Matthew creates new buffet for Beaufort County mosquitoes - us

If you’ve put your car into reverse recently and checked your backup camera only to have it clouded by large swarms of mosquitoes, you’ve realized we have a problem here.

The mosquitoes are so large that their every anatomical detail shows up on the car’s screen. You can tell which ones have osteoporosis and which ones need a good blood-letting.

If they manage to get inside of your car, it’s almost easier to roll down the window and gently guide them out, much like relatives after a Thanksgiving meal. There are simply not enough haz-mat suits available to deal with the consequences of killing one near the windshield.

According to DHEC, there are over 57 species of mosquito in Beaufort County and 61 in South Carolina, none of them good.

“This is probably how the end starts,” you’re thinking to yourself. The mosquitoes gradually evolve into nuisances the size of birds, with whom they can then interact. This will start a new morphing of the Zika virus that mixes with the Avian flu, and there you have the end of civilization. The Cubs won the World Series, so the signs are already there.

But why the mosquito? As a plague, it’s relatively benign. It’s not like walking outside and having locusts hailing from the sky or frogs clogging every stream. But considering we’re already blessed in Beaufort with enough chiggers, midges, ticks and horseflies to choke entire stables of mules, it makes you wonder why the mosquitoes have increased in size and number.

The hurricane, quite obviously, created pools of standing water in which mosquitoes gather and breed. But that’s not unprecedented. From a historical perspective, Beaufort County ranks among the highest in the state for testing of mosquitoes for various viruses because there’s so dang many here.

Back when Cat Island was briefly a nudist colony (long before current development), Beaufort County Sheriff’s Deputies were sent – via boat and on the governor’s orders – to investigate the inhabitants. It seems several locals did not want the clothes-free guests in this area. The mosquitoes, however, rolled out the welcome mats. More skin equaled more places to bite, and those bites – not the attention of law enforcement – were what drove the would-be colonists off the island.

Mister Rogers used his television show to repeatedly tell children that when times were scary they could always “look for the helpers.” In Beaufort’s case, we’ve been searching the skies for the arrival of the Mosquito Control helicopters and planes. Their aerial spray is better than rain during a drought or manna during famine, and it’s finally here. In fact, Mosquito Control could not be reached for comment for this piece because it was always out spraying. In that case, “no comment” is certainly welcome.

People here who remember the aftermath of Hurricane Gracie in 1959 talk about the loss of electricity and having to repair roofs. Hardly anyone mentions killer insects. Hopefully in a couple of months, we won’t either.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Matthew creates new buffet for Beaufort County mosquitoes - us."