But once you get bit, the best anti-itch remedy is to take a big dollop of your own saliva (certainly don’t use someone else’s) and gently rub it into the bite. Leave it mostly wet, and let it air dry. Once or twice and the itch will go away. Something in saliva neutralizes the skeeter’s poison.

—mf

From High Atop The Mighty Corrente Building… Comes Wisdom.

then came the mosquitoes… Lambert, Mother Nature is trying to tell you something!

a great trick for nailing flying insects is with two rack-sized paperback books (put them in plastic bags if you don’t want to get goo on them).

When the insect lands on something, take a book in each hand and slowly move your hands one on each side of the insect, with the books perpendicular to whatever it’s sitting on. Then smack the books together as fast as you can. The insect will take off as it sees the books approaching, but it won’t get far enough away to avoid getting mashed between them.

Works better than a fly-swatter for me.

Haw!

As a tactic, it’s interesting, because it depends on where the insect will go, given its reflexes, as opposed to where it is. I suppose there’s some application in electoral politics…

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

The electric swatter which looks like a small tennis racket… When you get the mosquito it makes a very satisfying crackling noise as the varmint is vaporized.

Burn the candles to drive them away. Dab yourself with the S-S-S and also use it around your screens to keep the skeeters from getting around them.

Not much it’ll do if you don’t put the screens in, but you can reduce the number of bites.

You should be able to get both at most well-stocked drugstores.

First Mother Hen, now this.

Now, I know a little friendly castration never hurt anyone, but enough is enough!

Thanks for your thoughts, however!

(The screens are all in, I just foolishly opened the top portion of a replacement window, which has no screen. So they poured in.)

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

Fer Pete’s sake.

Be a man! Wear the Skin-So-Soft!

But, hey, if you’d rather get bitten than use something that’s been proven effective for decades because it’s from Avon and you don’t want to have to get girl cooties (because the worst thing anyone can be is feminine, after all), be my guest.

… and after that I’ll have to grow a goatee and join the creative class.

Is that what you want?

UPDATE Besides, I’ve already got the saliva solution, and that doesn’t cost me anything!

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

In case the first arrivers laid eggs, you might get the next generation. Fly swatters make good slappers for the ceiling dwellers or those just out of reach, or for when you need a little stealth.

That said, here’s some science on the efficacy of the various repellents, from a place where they’re more than just a nuisance but carry meningitis, among other nasty things beyond itchy bumps.

Mosquito Repellents

I’m feeling all itchy now!

Fortunately, I have no houseplant trays, and I’m at least house-proud enough not to have sinkfuls of it…

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

I’ve never found Skin So Soft to be any help at all, and I absolutely hate DEET products.

I take Benedryl and the effects of the bites are damped and usually don’t bother me after the anti-histamine wears off.

but it dissolves plastics, so if you’re a plastic person, be forewarned. Supposedly pennyroyal plants keep mosquitoes away, and pennyroyal capsules are supposed to be an effective repellant. ISTR that taking a lot of pennyroyal isn’t too good though. Of course I doubt DEET is healthy over the long run either.

I found the best solution was to move somewhere where there aren’t any mosquitoes. Which I did.

Now we just have to fight wasps for our dinner if we eat outside in August. But not necessarily every year (just most). However, we rarely get stung (ammonia stops the pain, benadryl or an epi-pen is a good idea if you’re allergic, like my wife). The dogs like to snap them out of mid-air and eat them.

having spent a lot of time as a kid hanging out in the woods, I know that smoke is an effective deterrent to the little varmints. A well placed battery of incense burners (or any other source of smoke, i.e., a couple of cigars, etc.) and a box fan pointed out of the house might work for you, that is if you’re not bothered by the smoke.

Light the incense (or cigars) at the opposite end of the room from where the fan is located. Wait a few minutes for the smoke to build up then turn on the fan.

The mosquitoes will congregate away from the smoke (which puts them near the fan) and will get sucked out when you turn on the fan. This arrangement works best if you position the fan in an open window. The more powerful the fan, the more effective it is.

Mosquitoes are attracted to their host by a number of cues, some general and some species-specific. Assuming you can’t inform us which species you have as house guests, and also that there could be several different ones present, it is best to offer a variety of attractants. Fortunately, your body provides them all.

You will need a rolled-up newspaper or something similar. A flyswatter will work, but in my opinion it can be too painful for this approach; your taste may vary. You will also need a source of liquid refreshment, beer or wine or whatever, and a comfortable high-back chair if available.

Strip naked except for used socks, clean underwear or shorts, and a hat. Engage in your favorite exercise (no need to share) until you have worked up a good sweat, then sit in the chair and relax with the rolled up paper in your dominant hand and a drink in the other. Wait, and the mosquitoes will come to you.

All mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, which you produce and exhale. They will follow the trail your breath leaves in the air. When they are near, depending on species, they are able to home in on their preferred feeding spot by chemicals evaporating from your body surface. They are especially attracted to the scent of lactic acid, contained in your sweat, and to odors from skin microflora that will be most prevalent in your groin (thus the shorts, there are areas you don’t want bitten or swatted – although again, your taste may vary) as well as underarms, face and hands.

The other dominant site will be feet, and the used and sweaty socks will overwhelm the chemoattractants from other locations so they will be preferentially drawn to your feet and lower legs where they can be spotted and swatted.

They are easier to kill if you let them land, easier still if you wait until they start to feed because at that point their alarm system is detuned.

The purpose of the hat and the highback chair is to keep the mosquitoes from settling where they are hard to reach.

Another option is to smear Limburger cheese on your knees and use that for bait, it contains many of the same chemicals as used socks.

And yes, this can be a group activity.

Enjoy!

[IMNSHO, the best treatment for itchy or swollen mosquito bites is a combination of taking benadryl and topical application of Preparation H.]

Is there a way to incorporate Skin-So-Soft in your recommendation?

Seriously, I’ve been slapping the damn things for two days, and I’ve got plenty of C0₂ and aromatic socks and shoes as it is.

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

they used to say:

Take a white sheet of paper, put a white saucer on it, and fill it with water. Put a few drops of lemon soap in the water. Shine a light on the water. The mosquitoes will be attracted to the white, go to the water with soap in it, and land on it, and it will finish them off.

Also, use hand vac, catch and release outside (or vac will give you mosquitoes every day.) This has worked for me.

Good luck. Bites are miserable—think of winter!

my imagination just filmed from your description, starring John Cleese.

: >

There is no middle ground, Lambert; this is war.

Just guessing here, and no need to reply in detail, but I’m betting you are not literally dripping in sweat nor are you nearly nude nor are you sitting in one place with little movement for the hour or two it will take for them all to come to feed. And no shoes, please; just socks, skivvies and a hat.

Oh, and if these are night-feeders you may have to wait until dark and dim the lights. Bright light and they will land somewhere and not come out until they are desperate.

These are wee beasties, can’t expect too much of them, but given the right scent and some time they will perform. You do have to sit fairly still, no pacing about, no getting up and down. When you sit in one place, the heat from your body sets up a rising convection current that lifts your exhalations upward. The skeeters will follow the scent across the room and down the thermal, picking up one additional odor or another as they get closer. The vapor trail from your exhalation has to be established so they can follow it; if you get up you disrupt the trail and they get confused.

I don’t use Skin-So-Soft myself so I have no opinion, not sure what permission you’re looking for exactly…apply how ever you find to be, ah, suitable.

Great minds and all, gob. (And isn’t that an intriguing screen name; I wonder every time, a gob of what?)

Have no idea about Lambert’s appearance actually. For all I know he looks more like Cary Grant, but as Cleese ITTOMM he is much more entertaining and after all, my entertainment is what this is all about.

by putting dry leaves in an old paint can and setting it ablaze. When we got a small fire going we’d add a few green leaves or pine needles to produce smoke. It makes a nice self-dontained package you can carry (with due precaution for the hot handle, of course.)

Fire that puppy up, and take it with you when nature calls. No nasty chemicals washed off when you take a dip in the pond or stream, no muss and fuss.

unless there’s ventillation. that’s all i have to add to this discussion other than, “you’re fucked, lambert. enjoy some swatting.” when they get inside, they get in deeper than jimmyjeff into a rove lookalike at a larry craig/mark foley costume party. i’d make another joke about blood and sucking, but this is a family blog, you know.

Story of my life, CD, story of my life…

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

this is war.

As a lifelong Michigander (we grow ’em big here) and a magnet to mosquitoes, I opt for total war, without a pause, until final victory.

Get a swatter of some type (rolled up newspaper, store bought swatter, whatever) in hand and seek out every last one of the bastards. Mosquitoes in the house are the worst. They’ve invaded your turf. You have no other option.

The last time I left a screen open (still can’t believe I did that)I stayed up all night on search and destroy.

Putting on repellent doesn’t get the mosquitoes out of the house. The repellent (only DEET is really effective) will prevent bites but doesn’t solve the real problem and you certainly shouldn’t be doused with repellent indefinately.

Man blows up apartment spraying for bugs?

Mon Jul 21, 1:35 PM ET

A New Jersey man trying to exterminate insects in his apartment blew it up instead, the New York Daily News reported on Monday.

Isias Vidal Maceda was unhurt in the incident, but 80 percent of his apartment was destroyed, Eatontown, New Jersey police told the newspaper.

The accident occurred as Maceda was spraying for pests in his kitchen. Somehow the bug spray ignited a blast that blew out the apartment’s front windows and triggered a fire that quickly spread, the newspaper said.

Police told the newspaper that the Saturday blaze also caused smoke damage to the apartment above.

Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080721/od_n…