Gardening by Osmosis

Do you hear what I hear?

What I thought was the distant roar of a plane, upon closer investigation a horde of mosquitoes was laughing outside my door. They were having a lottery as to which one of them would get the first bite.

I went to another door and another army of furious insects was waiting for me there.

So, I went to my arsenal of defense weapons, orange, green and blue cans of aerosol spray, Lotions and potions, chemically saturated bracelets and noisy buzzers.

I donned my insulated jeans, boots and hooded jacket and tried to escape the legions of mosquitoes to get an early start watering and weeding my garden.

The blood thirsty enemy buzzed all around me. They allowed me passage to a rather windy spot and then one nasty fanatic found a tasty spot under my glasses.

In a fury at protecting my eyelids, I threw off my $700.00 prescription glasses and began running. I was sweating under my heavy jacket which by now was covered with the relentless beasts.

The sun was climbing and so was the temperature and I was so bundled I couldn’t bend to pull weeds anyway. I went back to the house, swatting the little suckers on my face and back all the way. I hoped I would be able to find my glasses before my son came later that day to mow the lawn.

I have no idea how long mosquito’s sabers are as I felt their stings clear through my jacket and jeans.

I used to love gardening in the early morning. But now mosquitoes have altered my routine. I don’t remember mosquitoes being so active all day. No place in my garden is mosquito free. They lay in wait in shiny, shady, hot and cool places.

I do live near a marsh and forest with tall grasses and ponds. I am not sure what feeds on mosquitoes other than swallows, bats, frogs and dragonflies. The few of those species I’ve seen this summer don’t seem to be making much of a difference.

If I survive the next few weeks, the hot days of July may dry up the insect’s breeding places and I will be able to work in my garden.

When my son came he also complained about the mosquitoes.

“Hey, Mom,” he said. “I’ll mow another day, by the way are these your glasses?”

A different mowing service would probably not have been so diligent.

In the meantime, I will continue to barbecue the bombers along with my hamburgers. We will picnic inside the house.

There is much written about mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit. It is especially important to protect children when mosquitoes are prevalent. Unfortunately, my grandchildren can’t play outside at my house right now. I am afraid they will be carried off by the enemy.

We all need the fresh air of summer but the threat of infection from mosquitoes bites is real.

This plague is probably related to the condition of Climate Change. I would hope for extinction of this species. There is a place for them among the dinosaurs, but not so much in my garden.

Though the mosquitoes seem larger this year the insect eating birds, bats, frogs and dragonflies don’t seem to be getting any fatter.

I guess nobody likes them.

— Margaret Swenson is a Washington State University Master Gardener. To reach a master gardener, call 509-477-2181.