Mosquitoes in the desert?

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacy Fowler
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  There are mosquitoes, along with spiders, snakes, wild dogs and a variety of other animals and plants, at Kirkuk and other deployed locations that can cause Airmen problems. 

But there are two units here fighting against these lesser-known enemies to the Air Force mission: the 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron pest management section and 506th Expeditionary Medical Group public health office. 

“Pest control is important in a deployed environment, because we are here to protect the health and morale of deployed personnel,” said Staff Sgt. James Alfaro, 506th ECES pest control NCO in charge. “There are many different types of insects, mammals, reptiles and arachnids here that we don’t usually associate with back at home station.” 

There are numerous species of reptiles here, with snakes being of most concern, Sergeant Alfaro said. There are many venomous snakes in the region, and a snake bite could cause severe health problems. 

“It's interesting to note that most snake bites are seen on the hand,” said Maj. Armando Rosales, public health officer. “Those bitten are usually male and young. That's telling us that most envenomizations occur while young Airmen are attempting to pick up or handle snakes. Remember, snakes that are or aren't venomous in (the states) may look a lot different than those we see here.” 

There are also three common arachnids: scorpions, camel spiders and black widows.

“It’s better just to stay away from them,” Sergeant Alfaro said. “Their bites could cause a lot of pain and swelling.” 

In addition to snakes and spiders, there are several kinds of biting insects. Two of the most common are mosquitoes and sandflies. 

“Biting insects don't necessarily need to spread disease to interfere with operations,” said Major Rosales. “Annoyance doesn't sound serious, but I worry about the cops in the towers or on the perimeter at night. There are some sections of Kirkuk with pretty heavy mosquito populations. I want (security forces) focused on the bad guys, not swatting at a swarm of mosquitoes.

“Public health can tell you what and how many animals may threaten the troops,” he said, “but the pest management troops are the pros at eradicating those threats. These guys are a whole heck of a lot more than simply the Orkin men. They're a giant part of assuring we can fully operate in areas that may have significant diseases.”