The Skeeters are so bad in Inland Michigan right now that we can't go outside; we are afraid the kids will get carried away. I have lived in the south and a person would think that Skeeters would beat Michigan, Minnesota and Wisonsin in the skeeter department but IMO the Midwest and Alaska have the south beat 10 fold. The Skeeters were bad in Honduras and Panama but we were more concerned about flys and ants. Africa skeeters sometimes leave a friggin bruise at the bite but once again the biting flys are far worse.

I think they're worse the farther north you go. The skeeters that bite are females. they males generally live off flower nectar and such. The northern female skeeters have a shorter breeding season to get the dirty deed done. They have to top of the tank with fuel before they become reproductive, then they have to find a mate, then lay the eggs in an appropriate spot. What's a girl to do?

I thought that was the reason thanks for clearing that up.

We have had perfect breeding weather so the numbers are unbearable I am buying a case of Cutter backyard.

just get a 300D turn the ALDA to full CCW and do some donuts in the back yard.. fog em out!

I'm fortunate cause they don't bite me, but I have noticed that every year when it starts to warm up, there are houseflies all over the damn place for about a month, then they dramatically reduce in numbers.

Those things are disgusting,

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

Do you consume much garlic? People who eat garlic as part o ftheir daily diet often have less trouble with mosquitoes.

Define much?

I mean when I cook, I use garlic and have been taking garlic pills off and on for a couple of years, but I never got bit when I was young either, my sisters are mosquito magnets.

They land on me, but for some reason, I hardly ever get bit. I mean like once every couple of years I might get hit.

No wonder it took me so long to get married.

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

I'm not saying you're in danger of a garlic OD or that you walk around with a vapor trail like Peppie LaPew. That's not necessary (as I understand it). Mosquitoes wont fly in terror from garlic like vampires. But given a choice, they'll prefer a source that doesn't taste of the herb. But since your sisters probably ate the same food as you when you were kids and they were still attacked, maybe it wasn't the garlic.

Have you ever noticed that women are almost always more sensitive to creeping or flying insects touching them? I think it is due to anatomical skin differences. IIRC, females have a significantly higher density of sensing nerves in their skin (is that afferent nerves or efferent nerves, I forget). I don't recall the density difference so I'll make something up for the sake of description.

Let's say women have 2x the number of nerve endings in their skin as men have. If a mosquito lands on a nekkid (of course!) woman it stands to reason that she would be twice as likely to feel the mosquito as would a nekkid man.

I understand garlic also helps repel chiggers, a mite that burrows into the skin and dies, causing a gawd-awful itch.

Speaking if itching, anybody ever heard of nutria itch?

B

Funny you should bring that up! They're INSANE here this year. Must have been perfect conditions for them to breed this spring - plenty of cool, cloudy days and tons of rain.

I just bought one of those Mosquito Magnet machines that runs off propane (produces CO2, heat and there's an octonol scent additive as well).

It's working - it caught about 50 of them in the first 45 mins of operation and the basket now looks like there's about 150-200 of them in there. Whether it gets enough over the coming weeks to make a dent in the local population, we'll have to see.

It's annoying as hell though. Can't even go outside unless there is a good breeze.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Never heard of that but the worst itching I have ever had was having athletes foot. Man, that was brutal for about 1 week. Non stop itching and the only relief was too scratch like mad!

I can't imagine what it's like to get jock itch......

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Enough about me, how are you doing?

im in florida and i havent been bit at all this season.. must be the diesel fuel

Large doses of B-12 are the only thing I have ever gotten to consistently work. You have to take it for at least a week before you will see any results.

I thought it was vitamin B-1?

You can also try building some bat houses.

Danny

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B-1--thiamine--you're right. I picked that up from some shrimpers 20 years ago. I start taking it about 2-3 weeks before I go on my 2 week fishing trip in August. Works for me when I am off my property. On my property, diesel fuel in the standing water and dry ice in the farthest corner of the yards works.

I thought you (MM) got one of those propane powered mosquito repellers last year.

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