If you’re a Florida homeowner then you know how brutally hot the summer time can be. Everyone just wants to be outside by the pool when it’s that hot out. Come this summer however, the heat could be the least of everyone’s worries, particularly if you don’t have a screen enclosure for your patio or pool. According to University of Florida scientists, a species of mosquito called gallinippers are set to invade this summer. Gallinippers are basically just a breed of mosquito that grow around 20 times bigger than the regular flying pests. It takes a large amount of standing water for the eggs to grow and hatch and the scientists believe that all the rainfall so far this year has created ideal conditions. People need to watch out for the female gallinippers in particular, as they are known to suck blood round the clock and their needle noses can pierce clothing. You’ll know when a female gallinipper is biting you because it feels like getting poked by a hot needle. Don’t think a simple swat will get them to fly away either. Gallinipppers are known for being more persistent than an ex-girlfriend when it comes to sucking the life out of someone. They may not be entirely bad however, as they are such vicious predators, they eat the larvae of other mosquito species. They are also not known to carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, which is always a concern for Florida residents.
West Nile Virus was first discovered in 1937 in Uganda, a landlocked country in Africa at the southern end of the Nile River. The disease did not become well known in mainstream culture until 1999 when the first case was discovered in America. It’s has spread across the country since then, mainly through warmer, southern states with significant rainfall totals. It is possible to get bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus and not experience any symptoms. Those with compromised immune systems, children and the elderly are the most at risk for contracting West Nile Virus. The symptoms are much like the flu, including fever, headache, nausea, skin rashes and muscle aches. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a month and in rare cases, it is life threatening.
If you’re looking to keep your family safe from super mosquitos and West Nile Virus, then why not build a screen enclosure over your backyard pool? Screen enclosures from a company like Screen Builders Inc. in West Palm Beach, FL specialize in custom built screens for your pool or patio. Screens help keep nature at bay by repelling harmful insects and other critters. Know your kids are safe when they go outside to play with a new pool screen enclosure from Screen Builders Inc.