Combat Zika With Cafe Cubano

Although the Florida Department of Health did issue a bit of good news with the clearing of a ten-block area of northwest Wynwood from the Zika "active transmission zone," people are still freaked out about the outbreak.

Yesterday in Wynwood, usually a hotbed of model shoots and pedestrian activity, the streets were nearly devoid of life. 

With the threat of Zika still looming over much of Wynwood and midtown, restaurants are closing their outdoor areas and canceling events. As of yesterday, the Wynwood Yard remained closed, and Lagunitas has canceled its Beer Circus, scheduled for August 27 at the RC Cola Plant.

The most recent casualty is the announcement that Wynwood Brewing Company has decided to postpone its third-anniversary block party. The bash, originally set for August 20, has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 10. Wynwood Brewing cofounder Luis G. Brignoni says he apologizes for any inconvenience, but "the reason for doing so far outweighed their need to celebrate." The taproom will stay open, and beer production remains unchanged.

So how do we protect ourselves from the Zika threat? The Department of Health recommends wearing insect repellent and covering your limbs. Also make sure there's no standing water anywhere on your property. The smallest amount of water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and hold thousands of larvae.

There's one other way to ward off the pests: Use good ol' café cubano. In the video above, Abuela Mami, a local company that ships care packages of Cuban treats to your door, shows you how to combat mosquitoes by using coffee grounds.

In case you're wondering if there's any science to back up this claim, turns out there is. According to a study conducted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, female mosquitoes laid fewer eggs on areas covered with coffee grounds. Also, "egg hatching success was extremely low among eggs that matured on substrates soaked with coffee extracts."

The study suggested that "coffee and its waste may be useful in developing potent, low-cost, and bio-rational mosquito control strategies."

Who would have thought the potential solution to the Zika problem lies at the bottom of abuela's coffee pot? That's so Miami.