Looking On The Positive Side Of Historic Oklahoma Heat

Lacie Lowry, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- We've heard a lot of words used to describe this summer heat - brutal, oppressive, relentless - and a few we can't repeat.

But how about "beneficial?" It was difficult, but we found a few examples of the heat actually helping out.

Yard work in this heat may feel like a death sentence.

Ed DeChaine makes a living manicuring lawns, but he's enjoying not having to cut his own grass this summer.

"When you do this ten hours a day, that's not bad to go home and not have to mow. I don't complain much about that at all," DeChaine said.

With water usage problems and a sweltering heat that sucks up what sprinklers do spit out, DeChaine and many others are barely mowing this summer because the grass is barely growing.

"In my personal yard, I could stretch it out and say four, but three times is what I've mowed my yard," he said.

Noticed the lack of pesky mosquitoes this year? The overall mosquito population has dropped by about 80 percent.

"Normally, we would have probably sprayed easily at least 100 square miles, maybe 200 by now," said John Baker of the Tulsa County Health Department.

So far, crews have sprayed less than five square miles.

Last year, the health lab had tested 6,000 mosquitoes for West Nile Virus by this time. Right now, it's only tested 2,700. This week, a batch tested positive for the virus for the first time this year.

"This is going to probably go down as one of the lowest mosquito citizen requests for spraying that we've ever had," Baker said.

Some viewers say by staying out of the heat, they're saving a lot on gas money. One person also noted that fewer bugs are plastered on windshields, so drivers are hardly using the glass wiper at gas stations.

We also got several other comments on our Facebook page.

One woman says she's spent so much time in the pool this summer, both her kids have now learned how to swim.