Before you swat your next mosquito ..

During World War II, my father went through Marine basic training at the age of 38. That in itself is testimony to his patriotism, but that he did so at Paris Island, S.C., during the summer makes the feat all the more remarkable.

He was assigned to a training unit composed of other old guys, but the sergeant, perhaps rankled by the assignment, cut them no slack, driving them hard enough that one member of the unit died of heat stroke.

While standing in formation one morning, my father had the temerity to swat a mosquito. "Gordon," the sergeant barked, "did you have breakfast this morning?" My dad replied in the affirmative. "Then don't you think that #$% mosquito should be allowed to have its breakfast? You're at attention!" My father loved this story and told it every year about the time the first mosquito struck.

A week of sub-40 temperatures has me pining for weather that will bring a mixed blessing. When I'm tempted to complain about how hot it is, I think about having to shovel snow; and when it's too cold, I'm grateful that at least I don't have to tolerate the summer bites and that irritating sound of a mosquito flying past my ear.

I'm thinking about writing a book, "Looking at the Bright Side, 101." I'm also considering a volume titled "Every Silver Lining Has a Dark Cloud Around It." And then there's the West Nile virus.

The possibility of contracting this potentially deadly disease seems to diminish the usefulness of something I heard this weekend.

A friend of mine who went through natural survival training says she was told that swatting mosquitoes while they are biting isn't a good idea. According to her instructor, the mosquito injects anticoagulants under your skin so it can feed. If you allow the bug to suck out its fill, it will also suck out most of what it injected. But if you kill it while it's still dining, all that stuff is yours to keep.

There are some natural ways to ward of mosquitoes, including plentiful planting of mosquito repelling plants. Another friend who is a master gardener says the geranium, genetically engineered to incorporate citronella properties and sold as a "mosquito plant," will shoo the bugs away from a specific area but have a limited range.

So while I'm not mortally afraid of West Nile, I have gotten into the habit of dousing myself with DEET-laden repellent when I'm gardening or fishing.

Better safe than pushing up the geraniums.

The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at jamgordo@iun.edu.