Mosquito Buzz
- Classic City News
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
By Paige Brimer
It was a warm autumn morning when two friends and I took a stroll along the Greenway off MLK, Jr Pkwy. We decided to stop and sit on some rocks by the riverside to enjoy a little company, coffee and creation.
It wasn't long, however, until a pesky side of creation had us unnerved and searching our bags for bug spray. Mosquitoes were swarming, and that's no exaggeration. They were everywhere!
After we got ourselves sprayed down, we began to speculate about why the mosquitoes on the Greenway were like something of a biblical plague. Then we noticed how low the river levels were and that there was significant puddling along the riverbank; a lot of stagnant water where the river, during drought conditions last October, had receded.
Ah ha! I thought. The source detected. And in part, I was right. The troubling part, however, is that the above is only an, obvious to any observer, part of the equation. Upon researching the matter, I found that flood events are also, and to a greater extent, a driving force behind mosquito populations. Additionally, experts at the CDC warn that climate change and urbanization are causing mosquito seasons to run longer and to be fiercer and more dangerous, resulting in the recent, ever-increasing globalization of mosquito-borne illnesses such as Malaria, Dengue, Zika and West Nile Virus; the latter currently posing the greatest threat to North America and Georgia, specifically.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, last year Georgia saw 78 cases of West Nile Virus. U.S. News and World Report noted 2025 data which showed, nationally, infections running 40% higher than the typical average. The National Institute of Health also conveyed that due to climate change and increased urbanization, they expect the trend to continue.
An aspect of global warming that is perpetuating the problem is the elevated heat and humidity of many environments, added to flash droughts followed by flash flooding. During drought conditions (or conceivably, overuse) when the river levels recede, mosquitoes lay their eggs in the moist, muddy places left behind, which can lay dormant for 3-5 years, according to some experts. When the area is finally doused, those larvae hatch. If saturated by a flood event, as is evident, the more acreage saturated, the worse the resulting mosquito outbreak.
Additionally, there are the widely publicized problems of stagnant waters left in containers around residences. The more they are emptied naturally by heat and drought, then refilled again by rain, the more sediment favorable to a mosquito breeding environment they build.
Then there are the less talked about, but more troubling to the homeless population, damp soil, tree holes and other ideal breeding and living conditions for mosquitoes in wooded areas, where many people make their home.
The homeless population are at elevated risk of experiencing the nuisance and/or harm that the boom in the mosquito population is posing, due to length of exposure and lack of resources to combat the problem. The elderly, especially the homeless ones, are at increased risk of illness or death due to mosquito-born illnesses.
The community can help by donating CDC approved bug sprays, citronella products and other proven remedies to the Athens Homeless Coalition or other organization benefitting the homeless in time for spring, summer, and fall (all now, peak seasons).
But the homeless are definitely not alone. Especially not in Athens, GA. Athenians love to walk, run and bike along our Greenway! And due to work schedules and weather, most find dawn and dusk hours preferable for such. So remember to spray yourselves down with a CDC approved bug spray. And since children are at increased risk, like the elderly, please, put infants in a mosquito protective environment if you include them in your outdoor travels and be sure to spray children down as directed according to age by the CDC.
Further information can be found on this topic through the following resources:
Paige Brimer is a disabled paralegal and aspiring writer who lives in Athens
Watch for her follow-up article Water Stress Bites
