• Thursday-What'sUP June 12 - 11:43 pm

That's right, there's a sure-fire way to combat against the ever rising bug population here in the Keweenaw right now. Just follow the lead of this kitty, Peg Hardt caught lazily stretched out in front of the patio doors...stay inside! That's probably the best defense, since the mosquito and black fly population seem to have exploded here in the last few days. Even if you haven't been bothered by bugs, the feline pictured can teach you something about how to relax, just stretch out in your favorite chair and watch the world go by.

What a cute kitty!! They're so smart. They know they'll be served whatever and whenever they want to, right Mary?

I got an email awhile back about using Bounce dryer sheets for wasps, etc...and I had the wasps hanging around the front door...so I tucked a few around and they are GONE!

So...one day while out mowing and working on the flower bed, I tucked a Bounce sheet up under my hat...half sticking out...I worked outside for 8 hours, and not one bite.

GREAT picture...I read a quote the other day that goes:

"THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, CATS WERE WORSHIPPED AS GODS. CATS HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THIS."

(That's for sure!)

A friend of mine is a botanist, out in the field all day, all spring, and he swears by Bounce. Snopes.com, the myth debunking website, has anectodal info that it doesn't work but doesn't totally dispute it. Another website noted that body chemistry has a lot to do with who gets bit, so maybe chemistry plays a part here, too.

Fill a spray bottle with regular Listerine. Use around your seating or working area.

I can go outside here and get bit right away. My friend here can go out for hours and not get one bite at all. I think body chemistry does have a lot to do with it. Recently I did hear about an old remedy for bugs biting though. Every morning take one teaspoon full of vinegar. Not sure how well it works but I may give it a try. Anyone else ever hear about this or have tried it?
Have a good day all!
Renee

I rec'd the following message in an e-mail the other day about Listerine.
Mosquito spray.....
I can't wait to try this in the summer!
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.
During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.

Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

You are nobody until you've been ignored by a cat....

The cat looks like he's going to sick his staff on the paparazzi. They just love windows.

Does it have to be "Listerine" or will the wal-mart brand work? I just went around locating all my bottles of bug spray and citronella candles. I got a mosquito bite on my knuckle and my heel, my sanity is barely there right now.

I like how the cat matches the decor.

Langoman, Snopes.com doesn't like the Listerine thing or Lemon Joy. http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/dishsoap.asp

I tried the Bounce thing just this morning with those awful gnats (or as UPers call them black flies) And it worked for me. For what it's worth.

I once was told that if you spray your sitting area outside with Listerine (original) that the mosquitos will not bother you, I would think you can put it on your clothing also???
It's worth a shot.

I fall back every year on my old reliable: antihistamine cream applied liberally wherever black flies bite. It keeps most from biting and prevents the allergic reaction if they do. Against mosquitoes I use deet; against no-see-ums nothing works as they seem to target the whole body, and I don't want the cream all over.

I guess I should read all the messages before I post a comment. My bad!

I use the Listerine sprayed on my arms (shirtsleeves) and on my cap, over and under the bill, and the back, and the front of my shirt. the bugs come to look, but they don't come back. I had been bitten by the black flies many times on my walks before I remembered to do the Listerine thing. It really works!

This looks amazing for flies! The testimonial page is also
interesting with variations.

ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/deerfly_trap.htm

ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/deer-fly-testimonial.htm

oh if you drink a lot of sugary stuff also that does attract the bugs too! they can sniff it out trust me, probably why you get bitten.

haha my cats get whatever they want, they are spoiled. they even fight over which window they are going to sit in to catch some sun.