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Comment by Vicky Hay on March 23, 2014 at 10:33pm

@ Jane: actually, in these parts, it's actually a kind of thorn. It's a very hard, round little thing with these nasty sharp spines that stick out, sort of like a bull's horns. And do they hurt when you step on them. Getting them out from between a dog's pads is an interesting experience.

Comment by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on March 23, 2014 at 9:20pm

Vicky, yes I have heard that skin so soft is supposed to help with bugs, but your correct it does not, the mosquitos still bite me with it on!!! 

Marcie, I have O blood too,  wish I had A blood. 

Jane, yes try it...i swear by it..even if you have to apply it multiple times depending on the severity of the bite, it works, I dont care if I spell like ACV....better than itching like a maniac.  I once did everything in my power not to itch..(this is before I knew about ACV) and I ended up with an infection.  I believe I am also allergic to mosquito bites.  My daughter who is a teen, who doesnt think I know much (haha), tried it and agrees with me it works!!! :)

Comment by Jane Christensen on March 23, 2014 at 9:14pm

Vicky and  Marcie...interesting that you have bugs named Bull Heads...we have fish up here by that name. They have long stingers and are very abundant in some lakes. I won't touch them or clean them...yuch!

Comment by Vicky Hay on March 23, 2014 at 8:10pm

@ Marcie:  ahhh! Bull's heads! Gosh, I haven't seen those for quite a while. They used to be all over the place. Mean little buggers. Nowadays you're more likely to get stuck by burr clover, a much more mellow sort of sticker.

When I spent three months at a military base in Georgia with Semi-Demi-Exboyfriend, the place was overrun with mosquitoes and biting flies. Horrible! People used to smear on a body oil called Skin-So-Soft by Avon -- they'd swear it repelled bugs. Didn't. The only thing that worked was copious application of DEET, and it was hard to tell which worse: the stinky toxic chemical or the biting insects. The only thing that would help the constant frantic itching was to turn on the shower to the hottest temperature you could bear and stand there as long as you could, letting hot water run over the bites. That would ease the itching for maybe two to six hours.

It escapes me how people can live in places like that.

Comment by Marcie on March 23, 2014 at 5:58pm

Vicky in New Mexico we had these things called bull head stickers. No matter what way they landed a point was up. They were also mildly toxic. Not fun to step on...

Tip for both mosquitoes and black flies, don't wave your arms around and create a fuss. The more movement, the more insects. Avoiding dark colors works well too. My sister insists blood type causes attraction too. She's O, I'm A and they just LOVE her and me not so much.

Comment by Jane Christensen on March 23, 2014 at 5:36pm

Natalie...I will have to try the apple cider vinegar.

Marcia...we do have black flies, horse flies and what they call "no see ems" which are small enough to sneak through screens and bite you...don't like any of them. I can't imagine not having 4 seasons even if I sometimes complain, it wouldn't be Christmas without snow:)

Vicky... bummer about the olive trees. I LOVE olives:)

Comment by Vicky Hay on March 23, 2014 at 5:10pm

@ all the Easterners and Midwesterners: We hear the mosquitos in the UP and waypoints around the Great Lakes are the size of F-16s, with like speed and maneuverability.

We never had skeeters here until developers decided that immigrants from U-No-Where would like to see water and so they started building these stupid water-wastinglakes in their developments. Now anyone who lives in the general vicinity of a housing tract with a fake lake has to feed their dogs heartworm pills.

I hardly ever wear shoes around the house and yard -- and my house is desert-landscaped. I can't imagine having to mow a lawn. In the backyard: two Arizona sweet oranges (the fruit is like candy!), a Meyer lemon, and a Mexican lime, along with a variety of flowers and veggies. In front: an olive (illegally fruiting, think you very much Swann "fruitless" olives: I do love to make Greek-style olives), five trees, and a variety of colorful ornamental shrubs...and, of course, all the bulbs and little annuals. And the Easter lily cacti and the purple prickly pear.

The pool is almost warm enough to swim in. If only I were 12 years old, I'd be in it right now. ;-)

Comment by Marcie on March 23, 2014 at 2:15pm

I still have about three feet of snow in the yard and it doesn't look like the sidewalks will be open any time soon. I usually don't mind the snow, but this year had been a little excessive.

I can deal with mosquitoes better than black flies. Do you have those?

Vicky, I lived in New Mexico for two years. Give me Maine any day. I missed the color green and the changing of the leaves horribly. Not being able to go barefoot was difficult too, almost every plant had some sort of thorn on it.

Comment by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on March 23, 2014 at 1:44pm

Yes this is true Jane. I am not a fan of mosquitos either :O and they love me :(  I have found a remedy to help the itchiness that really does help though!!  Just dab the bites with apple cider vinegar, works like a charm, some need two dabs but still..way better than anything else ive ever used.  Hopefully we dont have too many 90s, and have an enjoyable summer and spring!!

Comment by Jane Christensen on March 23, 2014 at 8:47am

Natalie, All our ditches have melted and so if we do get snow now it shouldn't be too bad. Once the heat gets above 90 and high humidity my dogs hate it...and then there's mosquitos...we are not only known for the land of 10,000 lakes but also 10,000 mosquitos...yuck!!!!!!

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