Bug season is going full throttle!

No, not Bugs Bunny!
But sometimes I'd like to shoot our bugs with something other than a camera.

In Muskoka...
May is blackfly season, June begins mosquito season, by July the deerflies fly off with chunks of your skin, then the horsefly, even larger, haul chunks of your carcass.

Living, as I am, in Lanark County, near Perth, we are about 5 degrees warmer, and the warmer, more temporate climate, means that mosquito season begins earlier. The blackflies are almost gone, as the heat of the day dries up the ponds where they laid their eggs last fall.

deerfly

mosquito

I posted on Facebook that I have never been bitten by a blackfly, mosquito and deerfly all on one day! The mosquitoes like the cooler mornings and evening. The deerflies love the heat. We live in the middle of a protected wetland. We are sitting ducks, er... humans!

There are ways to protect yourself. If you haven't protected yourself, be sure to get something to put on the bite afterwards, especially for children. When I taught school in Parry Sound, kids would come to school with their legs covered in bug bites. It pained me to see it!

Patches for your cap, found at Lee Valley Tools

Bug hat

Bug shirt - you can spray the outside of the shirt
with bug repellent.
The deerflies bite right through clothing!

Blackfly bite

 Bug spray, if you don't wear long pants, will keep them at bay. For awhile, if you aren't, say, gardening!!! Once bitten, treat the bites right away with something. It really helps.

5 days after the bite

Spider on electric toothbrush.
They eat bugs!

Lyme Disease Lanark County Health Unit

- As temperatures rise above 4ºC, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit would like to remind you that while enjoying and working outdoors you should take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks. Lyme disease has been identified in the health unit region and is now considered to be a risk here.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

The symptoms of Lyme disease usually happen in three stages, although not all patients have every symptom. The first sign of infection is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans or EM. This rash occurs in about 70-80 percent of infected people. It begins at the site of the tick bite after a delay of three days to one month. Other common symptoms include:

• fatigue
• chills
• fever
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• swollen lymph nodes.

If untreated, the second stage of the disease can last up to several months and include

• central and peripheral nervous system disorders
• multiple skin rashes
• arthritis and arthritic symptoms
• heart palpitations
• extreme fatigue and general weakness

If the disease remains untreated, the third stage can last months to years with symptoms that can include recurring arthritis and neurological problems.

Deerfly patch, and
I sewed in hanky/flaps for protection

Although rarer than Lyme disease, there are other infections that can also be contracted from blacklegged ticks. These include Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis; Babesia microti, the agent of human babesiosis and Powassan encephalitis virus. The precautions outlined above will also help to protect individuals from these infections.

Bugs are early this year

On Monday, May 11, I was prompted to write a haiku...

spring sings in my world
brilliant petals painted bright--
black flies enter formation

Of course, the spring peepers are singing early, too!


Here is is April 20, and they are early. The blackflies are here. Good news for birds and bats, who have woken up early with warmer temperatures. You just have to go with the flow and prepare!

They dive in for your face, eyes, anywhere to take a chunk out of you. Far different than the mosquitos just suck up some blood.

Here is a photo of one in the house, with a flash, and another on the screen. Tricky shots as they do not survive in the house for long! (Praise be!)
Seriously, I far prefer them to the mosquitoes, who can survive indoors. I was sitting writing my blog last night, when I spotted one on my chair. It was quite lethargic.


Remember
protect your body, don't encourage the flying bugs:

• NO perfumes, limit deodorant with scents, make-up and hair spray
• wear long sleeves,tuck sleeves into gloves
• tuck pant legs into socks
• stay in open areas
• burn candles, or other products, intended to attract and kill bugs
• smoke a cigar (I sit down wind from my hubby and try not to breathe!)
• use a reliable bug spray product (some prefer DEET-based products if allergic to bug bites)
• spray on neck, hands and ankles (I use Skin-so-soft, from Avon)
• go outdoors midday, when the sun is hot
• stay in the wind!
• there are a variety of hats and bug gear if you must work outdoors

The ants have begun to try to move in. Aside from an anteater, and we don't need another pet, there are things you can do.

Keep your cottage clean, especially if you go home for the week. Give a good spray before you leave, when kids and pets are in the car!

I spray a bug spray foam around the foundation, where the basement ceiling meets the wall. The flying insect spray work well, since it has an ability to launch it where I cannot reach. (At 5'4" I have inner bigness!) I don't think that the quality of spray is different, and I choose the type of spray for the job. This seems to keep them at bay. Whenever I see the odd ant I spray again around the door or window frame. It convinces them that I am serious. It is helpful to find out where they come in the house. I often give a spray at night under the sink where the garbage can sits. The moist pipes draw the attention of the ants and they will climb up them to a second story, too. Spraying these in the basement helps.

Outdoors, I spray the same spots, and around the windows I use the foam for ant hills, as the foam sticks better to the foundation and you can direct it easily. I spray the wood stove pipe, as they like to come in that way. Spraying on a calm day is crucial, but you only need spray directly beside the house!