Well, it appears that skeeter season has begun. Thankfully, it only lasts a couple of weeks here until it dries out. But, this year, as wet as it has been recently, and as high as the weeds/grass are, it's going to be a banner season I suspect. A few years back, they were so bad that I wasn't able to even go out and mow my lawn without putting on my bee suit. Not joking. I expect the next few weeks to be that bad again.

A couple of things that I've found that work (aside from the aforementioned bee suit):

- Should you get bit by the little bastages, these heat applicators work well to abate the itch.

- Thermacell.. These work great for wanting to sit outside of an evening.

- Natrapel.. Picaridin works really well (better than DEET), and it works on ticks as well.

- If you're wanting to avoid the chemicals and are lucky enough to have yarrow growing around your place, grab some leaves/flowers, mush them up in your hands, and rub your skin with them. Works great, but unfortunately requires reapplication if you're going to be out awhile. Smells great too.

Any other remedies/repellants are welcome...

Yarrow, huh? I planted a small patch of white yarrow last year. This Spring, it blew up! It's taken over half the bed.

I'll try that. Don't really like to resort to DEET, but between black flies and skeeters, nothing else works as good.

I don't envy you having to deal with black flies. Those things are satanic. I got lit up by them one day while out fishing in NY. I was clawing my skin off for two weeks after. Horrible little buggers.

Yep, the yarrow works for the ones around here (and the white flowered yarrow is what I have growing wild here). It ain't perfect, but nothing is really, except maybe the bee suit, but that's kind of impractical.

About a week ago I was working on our camp roads & trails in the North Central U.P. of MI. I knew the skeeters would be bad going into it. I had the bug dope, long sleeve shirt, then was using a chainsaw half the time. Did I mentioned it was often where the cedar & tag alders grow?

It reminded me of trying to go trout fishing on a small stream, early June.

I made some great headway, later went to more open areas, with a slight breeze. My mosquito tolerance is higher than most, but I was bumping against my limits.

Later a tick check was required, the dog got a flea & tick bath when we got back.

The bugs will be out until cooler weather, numbers drop off a good bit with slightly dryer weather.

We don't have any, or black flies, and I don't miss them at all.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
We don't have any, or black flies, and I don't miss them at all.

Bob

No skeeters in SC? What part?

I lived North of Charleston for 3 years and they were fierce there!

Upstate in Anderson
Bob

quote:

Originally posted by rbert0005:
Upstate in Anderson
Bob

Ah. Drier, higher elevation. Must be nice...

sourdough44s experience mirrors mine on my patio. Mine are about the size of my index fingernail and sound like a B-1 as they form up to attack.

And of course, we're guys so....back to being 5 years old.....

If there’s flying Democrat free part of SC, I think we’re moving…