Do You Remember... The Mosquito Truck
October 12th, 2009 by Rodney Lee
Photo courtesy of Ocean Lover
MLC poster Ocean Lover sent me this picture that brought back some old memories of small kid time.
Do you recognize it? We referred to it as "the mosquito truck".
Growing up in Coconut Grove in Kailua - 2 houses away from the Kawainui marsh - we had a mosquito problem. Flies were a big problem too with the Kapaa dump, but that's for another blog entry. Mosquitos were abundant where we lived. Maybe that's why my mom always had us play in long pants.
But every so often, around 7 or 8 o'clock, we'd hear that familiar "pfft, pfft, pfft" sound out in our neighborhood. Then we'd look outside and see the flashing orange light up the street. Immediately we'd yell out "MOSQUITO MAN!". Everyone would sprint into action and close up all the windows in the house. We'd stand by the windows and watch as the mosquito man drove pass our house. Some of the other neighborhood kids would be running behind the truck or riding their bicycles behind it playing in the smoke. We'd ask to go outside too, but thankfully my parents refused to let us outside.
You see, within that smoke spewing out of the back of the truck was DDT.
DDT use was banned in 1972 in the U.S. as it was suggested that DDT causes cancer.
I wonder whatever happened to those kids who used to run after the "mosquito truck"...
I remember when a mosquito would sneak into our house - and into my bedroom. Just as I was about to fall asleep, I'd hear that irritating buzz of the mosquito. Logically, since I could hear the mosquito, I assumed it was next to my ear - so I'd wait patiently for it to land and when the buzzing stopped, I slapped that whole side of my head hoping to have hit that pesky mosquito. Then after a few minutes, I'd hear that buzzing again and repeat the whole routine.
After about 4 times, I'd finally give up and go to the kitchen cabinet, get out the trusty "Hadabug" bug spray and spray my room while closing the door behind me. It must've worked because I never heard a mosquito again after I "Hadabug" my room. (I wonder who thought up of that name - Hadabug).
And if we ever left the front door open too long, we'd hear "Eh! You letting the mosquitos in!"
Speaking of mosquitos - did you know there is a ringtone called mosquito? It's a high pitched sound around the 17KHz. See, most MLCers can't hear sounds at that range, but kids can. So kids use that ringtone so they can hear their phone ring in class, but the teachers can't. Well, most teachers. Some teachers who can will hear it and immediately tell the students to turn off their cell phones. The students are always shocked when that happens.
In fact, as a deterrent from having teenagers hang out in front of a store, the store owner will blast the mosquito sound outside of his shop on speakers. Don't believe me? See The Mosquito™
Here, take this test and see when you can hear the high pitch sound:
I hear it at 12 KHz. How about you?
Special thanks to Ocean Lover for getting me the picture of the Mosquito Truck aka mosquito man.
Did you have a Mosquito truck driving around your neighborhood when you were small? Remember seeing the red truck with the yellow flashing light and the "pfft, pfft, pfft" sounds it made as it passed by your house? And how do you deal with a pesky mosquito in your bedroom?
Tags: 12 KHz, 17 KHz, banned, bug spray, cancer causing, cell phone ringtone, Coconut Grove, DDT, Department of Heath, hadabug, kailua, Kapaa dump, Kawainui Marsh, midlife crisis blog, mosquito, Mosquito man, mosquito ringtone, Mosquito Truck, Ocean Lover, ringtone, Rodney Lee, The Mosquito™
October 12th, 2009 at 3:29 am
I can hear the mosquito tone. I think my hearing is bad though because of all the Led Zepplin, Jethro Tull music I listened to as a teen at 120 decibels!
October 12th, 2009 at 5:26 am
Good Morning!
I could hear it at 14.1, I wonder if you blast the speakers at higher levels the dogs in the neighborhood would start barking?
Rod, this is the first I've ever heard of a mosquito truck. Sounds kind of spooky to me. And you Hadabugged your room... with the door shut?
October 12th, 2009 at 5:43 am
Never heard of the mosquito truck, but I will ask my parents if they heard of one. But we didn't live near a place with plenty mosquitos either. Oh, Waipahu had plenty. I remember trying to watch a movie at Royal Sunset Drive In. Had to light one of those mosquito punks.
