July 9, 2009

Are the little critters eatin' you up this summer? Here in Texas we're always trying to avoid mosquito bites and chigger bites. Sometimes we can avoid them, sometimes we can't. Either way, they're super annoying! You spend most of your time trying to swipe them from your face than actually being able to sit back and enjoy watching them fly around your garden. My absolute worst nightmare would be to come home one day and see a whole swarm of critters nesting in my home. Urgh, it's making me feel queasy just at the thought of this. In fact, it happened to my friend a couple of weeks ago. She found the likes of fleas, ticks, and cockroaches in some of the rooms in her house, and she tried everything she could to try and get rid of them but to no avail. It wasn't until she was able to get in touch with somewhere like https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/pest-control/ that they were eventually exterminated from her home for good. Phew! At least I know what to do if this situation happened to me, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can avoid this altogether. Anyway, I'm too focused on trying not to get bitten by mosquitos and chiggers that I simply don't want to add any other problems to my list.

Do other parts of the country have chiggers? If not, let me fill you in. These microscopic varmints will burrow under your skin, and STAY ALIVE! How gross is that? It's like the stories you hear about the bugs that lay eggs in peoples' eardrums or the worms that live in peoples' brains. Chiggers will drive you insane with the itching because they're squirming around under your skin! One of the home remedies for chigger bites it to kill them via suffocation by covering the chigger bite with clear nail polish. I kid you not.

Have you noticed that some people don't get snacked on by mosquitoes, and other people are devoured? I've heard that taking B vitamins makes your blood taste yukky to mosquitoes so they'll leave you alone if you're full of B. I've always taken B, but I don't know if that's why they neglect me or not, but I'm glad whatever the reason. Another home remedy I've heard of is to keep a dryer sheet in your pocket to repel bugs.

There are plenty of chemical-laden insect repellents on the market, but there are also some natural ones, which would be my preference. One is called Buzz Away. It's an all natural insect repellent without DEET. It's said to repel mosquitoes, black flies, fleas, gnats and ticks. Who wants those on their body? Not me.

Buzz Away Natural Insect Repellent

You can order through Buzz Away's web site, or at many local vitamin stores, health food shops and drugstores.

Have a good summer, and stop scratching that bite! It's gonna get infected!

~BigSis