Mosquito nets

It's 3:30am and the neighbor's dogs start barking. I climb out of bed and go to look out the window. Yawning, scratching and trying to focus my eyes to see what they are barking at. Nothing, as usual. I climb back into bed pulling my mosquito net over me, fluff my pillow and think I have a few more hours of blissful sleep.

Buzzzzz

Near my right ear I hear the infernal buzzing of a mosquito. I clap my hands together near my ear. All goes quiet. 30 seconds later buzzzzz near my left ear. I curse and clap my hands trying to catch it. Still no luck!

I switch the bedside light on because I know it is all that stands between me and more sleep. Finally I see the little devil and he sees me. We are like two warriors trapped in a fishing net, battling until only one will survive. Using the folds of the mosquito net, I lure him into a false sense of security and close in for the kill.

Peace has been restored under the mosquito net and restful sleep can now recommence.

Every morning I straighten out the net, pull it together and twist. Then I tie it into a knot and leave it. This ensures no bugs will climb into it during the day. At night, you do the opposite, tucking under the mattress or leaving it to hang loose.My neighbor will even take a flashlight and look inside her mosquito net just to be sure nothing has crawled in during the day.

Some people spray their's with repellent but I don't like the thought of sleeping and breathing that at night.

In the state where I live in Brazil, we don't have malaria but we do have dengue fever. This is carried by the mosquito in the photo opposite the Aedes aegypti.

Before the wet season begins, people begin cleaning up the areas around their homes, that could allow water to settle and mosquitoes to breed. These include plant pots, car tires, discarded bottles etc. Even vegetation is often burned as the water that would accumulate in the dead leaves could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

There is a large public campaign to remind people constantly about the threat, schools, televisions and doctor offices all promote responsible behavior to eliminate the risk of potential mosquito breeding areas.

When outside I wear mosquito repellent as the dengue mosquito will bite anytime of day. At first I thought it wasn't necessary but the irritation it has saved is immense. Now it is just part of the daily routine.