mosquito problem?

[Don McAllister]

One fairly recent innovation in Canada is "bug jackets."

These are light cotton jackets with draw strings and clampable locks on them at the waist and on the sleeves.  A hood has a "faceplate" of nylon mesh which can be opened or closed with a zipper, or the hood can be pulled back off the head to the shoulders if the mosquitoes are better or a breeze comes on.  Side panels on the body of the jacket
are also in mesh; these allow fresh air to move through and keep you cooler.

The bug jackets make doing a lot of things in the bush a lot more enjoyable. The mesh over the face does make seeing things far off a little harder, but I suppose if that was a problem, say for a photographer, one could sew in a panel of clear plastic over they eyes.

Bug jacket prices run between $20 and $35 Canadian, and are well worth it for those working outside in dense mosquitoes.  They are not absolutely bug proof - the cloth will rest against the body here and there so that the mosquitoes can bite through, but they are much better than the alternative.  One could counter the latter problem through
use of a repellant.

Bug jackets, as made, might be a little warm for the tropics.  But there one could make an all-mesh model to improve breathability. One would have to wear long-legged pants -  or devise ones of mesh!

Cheers,

don
Don McAllister

Murray Fletcher wrote:

> Heard an interesting seminar some years ago about biting midges in Iceland. The adults are a real problem for a burgeoning tourism industry based on trout fishing. However, elimination of the biting midges would eliminate the midge larvae which are the primary food source for the trout - and hence eliminate the trout fishing industry. This,
> naturally, would remove the need to control the adult midges in the first place.
>
> Murray
>
> Amanda Neill wrote:
>
> > This is clearly a situation of just enough mosquitoes, and far too many people.  What are some good ways to take care of human over-population?
> >
> > I feel I should add that mosquitoes are important bat-food, well as all the other uses previously listed on this string.  Almost nothing (wild) relies on people as a primary food source.  Thank goodness mosquitoes are around to remind us that we ARE part of the food-chain, and must answer to the same natural laws as every other organism.
> >
> > Amanda Neill
> >
> > Scott Magic wrote:
> > Of course this is the question everybody asks - and SO WHAT if we just eliminate them ?
> >
> > What can we say about that, including of course philosophical responses ?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Scott Rawdin
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Amanda K. Neill
> > Department of Biology Herbarium
> > Texas A&M University
> > 3258 TAMU
> > College Station, Texas 77843-3258
> >
> > Office# (979) 845-3397
> > Home# (979) 260-9933
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> --
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> Dr Murray J. Fletcher
> Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit
> NSW Agriculture - OAI
> Forest Road
> ORANGE NSW 2800
> Australia
>
> Phone: 61-(0)2-63913943
> Fax: 61-(0)2-63913899
> Email: murray.fletcher at agric.nsw.gov.au
>
> ASCU Website: http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/Hort/ascu
>
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