I can't believe those kids actually r an after the truck!!
I heard about the mosquito sound and asked my students. They played it for me and I couldnt hear it. They kept telling me.. can't you heard it? LOL!! Well, tried the sound. Can hear it at 12.
@Sally- as I was doing this (twice), I looked at my dog. No response. Maybe he wasn't paying attention? He makule but still get good hearing.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Rodney:
I'm one of those fools who ran after the mosquito trucks and was covered by the DDT. Probably explains why I am the way I am today.....
I have several boxes of that green coil mosquito repellent that you burn.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:54 am
I hear it at 8Khz....but then again, my PC speakers doesn't have such a dynamic range or suitable. It may not be able to reproduce frequencies above 8khz. I'll take it at home tonight.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:00 am
10 Khz. Hearing not so good especially on left. Most of the time I don't hear it but there is a constant high pitch sound. It started from Army days and high volume rock concerts probably made it worse. I think the loudest was at a Los Lobos concert when I was standing next to the speakers...it got painful and had to go back of the room.
I remember the mosquito truck and don't recall running along in the smoke. Don't recall the smell either...it must have had a distinct odor. I wonder if the truck drivers or handlers develop any illness from the exposure. I know that the defoilant/herbicide Agent Orange cause many deaths and birth defects during the Viet Nam war. We were exposed to many toxins back in the day. Who knows what effects it had on us and subsequent generations. You see so many cases of autism lately and wonder if it is because of exposure to toxins and pollution.
I'm a mosquito magnet. I can walk into the house and the mosquito will go straight to me and no one else...it's the B-O my wife claims. Mosquitos have an uncanny way of sneak attacking you, like behind the legs, arms or neck. But once they fill up with blood they become vulnerable and easy to clap. Bloody mess but satisfying that you got 'em.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:02 am
I don't remember mosquito trucks from childhood days, but we didn't have a big mosquito problem in our area either. We still have mosquito trucks here (Chicago) when needed. They spray permethrin now, which is supposed to be pretty safe except to fish (people do have outdoor fishponds here although it was kind of a surprise to me at first) and cats. I'm not 100% convinced and I still wouldn't stand out there or let my dogs out while the spraying is being done. They do make an effort to let people know the dates/times when spraying is needed via the city website and TV and radio news. Fortunately those trucks are LOUD so you have ample warning to get inside if you missed the news updates, which we always seem to miss.
I couldn't hear the mosquito sound until 12 KHz either. @sally and @volleymom2, I didn't even think to see how the dogs or cats would react. I will have to try when I get home tonight.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:16 am
since we lived in Kailua in the old days, remember the mosquito truck and also every military base where we lived until about 1960 or so.. every night the mosquito truck would pass by and the cloud would envelope the whole neighborhood like a ghost..
spooky in retrospect that it was DDT, yeah?
i remember in Pensacola, FL, at around 4 y.o. they found me two neighborhoods over because i was walking behind the truck..
maybe dat splains why mosquitoes like stay away from me..
please try splash on some dis fragrance young man.. eau da ddt..
October 12th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Rod,
Just to show how "blood sucking" the females are j/k,lol, it's the female mosquito that sucks blood for her eggs, the male mosquito is vegitarian. A lot of my friends that used to run and ride their bikes behind the truck, are losing their hair, wonder if the DDT had anything to do with that or is it just the "T" thing.
I could hear the sound at 17.7 I think that what the test had, I have a hard time hearing low sounds, remember, that's why I had chiuaua's their high pitch I could hear.
@ Uncle Jimmy, didn't the movie the "Fog" kinda remind you of the Mosquito truck?
@MLCr's - Had brunch at Sam Choys BLC and the buffet is quite good for $19.95, the squid luau was good, if you have a chance check it out.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Hey Rodney.......thanks for posting the pic, sure had "schmall kine" problems getting it.
Yes, the MOSQUITO TRUCK....exactly as you described it "pfft.....pfft....pfft" and we used to look out the kitchen window and see it coming down the street. Like looking at DEATH bearing down on the neighborhood.
