Persistent rain has eased Oglethorpe County’s multi-month drought, but the sudden moisture, paired with the usual Georgia heat, has brought back a familiar summer nuisance: bugs.
To help residents deal with the pests, specifically mosquitoes, UGA entomologist and Arnoldsville resident Elmer Gray gave tips and advice to a crowd of 60 attendees at the PlowShare meeting on Monday at the Farm Bureau.
Gray's presentation, titled “Public Health Pests Around the Home and Garden,” focused on common misconceptions and prevention strategies.
The timing was perfect.
Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus were found in Atlanta last week and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of an abnormally early mosquito season. In addition, there’s been increased concern about tick bites and Alpha-gal syndrome.
“The mosquitoes seem to definitely increase in population when it starts raining,” said Vickie Coker, one of PlowShare’s founders. “While we were in a drought, we didn't see quite as many, but now we're starting to see a lot more.”
There are 63 species of mosquitoes in Georgia, but only 10-12 affect humans, according to an UGA article co-authored by Gray. The Asian tiger mosquito, an aggressive daytime feeder, is one of the most common mosquito species in North Georgia.
The species rarely flies more than 300 yards from where it was hatched — typically a source of standing water — meaning that solutions and management can start in areas within eyesight.
“You don’t think they’re coming from your yard, but they’re probably coming from somewhere close,” Gray said. “Start close, work your way out.”
One attendee mentioned a social media DIY-trap bucket filled with water, chemicals or other repellents to kill larvae. Another asked about adding oil to water.
Gray strongly recommended against these practices.
“What you’ve done at that point is drawn in a female mosquito that’s fed on a bird and picked up West Nile virus,” Gray said. “You’ve drawn it to your bucket. She lays her eggs, and now she wants to blood feed again and give you West Nile virus.”
Instead of viral and homemade remedies, Gray said that EPA-approved products remain the best.
“They’re safe, they’re effective and they have minimal impacts on others,” Gray said.
He recommended repellents that use IR3535 or DEET. The latter is approved for use on children as young as 2 months old.
Gray also said be cautious with oils, extracts and other natural and organic solutions, especially with children.
Alongside mosquitoes and the West Nile virus, ticks have made national headlines this summer.
In April, the CDC reported that emergency room visits for tick bites have reached their highest levels since 2017. There’s also a growing public concern over Alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne disease that causes a red meat allergy.
Georgia’s most common tick is the lone star tick, easily identifiable with the distinct white dot on the center of the adult female’s back.
“There’s nothing good about them (ticks),” Gray said. “Avoidance is the best policy. Use the EPA-approved repellents, tuck your pants into your socks.”
Ticks wait on tall, usually knee-high, blades of grass and vegetation. They don’t fall out of trees, despite stories and tales.
Gray said the simplest way to prevent bites is to keep high-traffic outdoor spaces closely mowed.
If a tick latches on, Gray stressed that people have a window to treat it before complications. Ticks move slowly and can take up to 24 hours to fully attach and transmit Lyme’s disease or Alpha-gal.
However, Gray reassured attendees that encounters are simply a part of outdoor life.
“You don’t have to be afraid (to remove ticks),” he said. “You know that you’re going to take a tick off sooner or later, and that's life; it's not the end of the world.”
Once found, the best practice is to remove it as quickly as possible, using forceps or tweezers.
“Grab (the head) as close to the skin as possible, gently pull straight away,” Gray said. “No other way to do it. Wash the bite site, wash your hands, use antibiotic cream.”
Gray also touched on several other invasive species, including the spotted lanternfly, joro spider and the Asian needle ant, a flying and stinging ant species already in Georgia.
He also addressed the New World screwworm, which has made headlines in the Southwest, where it feeds on livestock and cattle. The species hasn’t reached Georgia, and preventative measures are already being taken.
“(Invasive species are) here to stay,” Coker said. “Trying to manage what we can will help, but also recognizing what we can do if we do get bit or stung, which is probably going to happen over the course of our lifetime, is important.”