Mozzies attack!

Been fighting a personal war against mosquitoes for over a week now. Tired of hearing my fave deep-tissue physical therapists (okay, masseuses) nag me about the red bite marks on my legs. “Ser, ang dami! Ayan, nadagdagan na naman!”

First noticed the prob around mid-February, albeit it wasn’t on a scale of serious alarm bells at the start. Just wondered why a few mozzies had appeared during yet-chilly days and bothered me on nights I worked in the lanai, which had generally been bug-free. And all these years we haven’t had much confrontation with the infernal blood-suckers in our neck of the city. 

I tried out a nifty-looking, purple double-candle in a cute wooden tub that was marketed at a Christmas bazaar as BTC — for Better Than Citronelle. Well, it wasn’t. In the first place, the wicks were inferior, requiring constant snipping whenever they got wet with the melting wax. And the way they were placed in the elongated tub turned out to work against the visual design.

Worse, it didn’t seem to have any effect on the few mozzies on reconaissance patrol that week. I replaced it with a lemony citronella candle, single wick, provided by my granddaughter. It was fragrant, but also proved ineffective as the strange-looking mozzies racheted their offensive.

My masseuses continued to upbraid me over my workstation nakedness, so I had to take action. Well, misery seeks company (and validation), so I first put it into words — as a plaintive post adressing FB Friends. 

“In your areas, has there been some kind of onslaught by mosquitoes? We’ve lived in the Valle Verde area for 20 years, and we haven’t had had this kind of mini-plague, hehe. Strange-looking mozzies, thin and tiny and quiet (no buzzing). Normally, I’m no mosquito magnet, esp. when loaded with whisky. But this time, I had to try BTC (Better DAW Than Citronelle, but not!) then citronella candles to try to keep ’em away. Didn’t work. Then started applying Guard insect repellent lotion, which someone said worked famously, much better than Off. Hindi pa rin.

“Last Sunday when I watered the backyard, it took less than five minutes for me to feel that they were all over my legs and back, so that I had to cut the watering short. They’ve become more aggressive, even at daytime.

“Yesterday I went to the Valle Verde 1 Admin office to ask if they could initiate defumigation service. I was told they were already coordinating w/ Barangay Ugong for the equipment and personnel; our village would just have to purchase the chemicals. They also said that three other residents had asked for the same the past week.

“In any case, I had to purchase a Daimaru Photocatalyst Insect Killer and a tall can of Baygon. When we started spraying while watering the backyard, so many of these mosquitoes went into a frenzy.

“Now I have to work in the lanai w/ the Daimaru and a citronella candle both on, and the Baygon sprayer nearby. But I still get new bites every night. Darn, I have to migrate with the MacBook et al. to my bedroom so much earlier than usual.

“These are not the usual mosquitoes we’re used to. They’re spindly thin, their bites usually not felt until these raise big red marks, often itchy. Maybe the scientists behind Baygon and Daimaru et al. have bred a new species of these suckers — the way retired generals usually set up security agencies, and to ensure a demand for that sort of service, create the start of a balance of terror. Ngek.”

The first comment came from musicologist Tad Ermitaño: “Yes, more mosquitoes, but can’t be sure if everyone in San Juan is affected, as we live in a condo high up. Thought maybe water was pooling somewhere, encouraging wriggler growth. But yeah, been using katol this week. Notice also that the mosquitoes are hyperactive. Zigzag everywhere, hard to kill by clapping.”

“Same in QC,” offered the poet-philosopher Angelo Suarez. “Lamok amok. Katol & citronella galore, every-other-night sprays of Baygon. & not just them but all sorts of buzzards — winged ants, bees, more than usual. One even made a straight charge toward me the other week, from the window neckward. Rather quick of hand I was able to defend myself though.”

Again from Tad: “Weird. Mosquitoes usually favor heat. Cold usually nukes them. But yeah, has to be linked to weather change. Wonder if anyone in UP studying this...”

From Graphic mag EIC Joel Pablo Salud: “Same here in Parañaque. Huge ones.” From photog Noli Yamsuan: “I just got them last night. Funny thing is I didn’t feel them bite.” From indie direk Milo Sogueco: “Last night at my condo at the Grove Rockwell, mosquitoes were everywhere at the balcony — 19th floor!”

Illustrado mag editor Ana P. Santos: “Hey, neighbor, I noticed those, too. I thought it was just us. This is kinda creepy and scary.” Writer-painter Migs Villanueva: “Acropolis, Krip. I was blaming it on the bamboo.” Writer-columnist Jenny Ortuoste: “Yes, we have the same plague here in the Makati/Manila area too. Akala ko kami lang. My once-pristine legs are now covered with unsightly scars from scratching the weals.”