My dad would yell out "MOSQUITO TRUCK!" and we'd all have to close the windows. Just as soon as we closed the windows we'd hear it RIGHT OUTSIDE THE HOUSE and a few seconds later we'd SMELL IT......the "DDT".
"Memories"...............
OL
October 12th, 2009 at 8:11 am
We had the mosquito trucks in Aina Haina. I remember them coming down the street at night, spewing smoke. I didn't know it was DDT!
I couldn't hear the mosquito tone until 12 khz. My daughter said one day her teacher busted someone in class for not turning off his phone. The kids were shocked. He asked, "You could hear that??" The teacher said, "I'm only 25."
October 12th, 2009 at 8:13 am
I do not remember the mosquito truck.
My Dad used to tell us stories of him running behind the truck on the mainland growing up. Today he has all kines of health problems...hmmm.
I heard the sound at 10. Don't know for sure if its the speakers or my ears. I will try again at home tonight.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:16 am
Just took the mosquito sound test. FINALLY HEARD IT at 8 khz.
Guess I'm deaf..................like my wife says.
OL
October 12th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Hey...I'm not the only 8 hertzer
October 12th, 2009 at 8:26 am
The cat is sitting nearby, and didn't do a thing when the high pitched sounds came on on Toshiba Satellite laptop. Volume is turned up high and I'm just using the laptop speakers with some ambient noise from the neighborhood, like the birds, and cars.
I did notice, though that the volume at 12 KHz was increased, compared to the earlier ones. I can hear it at 16.7 KHz on right, and 19.8 KHz on left.
8 year-old boy claims to be able to hear 21.1 KHz on right and left side, and thought it was kind of fun. Actually called out to me from another room, "What is that you're doing?" when I initially played it.
No mosquito trucks in Liliha that I remember. We used those King brand mosquito coils that anklebiters mentioned. I had to be careful to take the 2 apart, since they were intermeshed together to pack and I sometimes broke them.
I have since found a lavendar/tea tree oil that I bought to put on the itchy bumps that would come up during the night (small spiders? silverfish? ants?) when asleep. I had something itchy on my leg, and applied it when I was out in Kaneohe wilderness, and found that mosquitoes avoided me afterwards.
Someone told me that people who eat sugary foods, or processed foods (away from the more wholesome natural whole food, closest to its original state) are more likely to be targets from whatever odorous chemicals that are emitted by us post eating that kind of diet.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:38 am
You know, I always wondered why the mosquito truck disappeared. DDT? Ok, I didn't know that, but that's why alright.
Used to be common in Hilo, up and down the streets in Waiakea. Yup.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:15 am
What kind of a guy that would pick that job?....yes....we have mosquitoe truck humming then you rush close the house...but in my sitting area outside I use a lace curtain so the mosquitoe wont come in......pesky mosquito......all those fancy houses in the neighborhood has this lake front junk full of breeding mosquitoes then they wonder why we are full of mosquitoes!
October 12th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Another name we used to call the Mosquito truck was "DDT Man".
"Did you see all the kids chasing the DDT Man?"
October 12th, 2009 at 9:16 am
look at that guy in the truck no MASK ..i BET HE LIVES TO BE HUNDRED YEARS OLD SUCKINg ALL THE DDT!
October 12th, 2009 at 9:19 am
yes I laugh my friend her house is closer to those man made lake thingy ..then she calls me complaining the mosquitoes are biting her...lol..so I said not bad here yet becasue by the time the mosquitoes get to me it mosquitoes is fat can't fly...the mosquitoes eat them first closer to the home made lake front junk!!
October 12th, 2009 at 9:21 am
my father in law he sucks up all sort of stuff still ives long..and I BE SICK LIKE A DOG!
October 12th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I vaguely remember the truck. It think it used to come at about dusk. My dad used to get us in the house. Really horrible when a pesky mosquito is buzzing you when you're trying to sleep on a hot, humid night.
Heard it at 12 khz.
October 12th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I didn't know what a "mosquito truck" was until we moved to Kaneohe in the sixties. I thought it was something odd but got used to it. The mosquito truck came around regularly for a time and then just disappeared.
