buzzing clouds
incessantly seeking blood
summer in the north
Late spring and early summer in my part of the world means a verdant world, and the production of biomass in both the plant and animal world, and this includes mosquitoes. These insects are a dominant force whether in a backyard or local forest. And while I try to appreciate all of our biodiversity, mosquitoes are rather annoying. The blood-seeking* females hunt out humans with great ferocity, being all bitey-bitey and buzzy-buzzy; and while insect repellant can work effectively it’s not always pleasant having to cover yourself in order to do a bit of gardening or have a cocktail in the backyard. Mosquitoes do, of course, play important roles in ecosystems (and in many parts of the world, transmit disease): they are themselves food for various other critters (e.g., bats!), and they do pollinate some plants. Like ’em or hate ’em, these buzzing critters are certain part of the season!
* the blood meal they seek is for the female mosquitoes to develop their eggs.
© Christopher M Buddle 2023
Nature's Reverie 