the integrity of the road side drainage ditch

- the ‘west side’ road side drainage will be reviewed and maintained (cleaned up) as necessary next week by PW

- the ‘east side’ drainage will be improved in the area of the ”Dead Zone” to insure the area will properly drain to the drainage inlets in the future.

Again the area is a natural water holding area and the dead trees are indicative of both long term standing water and salt water poisoning from years past.  The Health Dept. has had a number of complaints over the last 10 years related to the Oil Company located near Old Alexander and Wismer but to date has never been able to confirm any releases that would have impacted the above area.

 Please advise if additional information is needed or if additional action should be taken.

 Also note that the quick actions to resolve this issue is being done by the Public Works Dept. thanks to Daryl’s “Get it done” philosophy.

 -  Thank you city of Baytown!

Wismer Drive Eyesore and Health Hazard Site

There is a piece of property on Wismer Drive between Business SH-146 and Alexander Drive that looks like a cross between a swamp and a hazardous waste site.  Standing water, animal bones, dead trees and millions of mosquitoes inhabit this dead zone, as a friend has labeled it.  It stinks also.  It seriously stinks and since the area has no reason to stop and look, no one stops for a look.

The area has become a topic of discussion on local crime-fighting web forum http://www.hotpursuit.cc, of which I am a long time member.  I’ve taken the liberty to write the city government, especially district 6 Councilman, David McCartney and the mayor to find out what can be done to remediate this area.

In a letter in response to a complaint about this property, Storm Water Coordinator for the city of Baytown, Gerardo V. Ruiz, along with Mr. Carroll Mayfield, from the Railroad Commission of Texas (oil field regulators) and Mr. Tom Fereday, representative for Otex Resources, the oil field property owner wrote this about the area:

“I inspected the oil wells and storage tanks for signs of a recent oil spill or leak but found no evidence of such. Otex Resources does not own the land at the intersection of Wismer and South Highway 146, but it too had no evidence of a recent oil spill. The conditions that are found at that property appear to be a result of the topography of the land and not a result of a recent incident. According to Mr. Carroll, the loss of vegetation on the site appears to be from an influx of salt water many years ago.

However, Mr. Fereday expressed the desire to find the lot owner and work with him or her to clean up the area and achieve a permanent fix that will allow the property to drain properly and not hold water.

The property is not ascetically pleasing but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes. I will have our public works department drainage division inspect the storm drains in the immediate area to ensure that they are not obstructed and functioning correctly. Clear storm drains may help reduce the quantity of standing water in the area. I will follow up with Otex Resources about the cleanup efforts and will provide updates as they become available.”

I was deep into this area this past May, looking for a geocache of all things and it is the nastiest place in Baytown.  I came home and washed my clothes and tennis shoes afterward and I made a video tape of the heavy mosquito activity.  The area is indeed a breeding ground for mosquitoes and thus a significant health hazard.

Mr. Ruiz’s statement “but no major environmental health violations exist at this time. The standing water does not appear to contain any crude oil and it is not breeding mosquitoes.” Although accurate at their visit is inaccurate as I have video proof and photos.

I am appealing to our city government and District 6 councilman Mr. McCartney in particular, to rectify this situation.  Because of the stagnant surface water, mosquito breeding site, and rotting debris, it poses a serious health and safety issue and needs clear and up to date responses to the public in general.