MELBOURNE, Fla. – It’s in the air and all over your car. It’s causing allergies and frustration for people who are trying to keep their cars clean.
Yep, it's that time of year again. Pollen is making its presence felt in our area.
That buildup on many of the area's cars is something we see every year.
“It’s the pine tree pollen,” Dave Grover, founder of Sun Harbor Nursery in Melbourne, told News 6 partner Florida Today. “We’ve seen a lot worse than this.”
“This is the most dramatic because you can see the pollen. It’s so prevalent. You can see it. Most of the time we just inhale it,” Grover added.
Indeed, the pine tree pollen is one of a number of different types of pollen that is in the air. These different types of pollen can cause problems for Brevard residents health-wise, says Dr. Heidar Heshmati, former director of the Brevard County Health Department who now works as a doctor at the department’s Melbourne office.
“I see a lot of patients come in with allergies with some congestion and sinus issues. Lots of allergies,” said Heshmati.
Heshmati says that there is no age group that is more or less susceptible to pollen than others.
He also advises residents who might be sensitive to the pollen to keep the air inside their homes clean by changing the air conditioning filter and having an air purifier inside. Additionally, he says that those with allergies can get medication either over the counter or through a physician.
According to Will Ulrich, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, the lack of rainfall has “allowed a lot of that pollen to get stirred up,” with strong winds helping to transfer the pollen.
“It’s been kind of dry as of late so these drier conditions have allowed that pollen to proliferate,” said Ulrich.
“Rain takes it out of the air,” added Grover.
With no rain in our forecast for the upcoming several days, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, it’s possible this pine tree pollen wave could be with us for a while but should be gone by the end of March.
“But, then there’ll be other pollens,” Grover added.