Heard it at 10khz. My cat was sleeping on the chair and wasn't bothered at all by it.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Yep, I remember the "mosquito truck" Quick close da window. An yes, had kids following da truck. I no remember if I did that or not. Maybe did, that's why I don't remember
October 12th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Sorry, no can take the test. U2B blocked
October 12th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I NKHEA anything
you folk's jokin me oh wat 
Don't think we had "mosquito truck" where we used to live before, but remember parents talking about it.
NKHEA..... no mo mosquito's at his house..... he no can hea'um anyway
October 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
yep, I was one of the bozos chasing the truck too. They still spray in Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan.
October 12th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I heard 8K but not the others. I am tone deaf from working too much with high freq stuff.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
so what happened to the mosquitoes..if they don't spray anymore ? No more mosquitoes? I remember when I was little we use those mosquito net..you hang that at night.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
so if you apply as teacher they test your hearing...omg funny..CAN YOU HEAR THAT ..if not ..NO JOB FOR YOU!..omg!
October 12th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
what is the purpose of mosquitoes? You think if a mosquitoes can carry diseases they could put a mosqyuitoes that carry good medicine....OKAY BITE ME BITE ME MOSQUTIOES....
October 12th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
yes just think you wont need needles..just mosquitoes....funny..
October 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Don't forget the Iron Butterfly!
Yeah, I figured the
towniesHonolulu people might not know what the Mosquito truck was so I'm glad that Ocean Lover could provide a picture for us. Without a picture, it would be hard to explain to atownieHonolulu person.A co-worker grew up in Waipahu and she remembers the Mosquito truck.
Last night when I was proof reading my entry, I played the sounds and out dogs didn't react to it either.
Yikes, anklebiters. I wonder what percent of the smoke was DDT? They must've used some oil based mix to create all that smoke - maybe kerosene?
Let us know at what level you can hear it.
One of my friends say that when you drink beer, the mosquitos won't bite you. Or that was just his excuse. LOL
Wow, they still spray for mosquitos over in Chicago? Kathi, try to get a picture of the truck. I'm curious what they would look like nowadays.
Two neighborhoods over?! At 4 years old!?! Yeah, the trucks cruised at about 5-10 mph. Enough to keep up with for about 2 blocks.
Wow - we were just thinking about going there this coming weekend. I'm sold.
Thanks for taking the picture for me, OL. Especially for all the trouble you went through to get the picture to me. Mahalo!
Too funny! "I'm only 25".
I'm surprised! I figure with lake Wilson and all the cane fields and such, there would be a Mosquito truck in Wahiawa. Maybe to elevation was too high?
Tell the wife "Stop speaking at over 8 khz!". LOL
Wow, your hearing is very good for an MLCer. Sometimes when we're at Zippy's, I'll take out my phone and play the mosquito ringtone - just to see who responds. It's always my 5 year old and 14 year old nieces who ask "Are you playing that sound again>".
I suppose Hilo would be the ideal place for the mosquito truck - with all the rain and standing water.
As long as the truck kept moving forward, I guess the driver was okay. LOL
At 12 khz too, eh?
I suppose the mosquito truck came only after a heavy rain or at the end of the rainy season. Once the ban of DDT came out, they must've not had any use for the trucks anymore. Plus the trucks must've been toxic.
Nah, you pretty smart guy. You must've stayed in the house.
LOL - The man lives up to his (screen) name.
Shhh! I smell a permanent disability worker's comp case in the making.
October 12th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Don't recall the mosquito truck (must be a townie thing).
I do remember in the late 70's Mauna kea Beach Hotel used to have that great brunch out on the open lanai. Periodically, they would spray something cloudy around the grounds to keep the bugs away.
I had to crank the volume up on my laptop and finally heard it at 8khz.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Rodney- got together with mom and dad for lunch today and asked about the mosquito truck in Aliamanu where I grew up.. Dad said came once or twice, hardly. Thats why I dont remember. Then I asked my husband who is from Waipahu, he replied "of course we had the mosquito truck". Hmmm... now I wonder if he was one who ran after the truck, lol. Gotta ask him later. My new vocab word for the day "mosquito truck".
