Tahoe Quarterly

Ambling through a grassy wildflower-filled meadow on a warm summer day, you sit down along a gurgling creek to dangle your feet and enjoy a well-earned picnic. That’s when you hear it. Zzzz… zzzz… zzzz…

Slap!

Water, which gives us waterfalls and wildflowers, also means mosquitoes. Tahoe is particularly hospitable to several types: those which love to breed in snowmelt, containers or standing water, and in shallow, moist meadows. Some take the day shift; others bite at dawn or dusk. Some even hunt at night. Whatever time of day, it’s the females that are on the prowl for the necessary blood meals to produce eggs.

After a human case of West Nile virus in the Basin in 2006, and virus activity since 2004, mosquitoes are more than just an annoyance. But there are steps you can take to keep the biters at bay. Time-honored solutions include removing all sources of standing water from around your house, even the little bit of water pooling on your barbecue cover. Don’t give them any water in which to swim—that’s where immature stages (eggs and larvae) develop. Make sure the screens in your windows are tight-fitting.

Mosquitoes are drawn to carbon dioxide, heat and lactic acid left on the skin from sweat. When hiking, wear loose-fitting protective clothing—shirts with long sleeves, pants, closed-toed shoes with socks and a hat. Remember that movement attracts mosquitoes: The more you swat, the more enticing you become.

The active ingredient of most commercial mosquito repellants is DEET (the acronym for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Studies have shown that DEET blocks the odor receptors in mosquito nervous systems, which is why the mozzies come close and then stop short of biting—DEET is jamming the transmission, masking the odor that would normally attract a bite.

However, effective concentrations of DEET for use on young children are controversial, and some adults prefer to avoid the chemicals. Other options include picaridin-based products, and Repel Lemon Eucalyptus and Bite Blocker reportedly offer decent protection without the DEET. If you want to go the totally natural route, make your own solution: there are dozens of recipes online for repellants containing citronella, garlic, rosemary, clove oil, neem oil or lavender oil, along with testimonials. Be sure to experiment at home before you are in the wild with swarms of mosquitoes that may, it turns out, love lavender oil.

Yellow jackets are another frequent flyer—and stinger—in Tahoe summer. Like mosquitoes, they can be found everywhere; some live in aerial nests, others are subterranean. Unlike bees, yellow jackets can sting repeatedly; their stinger doesn’t fall off once employed. Prevention includes proper trash disposal; if outdoors, keep garbage far from where you eat, and if yellow jackets are buzzing about, check your food and drink before you swallow. If yellow jackets have settled in to your neighborhood, traps can be store bought, but are easy to make using natural pesticides or household items (visit www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/EMD/vectorcontrol/yellowjacket.html to learn how).

If these buggers sting or bite you anyway, ice or a cool compress will help with the initial irritation. For those prone to allergic reactions, an antihistamine will also help with symptoms; be sure to know if you are taking one that will make you drowsy. Calamine lotion or a simple paste of baking soda and water should help with the itching. Topical steroids work on inflammation, and ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce itching, swelling and fever. For a natural remedy, some use oral evening primrose oil. If you are in the one percent of persons who may suffer anaphylactic shock resulting from a bite or sting, seek immediate medical attention if you aren’t carrying epinephrine.

While Lyme disease is unlikely in the Basin, soft ticks pose a threat, says Ginger Huber, Tahoe division manager of the El Dorado County Environmental Management Department. “Rodents get into cabins and make nests. The ticks live on the rodents, and when their hosts die, find another warm body,” she says. If the warm body is human, the result may be relapsing fever—this disease, though rare (only about 25 cases are reported yearly), causes a nasty cycle of fever, chill, nausea and possible delirium. (The unpleasant lesson here: Do a rodent check each time you return to your summer cabin.) Ground squirrels and chipmunks can carry also plague transmitted by fleas. Huber offers simple advice: “Don’t feed the squirrels. Don’t touch dead animals.”

Contributing editor Kim Wyatt was assistant managing editor at WebMD and managing editor of Nurseweek magazine before moving to Meyers.