Arrrrrrgh!

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Do you know what happens when you go into the forest on a Saturday afternoon in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, without bug repellent, to pick blueberries! I'll tell you what happens. If you're stubborn, like I am, you get a gallon or more of the best blueberries on the planet, and 26 black fly bites, and a couple of horse fly bites on the backs of your arms, just above the elbow. And unlike mosquito bites (and we have plenty of mosquitoes around here as well) it just doesn't matter if you leave them alone. Mosquito bites go away after 20 or so minutes if you can refrain from scratching them. Black fly bites don't swell up and begin to itch until the next day. It is now Wednesday, four days later, and my arms still itch.

I hate biting bugs! Arrrrrgh!

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Andy M.]

Another vote for the great indoors!

 

[Timothy]

I hate biting bugs! Arrrrrgh!

Good God, don't ever move to Florida! It's the Bug HQ of the world.

Those fly bites are painful also. Those critters take a hunk of meat with them!

 

[jabbur]

GW, I'd probably be dead. I have severe local reactions to horse fly and black fly bites. If I had that many, I'd probably go into anaphylatic shock and miss out on the wonderful blueberries. I'm sorry you're still itching. Have you tried Benadryl (oral or topical)

 

[snickerdoodle]

Was just up in da U.P. last month... the bugs were horrendous! My girls thought the big flies were so cool until I told them they will bite them. I'm pretty sure I could hear the mosquitoes laughing in my bug repellent coated face at night on the boat. Hope you got more blueberries than bites!

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

It's been really warm, humid and rainy this year so the bugs are just thriving. In some areas you have to work not to breath them and sneezing can quickly turn into choking on the bugs you inhaled just before the sneeze. Marsh lands are loving the weather too though and they've had a few rough years lately so this is probably good for them. We still need more rain though. Water level in the lakes and streams is still lower than it should be.