Mosquito Season is here!

[Edwin]

Yes, they do vary in numbers in different years, with some years bringing many more than others. While walking I have had a couple of days that they were pretty bad, but I managed with lots of swatting, and keeping moving. I like it when the rain slows them up, and also when the wind blows them around!

[Edwin]

When I first started walking I didn't realize the mosquitoes were as bad as they were. It caught me completely off guard when they started biting me, actually sucking blood. Then once I realized they were there, there were more of them than I thought at first. Almost every time I would slap the back of my neck I would kill mosquitoes. I am just thankful that in our part of the country they don't cause/spread disease. Now, like tonight I don't even itch from them. I did kill one on the wall, and splattered blood all over the wall, which I had to clean up. I guess it must have been my blood, since I am the only person in this house now!

[Edwin]

The mosquitoes are hanging on longer than normal this summer. I think it is because of the cold wet weather we have been having. The mosquitoes don't bother me much, but I don't like them either! When they are out like that if keeps me busy swatting them. When they get in the house and I have to kill them by slapping my hands together or slapping the wall, it scared my dog to death, and he goes to hang out in Carol's room until the mosquito hunt is finished!

[Edwin]

It is almost the first of August, and I would have thought that the mosquitoes here would have all disappeared, but no they are still around. I think our periodic rains have kept them going. While walking the doggies I had some of them trying to bite me, or rather draw my blood tonight. There are very few of them now as compared with earlier times, but they are still here! The mosquitoes don't bother me much! They would bother me if I knew they were disease carriers, or caused sicknesses of various kinds, but here they are only an irritation. They usually don't bite or suck my blood, when they do I have very little reaction from them. I would feel differently about mosquitoes if I lived in Africa, the Philippines, or the South USA or instance. But here they are not much of a problem. They bother Carol and our kids and grandkids, and they swell with welts when they get bitten, but not me. I might itch a little if I have one on me that I don't notice, but I never have any reaction to them.

[MONLMON]

WHAT MAKES SOME MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SKEETERS THAN OTHERS??

GENETICS accounts for 85% of our susceptibility to being bitten. Body chemistry, ( which there is over 400 kinds/types) excessive elements upon the "skin surface" attracts them.
Those with high concentrations of steroids & cholesterol on skin surface attract mosquitoes.

Also certain acids, like uric acid..
But the main culprit is CARBON DIOXIDE, those whom expel larger amounts will attract them faster and more intense.
The larger the body mass the more we give off larger amounts , thus adults are more apt to bites than children. Pregnant women produce greater than normal amounts of exhaled carbon dioxide.
Movement attracts them too, swatting , flailing arms & hands help attract them..your also exhaling more carbon dioxide. Those involved in activities (sports) will attract more, also the Lactic Acid given off from sweat glands...rings the dinner bell.

Ever notice how they swarm above your head (body)..thats the heat, carbon dioxide and lactic acid "flume " like a larg ole fashion "beacon light " rotaing up ringing that "DINNERS READY" BELL..

here's a quick deterrent for those pest...take along small spray bottle of "MOUTH WASH"..can spray your whole bode with it and then once you arrive at your favorite cafe/lounge..spray some around & under your seating areas...
it will keep em at bay... guaranteed..even by the CDC.. nice thing is it is not hazardous to your health...

Plus use it around your living area...if sprayed upon/across standing water will kill the larvae...upon plants & shrubs...same....make a "no fly zone"

Remember about DEET sprays...don't spend money on some that list/state that it contains more than 50%...anything above that amount is of no use , actually it starts to counter the effectivness. To much of a good thing....

[red]

interesting...never heard it before that mouth wash can help. i hate mosquitos. it is the most hated pest ever.

[Edwin]

MONLMON, that is some interesting information. Mosquitoes really don't like me very well, and I seldom react to any of their bites. Most everyone else in my family has a harder time with them. I killed many, many of them each evening while walking my 6.5 miles. They get the most aggressive just after sun down. Most of the time while walking I slap the back of my neck, and I kill any where from one to four mosquitoes each time. I kill them on my face, and on my hands. I usually get them before they draw much of my blood. I keep pretty busy killing them, but it doesn't upset me like it does some people. I don't mind them, but I don't like them either. One nice thing in our area they don't spread diseases but are just pests! Since it has been hot for a number of days I seldom now encounter a mosquito on my walk. Happy riddance mosquitoes!

[mystic]

O my... does something like a mosquito season exist???

In the town where I live, they are sometimes a real plague. Malaria existed here, until in the post WWII they drained the land and it disappeared. However... we still have the tiger-mosquito problem

Oh, in Italy for some strange reasons mosquito nets on the windows are practically an unknown thing. I always wondered why. In my travels in the US I always saw them everywhere. But somehow I learned the hours to avoid and manage to let them out of the house all the summer But I still cannot avoid to come back home all red and blue when I water the garden

[Edwin]

Our mosquitos were in full force earlier in the summer as were the ticks. It kept me swatting while I was walking, but I got very few bites, and I got none that swelled or itched. They were so thick at one time that I would swat the back of my neck and kill up to 4 mosquitoes with one stroke! Mosquitoes don't cause me much grief, but I don't like them either! I hate them as well as the flies when you are trying to sleep and they are buzzing around your ears! After the water dried up, which took a long time in the early part of the summer, the mosquitoes disappeared, and I was glad to see them go, where ever it was they went!

[mystic]

Oh.... u have ticks too....

Once we didn't have them where I live. Then... you might remember the Chernobil nuclear blast... the big radioactive cloud went above most Europe. In the following years, I could notice the very big insects and animal that I never saw before in the wood. It seemed like the radioactivity was stimulating abnormal animal growth and everything was very big. At that time... our woods became infested with ticks too, for the first time. And since then, I don't go into the wood anymore

But it should be better now. I just didn't mind to check.