Battle of the bugs

News from the battle front - African bugs - mosquitos actually...

Several things can keep us from sleeping at night, namely high temperatures, farm animals (roosters, goats...), the neighbourhood mosque, dogs howling over intruders, wind storms, but surely the worstof all are ...

Most every living organism agrees, except for possibly dragonflies and bats, that mosquitoes are annoying little creatures that somehow passed through careful inspection when God announced at creation that “It was good”. These blood-thirsty beasts must have sided with the devil early on, for they are nothing but evil incarnate with 2 wings, 6 legs and a razor-sharp siphon for a mouth! Their sole purpose is to torment any warm-blooded organism in an attempt to suck the life-blood out of it. These skilled demons have continued their moral decline and corrupt lifestyle over the centuries by making unwise alliances with equally evil elements of The Fall called “viruses”. Together, they collaborate to pursue their own selfish interests while making life miserable for warm-blooded organisms and spreading diseases such as West Nile virus, Dengue Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, and Malaria.

The mosquitoes in Niger are even more irritating and elusive than those of Canada. Whereas Canadian mosquitoes like the warm spots near the neck and the backs of the knees, Nigerien mosquitoes tend to go for the ankles, although they will bite any exposed skin available. Nigerien mosquitoes have a way of gorging on your blood without you even feeling a sting. It isn’t until they are flying away or are long gone that you notice an intense itchy sensation. At night while in bed, they fly around your head and emit a very high pitched hum, higher than the low drone of Canadian mosquitoes. It reminds me of a small dentist’s drill. The sound seems to surround you from all different directions so that sometimes it sounds like the hum might be coming from within your head! Unlike the mosquitoes in Canada that are large and rather clumsy, the mosquitoes in Niger are small and react quickly when they sense they are being pursued.

One strategy the mosquitoes use to evade capture is to drop instantly out of eyesight and fly low to the floor. Another strategy is to fly next to a dark or busy background where they get “lost” in the motif, such as near a bookshelf or a bedspread. The only sure way of killing mosquitoes is to spray the house with an insecticide before you go to bed. I prefer not to use this method since the intoxicating fumes will no doubt give me cancer one day. Tim and I have found using a fly swatter is healthier than spraying and more effective than using your hands, since often the mosquitoes fly right through your fingers! Frantically waving the flyswatter in the air may kill the mosquito, but usually your best bet is to patiently wait for it to land on the wall. Our bedroom wall has black spots in numerous places as testaments to battles waged and won!

The pesky insects hover eagerly at our door, like our hungry adopted cat, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in when the door opens. We have screens on our windows to keep the mosquitoes out, although for several months a few screens had rips in them, allowing free access to mosquitoes and moths. Recently, our apartment complex was redone with new screens having finer mesh that is supposed to keep even the smallest of insects out. That was a big improvement. Unfortunately, the daily battle with mosquitoes isn’t over. So before we go to bed each night, Tim and I scan the room for mosquitoes. We check behind the curtains, in the corners, on the ceiling, and under the folds of the sheets. No mosquito must remain alive! How miserable a night for Tim and me if a mosquito escapes our flyswatter! When we have peacefully fallen asleep, it will come out of hiding, find our warm bodies and start hovering around our heads with that annoying high-pitched hum. Who will deliver me from my misery at 3 in the morning? “Timmmmm, it’s your turn to wake up and kill the darn mosquito.”