It’s that time of year again when Tidewater residents must choose between enjoying the great weather and becoming unwilling blood donors to the cause of the nearly 30 species of mosquito that call Virginia home. For many, the choice is a simple one — and air-conditioned comfort in front of a phosphor or LCD display increasingly takes the place of everything from interactions with neighbors to spending time in the backyard with the kids.

Mosquitoes have menaced Virginians since even before the days when malaria decimated the ranks of unsuspecting and unenlightened English settlers. They were ruining picnics in Tidewater 400 years ago, when Powhatan still ruled strong, and they’ll probably still be buzzing around 400 years from now, assuming anybody can drag themselves away from their keyboard and monitors long enough to step outside and see.

Fortunately, malaria is no longer an issue of much concern, but mosquitoes still present a threat to pets — they can pass along heartworms to dogs and cats — and their presence in large numbers can be enough to drive the most sensitive among us to distraction.

Still, though, since the first time that one of those Europeans smacked his arm only to see his own blood left along with a smashed bug, scientists have learned much that is useful in helping to even the odds against the blood-sucking pests.

Pets can — and should — be protected year-round with anti-heartworm medication. There also are strong, largely effective repellents to help protect people on the market. None leave their users smelling clean and fresh, but they do help reduce the blood loss.

Perhaps most important is what scientists have learned about what the average person can do to reduce mosquito populations. The easiest and most effective thing one can do, it turns out, is to reduce sources of standing water. While one might not be able to get away with draining the swamp next door, he’s encouraged to drain that tarp that caught the weekend rain. And to tip over the buckets and cans and flowerpots that can serve as incubators for thousands of little pests.

It’s not often that each of us can contribute so simply and directly to improving the area’s quality of life. All it takes is a five-minute walk around the house. That’s an investment worth making.