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Guest
Guest
The bug tales thread got me thinking about the insects I find a special heck. I expect everyone has their own nemesis bugwise.
Blackflies absolutely, to the point that I do my best to avoid at least the height of blackfly timing and locale. Just. . . . just. . . . NO.
Mosquitoes as well; if I know it’s gonna be really bad just. . . . just. . . .no, unless someone brings a screenhouse. I am unattractive to normal mosquito populations on group or family trips. DEET does work on (most) mosquitoes, and I can always shag off mine on my eldest son, who is an absolute skeeter magnet. Another few mosquitoes won’t make a difference; in mosquito country he looks like Charles Suhulz Pig Pen.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cha...=rB7xWKDWKYiW0gLNvbjoCw#imgrc=MEbu3Rt4hSxBzM:
Deerflies are at least stupid circling and easy to clap-hands swat, although to actually kill them it is best to squish them once downed; I have seen kerpflempt clapped deerflies, stunned wings akimbo at odd angles, shake it off and get up before the 10 count. Tough little buggers; I squish them and lay them out as trophies on the yoke or front thwart to get a kill count. I had 20+ laid out on the yoke one trip, which I hot glued to a post card and mailed to a friend with the salutation “Wish you were here”.
I do hate stable fly ankle biters; one once bit me through a nylon shoe. I watched it land and bite me through a nylon shoe heavily sprayed with DEET. I may as well have sprayed my shoes with roux d’fly.
Ticks? Well, I’ve had both Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which dang near killed me; after walk in some mis-diagnosis the head of infectious diseases at Walter Reed told me, via phone conversation, “You better get to a hospital, yer gonna die”. Great bedside manner, but he was never one to mince words. I’ve had Lyme disease, bulls eye rash and confirmed by Elisa test, and blame that some residual arthritis.
And still, despite all that, my least favorite bug from heck is chiggers. Unlike many nasties Chiggers love me, or at least love my socks and jockey shorts elasticity. They are the bane of my existence down south. I wear flip flops and go commando and they still get me.
I hate them mostly because they are essentially invisible, and have no noticeable bite or sting. Until a day later, when dozens of maddeningly itchy bumps appear, especially around anything elastic, socks or underwear waist band.
In my case maddingly itchy for a week after. Hand in your pants groping at your arse to scratch a chigger bite is not a good look in public. Man I hate chiggers.
BTW, this actually works, proven by several years of trips into the chigger heck of eastern NC swamp country, using this spray mixture as soon as I arrive.
Bless you Chethro; I will need to refill the spray bottle in Cooterville with spring.
Blackflies absolutely, to the point that I do my best to avoid at least the height of blackfly timing and locale. Just. . . . just. . . . NO.
Mosquitoes as well; if I know it’s gonna be really bad just. . . . just. . . .no, unless someone brings a screenhouse. I am unattractive to normal mosquito populations on group or family trips. DEET does work on (most) mosquitoes, and I can always shag off mine on my eldest son, who is an absolute skeeter magnet. Another few mosquitoes won’t make a difference; in mosquito country he looks like Charles Suhulz Pig Pen.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cha...=rB7xWKDWKYiW0gLNvbjoCw#imgrc=MEbu3Rt4hSxBzM:
Deerflies are at least stupid circling and easy to clap-hands swat, although to actually kill them it is best to squish them once downed; I have seen kerpflempt clapped deerflies, stunned wings akimbo at odd angles, shake it off and get up before the 10 count. Tough little buggers; I squish them and lay them out as trophies on the yoke or front thwart to get a kill count. I had 20+ laid out on the yoke one trip, which I hot glued to a post card and mailed to a friend with the salutation “Wish you were here”.
I do hate stable fly ankle biters; one once bit me through a nylon shoe. I watched it land and bite me through a nylon shoe heavily sprayed with DEET. I may as well have sprayed my shoes with roux d’fly.
Ticks? Well, I’ve had both Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which dang near killed me; after walk in some mis-diagnosis the head of infectious diseases at Walter Reed told me, via phone conversation, “You better get to a hospital, yer gonna die”. Great bedside manner, but he was never one to mince words. I’ve had Lyme disease, bulls eye rash and confirmed by Elisa test, and blame that some residual arthritis.
And still, despite all that, my least favorite bug from heck is chiggers. Unlike many nasties Chiggers love me, or at least love my socks and jockey shorts elasticity. They are the bane of my existence down south. I wear flip flops and go commando and they still get me.
I hate them mostly because they are essentially invisible, and have no noticeable bite or sting. Until a day later, when dozens of maddeningly itchy bumps appear, especially around anything elastic, socks or underwear waist band.
In my case maddingly itchy for a week after. Hand in your pants groping at your arse to scratch a chigger bite is not a good look in public. Man I hate chiggers.
BTW, this actually works, proven by several years of trips into the chigger heck of eastern NC swamp country, using this spray mixture as soon as I arrive.
Bless you Chethro; I will need to refill the spray bottle in Cooterville with spring.
