http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911 The weather of this past week may cause West Nile virus problems from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. First, let's start locally. The hotter it gets the faster mosquitoes breed and the faster the virus replicates. It reached 110 degrees Saturday, according to Weather.com. And while we may be in the middle of a drought, Bakersfield has plenty of man-made water sources &mdash; abandoned swimming pools &mdash; for mosquitoes to breed in. We may be without rain, but the Midwest has had more than enough. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The health problems generally start after the water recedes, when mold enters homes and mosquitoes lurk around standing water, public health officials say. &quot;Anyplace we have flooding we're going to have mosquitoes that are going to be a big nuisance to people,&quot; said Joan Bradford, supervisor of vector control for the St. Louis County Department of Health. Rising floodwater generally attracts breeds of mosquitoes that don't carry disease. But areas that do not drain quickly can attract mosquitoes that harbor the West Nile virus. As the standing floodwater evaporates, it gathers a higher concentration of organic material attractive to mosquitoes carrying the virus. Those mosquitoes are typically found near sources of standing water such as rain gutters, sewers, nonoperating swimming pools and birdbaths. Already, vector control workers are finding more West Nile than average. Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in 23 percent of the samples taken this year in St. Louis County. The river is expected to crest over the next few days. The good news: Midwest residents can start recuperating. The bad news: The water will become still, which means mosquitoes can move in. &nbsp; The weather of this past week may cause West Nile virus problems from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. First, let's start locally. The hotter it gets the faster mosquitoes breed and the faster the virus replicates. It reached 110 degrees Saturday, according to Weather.com. And while we may be in the middle of a drought, Bakersfield has plenty of man-made water sources &mdash; abandoned swimming pools &mdash; for mosquitoes to breed in. We may be without rain, but the Midwest has had more than enough. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The health problems generally start after the water recedes, when mold enters homes and mosquitoes lurk around standing water, public health officials say. &quot;Anyplace we have flooding we're going to have mosquitoes that are going to be a big nuisance to people,&quot; said Joan Bradford, supervisor of vector control for the St. Louis County Department of Health. Rising floodwater generally attracts breeds of mosquitoes that don't carry disease. But areas that do not drain quickly can attract mosquitoes that harbor the West Nile virus. As the standing floodwater evaporates, it gathers a higher concentration of organic material attractive to mosquitoes carrying the virus. Those mosquitoes are typically found near sources of standing water such as rain gutters, sewers, nonoperating swimming pools and birdbaths. Already, vector control workers are finding more West Nile than average. Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in 23 percent of the samples taken this year in St. Louis County. The river is expected to crest over the next few days. The good news: Midwest residents can start recuperating. The bad news: The water will become still, which means mosquitoes can move in. &nbsp; en-us <p>Somebody please tell me how mosquitoes are worthwhile.&nbsp; They say bacteria has its charms.&nbsp; Ditto with ants and worms and a hundred other gross things.&nbsp; But HOW are mosquitoes good for the environment or ecosystems or the food chain or whatever?&nbsp; I need to know this so I can be at peace with nature again.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_261996 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_261996 <p>Somebody please tell me how mosquitoes are worthwhile.&nbsp; They say bacteria has its charms.&nbsp; Ditto with ants and worms and a hundred other gross things.&nbsp; But HOW are mosquitoes good for the environment or ecosystems or the food chain or whatever?&nbsp; I need to know this so I can be at peace with nature again.</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cat~ I looked at wiki~ apparently they are reincarnated souls who were very bad in another life. On the bright side one went up the Emperor Titus's nose entered his brain and buzzed and ate till Titus went insane and died.(unverified account).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Bats like 'em ?!!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262010 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262010 <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cat~ I looked at wiki~ apparently they are reincarnated souls who were very bad in another life. On the bright side one went up the Emperor Titus's nose entered his brain and buzzed and ate till Titus went insane and died.(unverified account).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">Bats like 'em ?!!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bats Schmats, Sage!&nbsp; Good one about Titus, though.&nbsp; The same thing almost happened to me a few days ago in the mountains.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262017 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262017 <p>Bats Schmats, Sage!&nbsp; Good one about Titus, though.&nbsp; The same thing almost happened to me a few days ago in the mountains.</p> <p>Cat, your error is in thinking that we're the guys on top.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mosquito God designed this planet specifically for his winged faithful to be fruitful and multiply.&nbsp; Everything&nbsp;else is for *THEIR* benefit.</p> <p>.</p> <p>My dad used to say that everything in nature had a purpose, and mosquitoes' purpose is to remind man that &quot;you&nbsp;ain't so hot, bubbe.&quot;&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262050 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262050 <p>Cat, your error is in thinking that we're the guys on top.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mosquito God designed this planet specifically for his winged faithful to be fruitful and multiply.&nbsp; Everything&nbsp;else is for *THEIR* benefit.</p> <p>.</p> <p>My dad used to say that everything in nature had a purpose, and mosquitoes' purpose is to remind man that &quot;you&nbsp;ain't so hot, bubbe.&quot;&nbsp;</p> <p>Ah, there's a flaw in your reasoning, random.&nbsp; If&nbsp; the mosquitoes are really the inheritors of the earth, then why are they carrying around so many loafer good-for-nothings like malaria and west nile?&nbsp; The mosquitoes clearly aren't smart enough to kick those losers to the curb.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262056 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262056 <p>Ah, there's a flaw in your reasoning, random.&nbsp; If&nbsp; the mosquitoes are really the inheritors of the earth, then why are they carrying around so many loafer good-for-nothings like malaria and west nile?&nbsp; The mosquitoes clearly aren't smart enough to kick those losers to the curb.</p> <p>Yeah, mosquitoes are so stupid they want to kill the host their feeding off of.&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262060 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262060 <p>Yeah, mosquitoes are so stupid they want to kill the host their feeding off of.&nbsp;</p> <p>Cat, you're asking me to explain the Garden of Sucking and the Original Suck of the mosquitoes.&nbsp; &quot;Bearing viral loads shalt thou suck all the days of your lives; in pain shalt thou bring forth thy larvae...&quot;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262062 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262062 <p>Cat, you're asking me to explain the Garden of Sucking and the Original Suck of the mosquitoes.&nbsp; &quot;Bearing viral loads shalt thou suck all the days of your lives; in pain shalt thou bring forth thy larvae...&quot;</p> <p>Well, you got me there, random.&nbsp; In fear of revealing my ignorance of that bible verse (though it sounds strangely familiar) I'll just give you the argument.&nbsp; So they have no other use than the fact that they were ordained by God.&nbsp; Typical.&nbsp; ; )</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262064 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262064 <p>Well, you got me there, random.&nbsp; In fear of revealing my ignorance of that bible verse (though it sounds strangely familiar) I'll just give you the argument.&nbsp; So they have no other use than the fact that they were ordained by God.&nbsp; Typical.&nbsp; ; )</p> <p>CB, that's an excellent question.</p> <p>I asked Richard Takahashi, entomologist at the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District, your question. Read the answer in my <a href="http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ehagedorn/28957">latest post</a>. </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262596 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog//28911/#c_262596 <p>CB, that's an excellent question.</p> <p>I asked Richard Takahashi, entomologist at the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District, your question. Read the answer in my <a href="http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ehagedorn/28957">latest post</a>. </p>