October 12th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I remember the mosquito truck. Being from Hilo, had choke mosquitos. Always had mosquito punk burning at Bachans house cause no mo screen doors.
And I would do the exact same routine with the mosquito in the bedroom. Except I would yell for Mom and she would spray the Hadabug.
October 13th, 2009 at 2:48 am
Not only in Chicago, but in quite a lot of places across the upper Midwest; basically anywhere that mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile or equine encephalitis are/were an issue. It's too late in the year for an actual mosquito truck sighting so no photo ops, but I'll see if I can find a generic pic online. The ones I've seen are full size pickups (Chevy Silverado 3500 or Ford F350 size) with a sprayer unit mounted in the bed.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I've never seen a DDT truck since I left North Carolina in the late 60's. I didn't know they were still being used. I don't remember what it smelled like.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Good morning Rodney and MLC'ers!
Had no mesquito trucks where I grew up.
Back to work, so tired and sunburned.
October 13th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I was one of those kids who ran in the fog behind the mosquito man. You could hear them coming a couple of blocks away. He used to come by in the evening during the summer when we were still outside playing. A lot of kids in my neighborhood would wait in the bushes until he passed and then jumped out into the fog and ran in it for awhile. I kinda liked the smell of it. No wonder I am the way I am now,LOL!
October 13th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Vaguely remember mosquito truck. But lived in so many places, so I don't remember where I saw the truck.
@RBB: I, too, have heard about the female mosquito being the one that bites. I've also heard that it's the male mosquito that buzzes around. Not confirmed, but if true; don't waste time going after noisy mosquitos, it's the silent ones that get your blood.
Off-topic: @uncle jimmy: In earlier topic (Language Schools), I responded (#55) to your entry. If you see this and if it's OK with you, I'd appreciate a response. Thanks.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:25 am
I don't recall the mosquito trucks but I remember bug sprays that was a pump not an aerosol can.
October 13th, 2009 at 11:53 am
@M - I remember those bug spayers. With the long tube and the round cylinder under the front end and the pump handle coming out the back. We used to "play" with that.
And what do you think was probably put into those things: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DDT.jpg
October 13th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Wait a second this guy here was awarded the nobel prize...so did they take the nobel prize back after they realize his DDT is not worth getting nobel prize.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT
"The Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1948 "for his discovery of the high efficiency of DDT as a contact poison against several"
October 13th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
14.9 for me. Sweetie asked me what the heck I was playing (he has good ears) and said it (1) was a painful sound and (2) sounded like it was coming from the other side of the room.
October 13th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Malaria has been with us long enough to have changed our genes....
Thalassemias (thal-a-SE-me-ahs) are inherited blood disorders. "Inherited" means they're passed on from parents to children through genes.
Thalassemias cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin) than normal. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. It also carries carbon dioxide (a waste gas) from the body to the lungs, where it's exhaled.
is because the gene that causes it also confers some immunity to malaria...
so if you have blood problem Thalassemias you have some immunity to malaria...HOORRAY I GOT Thalassemias ...so go ahead mosquito bite me..funny
October 13th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
so they don't need to srpay me I got immunity to mosquitoes!
October 13th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
my kids have immunity too.....
October 13th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
@KAN - 14.9! You probably appreciate Mariah Carey more than me - since you can hear more of her singing than I can. LOL
October 13th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I remember da mosquito truck but refered it as da "mosquito wagon" and afta dat we use to call any car that was smoking plenty as "eh look,da bugga one mosquito wagon"..............
October 14th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
i don't remember the mosquito truck (no, not because i was running behind it! hee hee... )... though i'd seen them on tv! maybe we had them on the mainland? if they came around, it wasn't every often. maybe if they sold ice cream, i would have remembered!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I remember the trucks, we used to run or ride our bikes through the fog. I am certain that doing that contributed to my many autoimmune problems. Hell, it was fun back then and yup, my mom was in the house closing up the jalousies.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Hi Deborah Marr - Welcome to the Midlife Crisis blog and thanks for posting! As for being behind the mosquito trucks --- "if we only knew then what we know now".
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Heard it at 16.7 and I'm 53.