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National Public Radio this morning ran a story about Dallas’ mosquito problem — specifically, the proliferation of aedes sollicitan, a large, aggressive salt-water mosquito that shouldn’t be found ’round these here parts. WFAA-Channel 8 ran a piece about this bothersome breed a month ago, but NPR offers something new: a theory as to why these mosquitoes have landed in Dallas.
Seems some folks believe that the pest, which has a 100-mile range, are coming from the 25 acres of open salt-water ponds created by “the explosion of natural gas drilling in the Barnett Shale.” (Who knew?) Of course, notes reporter Wade Goodwyn, that’s just a theory; Dallas County’s chief bug-watcher, Scott Sawlis, can’t prove it — not yet, anyhow. Goodwyn also notes that the aedes sollicitan isn’t a disease-spreading insect. Oh, really? Not what it says here. –Robert Wilonsky