Kenzei Yonzon: “So it’s not just our house! There really is a rise in mosquitoes!” Joel Lacsamana: “In Better Living, Parañaque, too!” Harry Tambuatco: “Same in Alabang.” Popoy Diokno: “Itchy buggers as well! Seems to be all over. Hassle nga...”

Louise Isobel: “In our home, too!!” Louella Fortez: “In our house, too. It’s my mom and sister who have a showcase of bites because their rooms are closest to our garden.”

Anna Limon: “Yes! My god! It’s horrible. I’m already a mosquito magnet so I’ve been miserable for the past two weeks. They’re everywhere. I see swarms of it by the stairwell, where there isn’t a drop of stagnant water, at any given time of day or night. The other night I killed eight and lined them up by the side of my bed. I’m going a little crazy!”

Josh Lagandaon: “Dito sa Greenwoods, Pasig din! They just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Everyone in my village is bothered by it. At around 5 p.m., they attack in swarms. We see thick clouds of mosquitoes everywhere!”

A lady friend from Dumaguete reported that it was the first time she had ever needed to spray Baygon inside their home. My driver told of how his wife had complained by SMS of mosquito swarms plaguing their house in Pototan, Iloilo!

Writer Elson Elizaga wrote from Cagayan de Oro: “The mosquito you described is probably the same as the one we have here and some places in Mindanao. Our helper from Zamboanga has a name for it. Can’t recall now but it sounds like ‘tagnok’. If you burn neem leaves, the large mosquitoes will die but not the little ones — quite the reverse in human societies, where the big thieves usually survive.”

My goodness. I recalled an old adage: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you!”

I began to worry about geopolitical stand-offs and bio-techno terrorism. Could it be that the new strain was sent along with the Siberian cold front as a dastardly Valentine’s gift from a bully of a neighbor? 

There were the usual warnings on dengue. But I quickly allayed these Friends’ concerns. “I’ve handled dengue before, when a son got afflicted. Tawa-tawa lang ’yan. Not the laughing variety. And talbos ng kamote and papaya leaves, ground to a paste. Though hassle pa rin, cuz a week of feeling eccch and blecch in bed, and daily trips to Medical City for the blood and platelets.”

That led to queries on my herbolario success of some years back. Balikbayan Zen Lopez said a friend’s daughter was in a hospital bed with dengue. Artist Mariline Ongkingco asked for the herbal recipe. I had to compress the oft-repeated narrative. 

“Yes, Zen, Mariline, dengue can be cured quicker and cheaper by relying on tawa-tawa herb decoction, plus camote tops tea and papaya leaf paste, all of which immediately raise platelets levels. Treated a son that way some years ago instead of checking him into a hospital, and it worked in three days! We just had his platelets level checked every morning.

“Fresh tawa-tawa leaves and roots you can ask for from a friend in Davao or Mindanao, but there’s tawa-tawa powder available in alternative health shops. There used to be one in Tiendesitas; not sure anymore. Google it. You’ll find it.”

Other friends came up with assorted counsel, from wearing light-colored pyjamas while writing and/or drinking al fresco to using these special LED bulbs that are supposed to drive the bugs away. Noel Añonuevo suggested getting those “a la tennis-racket zappers.” I said I already had a standing zapper, and didn’t want to develop Nadalesque biceps.

Jerri Anonas-Carpio said she used mosquito traps. She bought the readymade ones at Mercury’s somewhere in Makati: the DOST Mosquito OL Trap. Many others sent video of how to make one’s own mosquito trap. 

For good measure, I acquired more cans of Baygon, including the non-aerosol sprayed via the old-style pump-gun, plus Mos Repel anti mosquito bracelets that are supposed to be “reusable up to 180 hours” and came in a “resealable container.”

I asked for the OL Traps at Merc’s. They used to have daw, but the kits had been sent back to the distributor. So I got local yeast and black duct tape instead, and asked the granddaughter to craft our first DIY mozzie trap to add to our defense arsenal.

But other friends who had tried it weren’t too encouraging. And when one night I turned a Mos Repel bracelet into an anklet, turned the zapper on, lit up a citronelle candle, and proceeded to work, I found that I still had to spray around my work area every 10-15 minutes. Cuz I could feel and actually spot the kamikaze enemies!

It was in that state of increasing exasperation that I began to appreciate the following sage advice offered as a meme, with the text: “Confucius say: It’s only when a mosquito lands on your testicles that you realize there is always a way to solve problems without using violence.”

Hah! Yes, desperation being the mother of invention, I will try other means. Wasn’t it yodeling that repulsed aliens in Mars Attacks? Okay, maybe I should look for a Pat Boone music tape and try playing Love Letters in the Sand.