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| LIAM LISTENING FOR BUZZ |
There is no buzz. There used to be. When I was a kid living in our
3rd floor apartment in Pomonok Houses in Queens, NY there was a buzz.
It came on summer nights. It was the sound of mosquitoes buzzing around
my head. We did not have screens on the windows. They would find me and
circle for a feast. I pulled the covers over my head to hide from
the buzzing bugs.
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| PULL UP THE COVERS |
We did not have air conditioning; it got very hot
quickly. Usually the mosquitoes got what they wanted, leaving gorged
with my blood.
Now we have screens and air conditioning. We live in a
house with a yard. I had always dreamed of a yard. Of sitting outside with
my dog. I have that yard and I have a dog, Liam.
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| LIAM OUTSIDE NEXT TO ME |
The mosquitoes are also outside. Screened out. They are not like the ones in our growing-up
apartment. These make no buzz. They bite so quickly and so often that
one trip outside and I have multiple bites. These bites are not
like the childhood bites. I don't know that I have been bitten until suddenly
an unbearable itchy sensation compels me to scratch until the welts appear.
These bites remain sensitive and keep their shape and itch producing
sensation for days. These are not the mosquitoes of the 1950's and 1960's. Who
are these new creatures? They also can make one sick because some have
West Nile virus. People now die from infected mosquitoes. see link
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-08-28/west-nile-virus-cases-increase/57402754/1
Battle Plan
1-Cover up- long sleeves, socks, gloves, hat.
2-Insect repellent-parts like face, hands, ears should be sprayed with repellent. I even spray my hair.
3-Citronella bracelets-wear them around wrists, ankles
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| CHECKING THE BIRD BATH |
4-Standing water - empty bird baths, flower containers, tops of garbage cans
Results
1-Covering up- proves too hot. July is the hottest month in history.
2-Insect repellent- takes off my nail polish. If Liam licks me, he may
be poisoned. The universal remedy "Skin So Soft" from Avon. gives me
hives or a rash or something in between. Takes 3 weeks to go away.
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| WE HAVE TO STAY INSIDE |
3-Citronella bracelets- works on the wrist and ankle - all else is unprotected and fair game.
4-Standing water- maybe would be better to leave it to attract the bugs as a trap?
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| A SITTING LIAM |
I take a chance on Tuesday. I sit down with a latte.
There is a slight breeze. Liam sits and rolls. I take pix.
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| A RARE ROLL THIS SUMMER |
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| GO AWAY MOSQUITOES |
A brief sit. We hear the gardeners approaching, Tuesday is their day and we
have to retreat. No bites though. First time in two months
Is it the wind, the latte or the gardeners that stop the bites? Or all
three. Maybe those Pomonok mosquitoes
from childhood.
We tend to be nostalgic about the "olden days" never thought it would include the "olden mosquitoes"
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| THEY CANNOT GET ME HERE |
Woof, Woof
Mosquitoes come to me like Chris Christie to cheesecake(couldn't resist). I've tried the new Off battery powered repellent. It worked pretty well until it broke after about a month. Indoors with the AC on is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteIzzy
Izzy,
DeleteSame here. I battled for a while. Then realized the beauty of screens and AC. I longed for those as a child just as nuch as I did for a yard and a dog. Maybe more. Loved the CC to C comment.
You didn't have screens? I think we had screens. How could you not have screens? No air conditioning tho, that I remember. During the summer of 1958 I was so hot and sweaty for days on end I went to the Meadows Theater eight times and saw "South Pacific." Ah, relief. And sweet music, too!
ReplyDeleteSannie
We did not. Remember we were the poor apartment complex. Cooling off at the movies was the best. I did the same. And the afternoon ice cream truck visit. Still those nights were fearful.
DeleteI spent many a day at the old "Century" Meadows theater. I had my JHS graduation there and Mayor Lindsay spoke. The moms went nuts.
ReplyDeleteIzzy
I saw Mayor Lindsay at Rockaway Beach (probably trying to cool off). And I was equally nuts for him.
DeleteLike Izzy, I have used the Off battery repellent for a couple of years - works for me when sitting still. Unfortunately, the refills don't last very long. Some prople actually put an electric fan in the yard and turn it on (what a concept) to keep the bugs away. Your own personal windstorm....
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the fan. Mosquitoes are much less prevalent on windy days so there might be something to that. Thanks.
DeleteWhen I had the mini block party at the lake house, we did not have a mosquito problem but we did have a bee problem (they always seem to annoy us at the end of August when it is dry). Anyway, someone told me to put a big fan near the buffet table next time and the bees will stay away. As you know Carol, we do not have the mosquito problem but I am sure it will work for that too.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne,
DeleteThe fan sounds promising. Interesting about the bees. When we went out to Northport for an outdoor lunch we had some bees but no mosquitoes. Think I would rather bees. At least they are not sneaky and prefer food to humans though of course a bee sting is terrible.
Because of the dry ground that we get here in late August, the bees are around non-stop. In early summer you are correct that they gravitate towards food, soda cans, etc. But now they are just everywhere. Yesterday I had one buzzing around my head while another crawled on my arm. Yuck. I had to escape by going into a building.
DeleteOh my! Buzzing around your head, yuck is right. Landing on your arm...yikes. Not good at all and definitely negatively affecting any outdoor party. Glad you escaped unstung.
Delete