On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:38:00 -0400, "mmc" wrote:


Vic,
Try looking like a local next time, the bugs are trained to eat tourists and
condo dwellers. Black socks and shorts are a key ID feature for tourists and
condo dwellers.

That was the only time I wore them outside. And the worse time to
wear them. Don't like shorts, but the wife is always tries laying
them out for me. I bit this time - and got bit back.

All kidding aside, Avon Skin So Soft is great stuff for keeping the bugs
away.

Met a sailor down there who said the same thing. I'm going to get
some.
We were talking about no-see-ums. He said the worst time for them was
at dusk and dawn.
A few got me on the arms, but since I wore jeans all the time when
fishing, never felt them there. I usually wear a long-sleeve shirt
when fishing but it was so damn hot down there I was in a t-shirt.
Wife used DEET and started calling it no-see-um food.

We have a city owned island (only boat access - no bridge) that is a nature
reserve on this side of Florida and the last time we went was during the
week when the place was empty, saw gopher tortuses, armadillo, osprey,
buzzerds, mocking birds, bluejays, finches, etc, etc. during a 1 hour walk.
Daybreak is a much better time to see wildlife but I can't get the boat
loaded (people) that early.

We found a pretty good nature park at Ponce de Leon with most of those
critters and it was likewise empty of people. No bugs there.
This place I got ate up was basically an undeveloped few acres right
in the town. Had maybe 6 parking slots, a nice sign.
Here's the sign, with wife next to it. Only pic we got there. She
liked the pastels.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...t/IMG_1604.jpg
They whacked a narrow trail into the brush/mangroves and laid down
some gravel.
We laugh about this"idyllic" pic, because less than a minute later we
entered the trail, got attacked within 20 feet, and were running like
hell out of that place.
Jumped real quick into the car, floored it and kept on screaming as we
escaped the vicinity. Lucky I didn't get a ticket.
Never saw so many bugs light on me at once.
Sure did change the "ambience" of my vacation, what with me itching to
get on vacation, then really itching all through my vacation.
Pretty sure this is what got me,
http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatu...stock/bfly.htm
Seems to fit. It was pretty wet down there.
They didn't get my wife, it was skeeters that attacked her, but not
bad.
She was back a bit from me, because after the skeeters started on her
she stopped and didn't want to go further after 10 feet in.
I hadn't even seen a skeeter and went ahead another 10 feet to show
her there was nothing to it.
You can hardly feel these things bite. By the time I felt anything my
legs were black with them. Itching started within a minute, and
lasted almost 2 weeks.
Think I got enough of whatever they inject that it tired me out a bit,
and made me drink more beer than I otherwise would.
Reduces the itching after 4 or 5. Or maybe you just don't know you're
scratching.
If I'd been wearing long pants and shirt, it would have been a
non-event.
Would have just backed out of there slow and easy.

--Vic