Farmers and gardeners hate dry weather. It forces them to spend more on watering than usual. But as it turns out, there's something else that hates dry weather, and you might not have much sympathy when you find out what it is.
You can tell the South Georgia weather story for the last few weeks in only a few words.
Donnell Mathis is the director of the mosquito spraying program for Dougherty County Public Works. He knows how to put it. He says that: "it is pretty dry."
All of South Georgia is in moderate to severe drought, and with good reason. At the Albany Airport, the yearly total of 10.10" is less than half of the normal total. But as hard as it is to believe, there is a good side to the dry weather.
"We're seeing very little standing water," he said.
And that's bad for mosquitoes. After all, these pests require standing water to breed. Virtually any water in any amount will do, but what if there isn't any?
Dougherty County Public Works has noticed how dry it is too. Usually they get calls from concerned citizens about standing water, but according to Donnell Mathis this year: "the calls are down."
But just because it's dry, doesn't mean these trucks aren't still moving.
"We're treating the catch basins right now, we're doing landing count rates..that's where you stand out and see how many land on you in a minute. Also we're getting to put out our live traps," he said.
And it isn't dry everywhere. Only a few blocks from that dry retention pond, there is some standing water in this ditch. Public Works is trying to get ahead of the game while they can, because there's one thing for certain - it will eventually rain.
"One good rain can change the game," he said.
The best mosquito prevention is a team effort between Mosquito Control and homeowners. While it's dry is a good time to get ready for the peak of the mosquito season.
Mathis said, "if they would do an inspection around the home and take any container that may hold water and turn it upside down so that it do not hold water. When the time comes we won't have the number of mosquitoes in the area."
It doesn't sound like a fun job, but it can keep you from getting bitten this summer.
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This retention pond on Albany's south side is dry. It has a lot of company around South Georgia.
Part of Dougherty County's fleet of Mosquito spraying trucks. The trucks run for most of the year.
This nozzle is often the last sight that mosquitoes see.
Insecticide spray keeps the number of mosquitoes down but is dangerous. This sign tells people to keep back from the trucks while they're at work.
This pipe funnels water out of one South Albany neighborhood into a retention pond. But the pipe is dry with the dry conditions. Albany is more than 10" below the normal for rainfall.
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