Catch Me If You Can

The deadliest creature is being let loose.

The sunshine is drawing every creature out of the woodwork, myself included! How could I not admire the grassy fields ablaze with every shade in the spectrum? How could I not admire the beautiful birds and their pleasant chirping? The warmth of the sun is incomparable to any heater or blanket. But just as I am sauntering in the sun, so are my archnemeses: mosquitoes.

As mosquito season is upon us, I recalled a conversation I once had with some housemates. She declared that mosquitos serve no purpose in the ecosystem. These horrid, irksome creatures can be inconsequentially wiped out.

I was intrigued. Surely they must serve some purpose to humanity at large. After all, the same was said about bees who turned out to indispensable pollinators. So I ventured to learn a little bit more about these vexing, flying creatures, and came to an interesting realization.

Not to play devil's advocate, but mosquitoes mostly feed on plant sugars as a source of food. As much as we like to perceive them as bloodsucking leeches, they really only borrow blood for reproduction. Besides, they contribute to plant pollination in a world of increasing pollinator scarcity, so their proliferation is vital. They're even victims of predation from birds, larger insects, bats, and even unsuspecting TURTLES!

That being said, even the wolf has to hunt the rabbit to keep the forest in balance. In the same way, mosquitoes are also serving their purpose to regulate species on Earth. Their prey happens to be us. Not as ferocious as lions, but mosquitoes cause nearly one million deaths per year. Their fatalities exceed two-folds the bloodshed caused by humans. We are the second deadliest mammal to ourselves, yet the smallest creature reminds us of our helplessness.

As much we like to wear the crowned jewels and roam the Earth with sovereignty, we will never have the Omnipotent power of Al-Malik, the Supreme Lord. We place our nukes and knives on a pedestal reigning power over all creation, but Allah doesn't need our weapons of mass destruction, a puny, wayward creature is enough to humble us.

"And if a fly were to snatch anything away from them, they cannot ˹even˺ retrieve it from the fly. How powerless are those who invoke and those invoked!" (Quran, 22:73)

So as I saunter in the sun, I want to pay close attention to Allah's beautiful creations as illustrations of His Greatness. But I will also take precautions to enjoy the summer without surrendering myself to the mosquitoes. Here are my little tips:

Water is where they breed, so stay clear of standing water, especially in the evenings. Wearing full sleeves is a surefire way to deter their bite. Those spiral incense coils create a mosquito repellent stench, so be sure to use them for outdoor gatherings. And finally, oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin can be used as a mosquito repellent.

I hope you all are enjoying the nice weather and I'd love to know, what's your favourite summer activity?