30 | June | 2012 | laurieanichols

Tags

itching, mosquitoes, postaday2012, repellents, scratching

I jinxed myself earlier this month. I was walking Rex and Jack and I realized that I hadn’t a single bug bite. Normally by this time in the season, my legs are covered with scabs and scars from the pesky May flies and mosquitoes. I don’t know why we weren’t hit by the usual swarm of May flies, I’m not complaining about their absence but it is odd because they are normally such a part of May and planting. Their swarms can get so bad that I have often been tempted to wear a beekeepers outfit which makes it so bizarre that I didn’t get plagued by them this year. Mosquitoes, on the other hand, are right on time, so no mystery where they are concerned. I have been bitten by them since they have made their presence known in Blandford. My legs, arms and hands are starting to accumulate the scabs that happen when I get bitten. Normally I am a fairly disciplined person but all bets are off when I am itchy. My tolerance level is extremely low for itchiness, I will scratch my bites until I draw blood, only then does the itchiness stop. I know that I shouldn’t do what I do because the scars left by my scratching aren’t too attractive but I haven’t found a remedy for the itching or a repellent that would keep the blood sucking insects away from me. I must have a pheromone that screams “suck my blood!” because I could be standing with others, such as my hubby, and I’m the only one being bitten.
I do have to say that having screens makes such a huge difference because the sanctity of the home isn’t violated by those little buggers, my summers in France were quite the contrast in living arrangements with the mosquitoes. The family house did not have screens or air conditioning, so if you wanted fresh, cool night air you opened a window and prayed that the mosquitoes wouldn’t come in. They would and you would get the buzzing in the ear and when you turned over, the buzzing would be on the other side, driving you to close the window, turn on the light and try to kill the mosquitoes. An endless battle between you and the mosquito, with the actual winner often the mosquito. Hopefully this summer I’ll figure out a better strategy for dealing with mosquito bites and finding better ways to repel them. Thank goodness for screens.