FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- There's an old joke that mosquitoes are like family: They are annoying, but they carry your blood. Mosquito season is starting to rev up across much of the United States.

For you, our dear LAist readers, I will go that extra mile. And that includes plonking myself down next to the Los Angeles River for a few days, in a backyard known for being Coachella for mosquitoes, ...