The Mosquito...and no, that's not his blood in his belly
FUN FACTS:
Mosquitos come out to eat us during the warmer weather, unfortunately, exactly the time we want to be out in shorts and short sleeves , exposing 75% of our edible areas.
They are attracted to our body heat, sweat, carbon dioxide and certain body odors. They have sensors that can detect when humans exhale.
Our sweat increases our lactic acid levels which mosquitos can't resist.
Our personal body products also attract these dangerous pests, too. Our floral hair shampoos, conditioners and body lotions practically scream come 'n get it!
Alcohol increase your body temperature so when we sweat while drinking alcohol, researchers suggest that the alcohol may make our sweat sweeter .
Did you know...
Mosquitos can smell their victims from over 160 feet away?
The common horsefly or "greenhead" Fly
Fun Facts:
Sweat and saltwater on skin attract greenhead flies. These relentless hunters make beaches their prime hunting grounds and your family their prime prey.
Greenhead flies are also attracted to dark clothes and strong aromas from perfumes and hair products.
When biting you, a female greenhead fly will dive right in, like right in your face, with absolutely no fear. She will cut through your skin like a ninja and inject an antiseptic saliva that causes us to bleed "better."
Greenheads are smaller than most horseflies, more the size of a housefly, but carry huge and extremely painful bites. You never have to wonder if you just got bit by a greenhead.
Greenheads are considered to be aggressive and difficult to control, and are most prevalent on hot, sunny, windless days.
While male greenheads feed on pollen and plant nectars, it's the females that aggressively feed on our blood. They are relentless and will continue to bite until they succeed in procuring your blood or are killed...OR... hear me out...a third option...Adiós! Mo Skitos!
Just repel the greenheads and horseflies. It's so much easier. Being proactive and rubbing in some Adiós! Mo Skitos! is a lot easier than having to continually suffer painful bites. Not to mention how they can disrupt that relaxing mood you were going for at the beach.
Why wait until after they have already done their damage to take them on?
Why wait until after they have inflicted their pain and injected you with whatever germs they happen to be carrying?
Why wait?
HEY! HERE'S AND IDEA
...Pick up a bottle or two of Adiós! Mo Skitos! Save being eaten alive by bugs for another time...and keep your plasma to yourself!
The Infamous no-see-um
Fun Facts:
Adult no-see-ums, also known as biting midges, sand flies, or punkies, feed on the blood of humans and other animals.
No-see-ums is short for nobody sees them. I don't know if that is true or not, but it seems reasonable to me. These clever blood suckers have perfected the age-old skill of apex predators: by the time we realize they are on us, it's too late.
While both male and female no-see-ums feed on plant nectar, females are the only no-see-um that bite and feed on blood. During a bite, a female no-see-um will inject her saliva under our skin, which pools the blood and makes it easier for her to eat us. Yuck.
No-see-ums are attracted to the scent of our skin. Each and every one of our pores are giving off the smell probably like a steak house to them. The simple answer is be like Rambo and camouflage yourself by camouflaging your scent. It really is that simple. Your choice is what to put on your skin in order to do just that.
No-see-um are most active in early mornings and evenings during summer months and in warmer climates.
No-see-ums are also attracted to warm-blooded animals, body heat, and carbon dioxide emissions. Guess what...humans have all that stuff, too.
I learned that...
A no-see-um bite can be more painful than a mosquito bite and leaves an itchy, red bump on the skin that can swell into welts and last for up to two weeks. This writer was bitten and suffered two weeks in Honduras with a red welt the size of a 50 cent piece on the center on my neck. You know, the look every woman shoots for while she's on vacation.
The Tick.
Fun Facts:
I looked for the most disgusting picture of a tick biting someone I could find on IStock and, to me, this pic won hands down.
Ticks are external parasites that live by drinking the blood of mammals, birds, deer and humans.
Ticks are widely distributed around the world, especially in warm, humid climates.
Ticks cause Lyme Disease.
Ticks cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Ticks are second only to mosquitos in spreading disease to humans.
Ticks are related to spiders and have eight legs They have flat, oval bodies that bloat up after a big meal.
A bite from the Lone Star tick causes a red meat allergy. Although there is no cure, the effects usually fade over time and the victim will eventually be able to eat red meat.
According to the Mayo Clinic...
In the United States, the number of people diagnosed with tick-borne diseases has increased. In the years between 2004 and 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that tick-borne diseases rose from about 22,500 cases to about 50,800 cases. As of 2019, Lyme disease is the most often diagnosed tick-borne illness.
The flea..have you ever seen one up close?
Fun Facts:
Fleas...there are about 2,500 species.
Fleas are parasites and live by ingesting or eating the blood of me, you, our families, our pets, birds and almost any other living thing with blood.
Fleas lack wings; their hind legs are extremely well adapted for jumping. Their claws keep them from being dislodged, and their mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking your blood.
They can leap 50 times their body length, a feat second only to jumps made by another group of insects, the superfamily of froghoppers.
Fleas are brown, and have bodies that are "flattened" sideways or narrow, enabling them to move through their hosts' fur or feathers.
According to the Mayo Clinic...
A person can get typhus, flea-borne spotted fever and cat scratch disease by coming in contact with infected fleas. The bacteria that causes typhus can be found in the feces of some fleas, and these bacteria can spread to the skin surface when the fleas bite. Plague is a serious illness that mostly live in small rodents and their fleas.
When you're in the outdoors, being proactive is being safe.
Please pick up a bottle of Adiós! Mo Skitos! and keep your plasma to yourself.
(So, did those pics get your attention or what?)