During the rainy season (approximately May-November) and a little after, mosquitoes invade and take over Nicaragua (they are always around, but not in such large numbers). Aside from being incredibly annoying and irritating because of their bites, they are also a public health hazard and danger here. Dengue fever was at epidemic levels last year, with thousands sick and numerous deaths occurring. The government was trying hard to combat it through public education campaigns and through fumigating houses and the public areas. Fumigation is mandatory--you must open your door to the Ministry of Health if they come by knocking. They come in with packs on their backs blowing poison smoke throughout the house to kill the mosquitoes. Many of them do not wear protective gear, and many families go right back into the house after they spray. Supposedly it is safe to be in the house 15 mins after they spray. We always leave for several hours and when we come back, the smell is still very strong. It also gets on blankets, pillows etc. and gave us rashes before we realized we had to strip everything after they left. Its scary to think what the spray is killing and damaging in addition to mosquitoes. One day, we were sitting in the house when it started filling up with smoke. We heard the fumigation guys outside (the packs are motorized and very loud) and realized somehow they had blown the smoke in from the outside. When we went out, we saw that they were shoving their spray guns into the plumbing drainage pipes all along the street, pushing the smoke in from the outside. I guess you do what you've got to do... For the streets and public areas they have large trucks with smoke spray guns on the back, just driving around, blowing smoke, regardless if people are around or not. We managed to get a couple of pictures of the guys who come to the house.
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| He is bending down, sticking his blower in the plumbing drain. |
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| Poison smoke everywhere and no one very bothered by it. |
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