Reading · The Healthy American, Peggy Hall

Friends, this is a light-hearted look, with me poking fun at the headlines, which are fear-mongering about increased humidity and mosquitos in California, of all places!

Friends, I shared these headlines with my husband because we are getting emails and texts from our friends and family in Southern California telling us how humid it is been.

And remember this video that I did for you several weeks ago? Hubby and I did a Florida California scoreboard and we were specifically talking about the weather, and the mosquitos!

So, what exactly is humidity?

Well, that’s basically when air holds a lot of water vapor. But, have you noticed that these days people are not really talking about humidity as much as they’re talking about the dew point? It’s kind of a weird explanation, but the due point “is the exact temperature that air has to cool in order for its water vapor to condense into liquid water.”

Kind of strange, but basically the higher the due point, the more humid it will feel. Now, right now, as I’m recording, it’s 87° in beautiful, sunny South Florida. We did have a little rain today, which is normal for the summer, which I love. And it is 71° I’m I’m sorry 71% humidity but 77% due point which means for some people not yours truly because I am used to it for some people they would feel that that is uncomfortable or for some people unbearable.

So that is kind of sticky air. It muggy is another word that people use, but I have adapted to the weather in South Florida, so it really doesn’t trouble me. I mean, I am out sometimes with a sweatshirt and jeans on in the middle of the day, in the middle of the summer. Doesn’t bother me at all.

But thunderstorms happen here in South Florida, and apparently now they’re happening in California as well. So, you know, in California, we’re just used to earthquakes, not really the monsoons.

We’re told that tropical Storm Elida has been bringing in the moisture and humidity.

By the way, I don’t like that storms are named after people. It hasn’t always been that way. I think storms should be numbered by the year. For example, 2026-1, 2026 -2, or even 2026-A, 2026-B, and so on. No one with the name Katrina, Andrew, Helene, etc should suffer with having that association with such destruction. Who’s with me?

Again, I see this naming of storms after people some sort of sicko joke to mess with people. Can you imagine if “Nana” wipes out entire cities? Whatcha’ gonna call your grandma now?? And I personally take issue with “Teddy” as that is the name of one of my angel pets.

Please, leave my Teddy out of the hurricane lineup.

And apparently now mosquitoes are a problem in California. We are hearing that there has been an increase in mosquitoes over the last couple of decades.

Again, growing up, I never recall getting bit by a mosquito. There were very few bugs in general, and that was something that people always enjoyed about California, the outdoor entertaining. Don’t have to worry about putting on bug spray. I don’t put it on anyway.

But now we are heard that basically, you know, the mosquitoes in California want to have the Florida lifestyle. And you’ve heard of those ankle biters. Apparently that’s what’s going on in California. And apparently, you know, you’ve heard of flu mongering.

Well, now there’s mosquito mongering. That’s what I call it.

I did do a video previously about mosquitoes carrying these diseases and it’s it just gets into a whole circular debate because the explanation goes something like this: “A mosquito that has the disease infects another mosquito. Well, how did the mosquito get in the first place?” 🤦‍♀️😂 Yeah, viruses. However, there are apparently a lot more mosquitoes in California than I ever recall.

And West Nile virus is what is being pushed in California. So, there have not been really any outbreaks that I can tell in California. In fact, when I looked into this California mosquito invasion because I saw this headline, I showed it to my husband. And he’s like, “Oh, that’s just more mosquito mongering!”

But apparently California always has had mosquitoes. There are a native kind of mosquito that we’re told have transmitted the West Nile virus back in 2003. Of course, I’m always skeptical about those doom and gloom reports.

The “Aedes” are those ankle biters that actually attack people during the day. And that’s why it drives you crazy. At least in Florida, you know to really not go out walking at dusk because that’s where the, the few mosquitoes that are around here really could come out.

The Aedes only really took root around 2011. Why is that? I would like to know. I have not been able to find out.

And then of course we’re told that these mosquitoes are carrying these viruses. So again, I never really noticed it too much in California. I’d like to hear from my Californians if you feel the humidity. Are you feeling the increase in mosquitoes and mosquito bites?

I wouldn’t worry about the West Nile virus. Certainly not recently. As of today, I could only find two human cases. You know, “cases”🤣

That’s those are the same symptoms for about a million or I think maybe a million and one other diseases. So it’s nothing that you really need to be worried about. And as you know I am always trying to stay away from the doom and gloom, get you out of the spin cycle, back to the non- spinning earth and living without fear.

So I would ignore those headlines. I thought it was just a little funny kind of light-hearted video for today.

Let me know what is going on where you are. What was the humidity today for you? Whether you’re in California, Florida, or elsewhere, have you noticed the due point? Is that something that you track?

Hope you enjoyed this video as much as I did putting it together for you. ~ Peggy