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Without doubt only the most dedicated of entomologists and the most fervent followers of Buddha can honestly say that they like mosquitoes. The others of us in the world loathe them. The word 'mosquito' comes from either the Spanish or the Portuguese and means 'little fly'. They live in most countries throughout the world and are or have been to blame for spreading various diseases throughout history.

Malaria is the sickness most usually connected with mosquitoes and at one time malaria was widespread in Europe. Even London was a malarial city until they drained the marshes to create space for more housing a couple of hundred years ago. Until a hundred years ago, malaria was not thought to be associated with mosquitoes, it was considered to be brought on by 'bad air' ('mal aria').

Mosquitoes are blood-sucking insects, or at least the females are, that are still to blame for spreading many diseases throughout the animal kingdom. That is correct! They do not just affect humans. Dogs in particular get a fairly hard time from mosquitoes.

For a large part of their lives, mosquitoes happily drink nectar from flowers like bees do, but while the female is pregnant, she needs animal protein to produce eggs. This is what she obtains from us and other animals. The male never has to drink blood.

It is when the female is drawing a little blood, that an infected mosquito involuntarily deposits a couple of parasites into the host's blood stream, which could cause infection with malaria, dengue, encephalitis or numerous other diseases that are spread by parasites.

Not all bites from infected mosquitoes bring about sickness. In the case of malaria for example, it has been contended that a healthy person can fight off the parasites injected by up to fifty mosquitoes in a twenty-four hour period. After that though, the parasites grow in number too quickly for our defences and get to the organs that they like to colonize.

When a non-infected mosquito sucks blood from an infected human, that mosquito can pass the parasites on to other non-infected humans. It is thought that most mosquito bites happen indoors when the person is sleeping. Therefore, the WHO and other agencies have been distributing mosquito nets treated with insecticide in Africa, where most victims of mosquito borne infections reside.

However, there is a concern that treating the problem in this manner might make some sorts of mosquito immune to the insecticide or might even raise the chances of being bitten outdoors. There have been comparable concerns in Cambodia. Until recently, it took three days of hospitalization to cure a patient of malaria, but in one area of Cambodia it now takes five days.

Doctors treating patients in that area say that this is a very disturbing development. It is thought that if this local development spreads, then it could result in the deaths of millions of Africans again.

Most mosquitoes do not fly far. Most mosquitoes never go over two kilometres from where they hatched out; some move only a couple of metres away, although others can fly some 5 or 10 kilometres, and a very few species will even fly up to 50 kilometres, assisted by the wind, from their pupal locations.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on several topics, but is currently concerned with work on mosquito bite treatment problems. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.

Everyone with a lovely garden, patio or deck will surely enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer's day or evening. But if there is one thing that can blight it for you, it is mosquitoes. Sometimes, it only takes one of two persistent mosquitoes to make your blood boil. Mosquitoes are a pest for sure, but they can also be a health hazard, spreading dengue fever and malaria and several other really horrible diseases. So how do you go about keeping mosquitoes out of your garden?

Maybe you cannot realistically hope to keep mosquitoes out of your garden entirely, but there are some things you can do to deter them and keep their numbers down. Stopping them procreating in your garden is the first step to take. Mosquitoes do not have a long flying span. Many of the mosquitoes that trouble you in your garden will have been born in your garden.

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water, so make sure that there is none in your garden. They will lay eggs in water vats, dogs' bowls, water that has collected in old tyres, bottles and tins and your rubbish bins, so make sure that no water can gather anywhere. Blocked gutters are another breeding site. If you have a water feature, put fish in it to eat the larvae.

Mosquitoes detest the smell of lemon, so you could grow citronella plants, lemon thyme, lemon grass and even a lemon tree, if the climate is right. If not, you could burn citronella scented candles or oil in the vicinity They not only keep the mosquitoes at bay, but the aroma is very fresh and envigourating.

If they are still bothering you, you may have to resort to mosquito repellent. You could drench your clothing with permethrin, like the army does for jungle combat or just smeer a deet-based brand on your skin. There are also a lot of natural mosquito repellents too, such as lemon oil, citronella and eucalyptus oil.

Garlic is supposed to repel mosquitoes, so you could try growing garlic close at hand. It is also believed to repel ticks and has demonstrated to discourage greenfly (aphids) from roses. What could be greener, particularly if you are partial to garlic too?

You could hang up one or two of those lanterns that attract insects to them and then vapourize them with a high voltage shock. These electric bug zappers are particularly proficient at destroying mosquitoes and house flies, which can also be a nuisance when you are lounging out of doors.

They are inexpensive and will last for years. They give off a pleasing glow and some claim to be able to clear areas of a quarter, a half and even a full acre of land of all flying insects by the use of the ultraviolet light and pheromones.

By using some or all of the above methods of keeping mosquitoes out of your garden, you should be able to enjoy your drink, a chat or a snooze in complete peace and freedom from flies and mosquitoes.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on a lot of topics, but is at present concerned with work on mosquito bite treatment problems. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Mosquito Bite Swellings.

Boys and girls of all ages like trains and train sets. They have played a vital part in the history of this country and Seattle, Washington and the Northwest in particular. In fact, the roles of trains in this region of the country have in the past been so vital that there are a few museums devoted to them. Trains were essential supply routes for the population here for many years. While their importance seems to be diminishing in today's society, their importance throughout the history of our country remains.

If you really are a train enthusiast, then it should not be hard to talk you into stopping by Seattle's Train Center before and after touring the museums devoted to trains and their importance in history. The Train Center offers a wide selection of model train parts and pieces that would make excellent additions to your train set or a great beginning for a train set for you or your kids.

After you've whetted your enthusiasm for trains and gotten your child all excited about them, it is time to take a walk back in time to the Northwest Railway Museum. There you can learn about railway history or even choose to take a ride on one of the trains that departs on several tours throughout the day. Most of the excursions are 65-75 minutes long and are a great extravagance for young and old alike. Perhaps the best thing about this museum is that its main objective is to educate the public about the important role that railroads had in the growth of this part of the country.

If you're really interested in sharing your affection for trains with the ones you love, you may consider taking a spin on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. This is a great way to not only get the experience of travelling the rails but to take in some of the beautiful Washington scenery and have a gourmet meal in the process. During the months of November through to April up to two children may ride free with a paying adult.

There are certain restrictions on the type of seating, but it is a great way to get the event at a vastly reduced price. There are also special events such as Murder Mystery Trains and Magic and Illusion shows in addition to certain holiday events as well. Be sure to check out what is going on while you are visiting Seattle and see if this is something that might interest you and your family.

If you are up for a not so short drive to Pasco (about three and a half hours from Seattle), you might find the Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum well worth the journey. Be sure to remember that the museum is only open on Saturday and that the hours are restricted so this is a journey you need to plan in advance. The greatest thing about this museum to me is the fact that there are lovely little stories, like the blackboard that recorded the first snowfall at the depot each year and others such as this.

It is the little stories that do not necessarily make history that do make long-lasting impressions and I am happy to see this particular story is being shared. Just remember, when visiting any of these depots, museums, and train excursions that you definitely must bring your inner child with you in order to enjoy them as you should.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is presently involved with train sets for kids. If you would like to know more about train sets for kids, please go over to our website for some great offers.

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