Why are some people mosquito magnets? Clues are emerging
- Thread starter Dr. Duck
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At a family reunion, I was nicknamed "Blue Plate Special".
Nothing, and I do mean nothing, compares with no-see-ums. It seems like in other parts of the country they are very seasonal, but in Florida and where I grew up in coastal South Carolina, I could swear they were present all year (except winter). If you don’t know what they are, here’s an article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...rvertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1
I got eaten alive by those things on a fishing trip in Alaska.
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Not quite the same species, but in northern Ontario, black flies are a similar scourge in the spring. Swamps and standing water everywhere.
Planning a trip to Canada in the next couple of years, so maybe I’ll find out, although I’ll be more in the Niagara Falls part of Canada.
Alaska is on my bucket list, but Florida is pretty dang far away. Did you cruise there or just fly in and stay?
I drove from the SE corner of Washington to Bellingham and took a ferry to Ketchikan AK. It was a 30 hour ride. I then took the ferry to Hollis. A friend met me there and we drove to the North end of Prince of Whales Island, about 80 miles or so.
At the time the outfitter was just getting started so it was very primitive... Tents, limited running water... It wasn't fancy at all. I LOVED it.
The journey back was Hollis to Ketchikan then an overnight ferry to Prince Rupert BC. In the morning I rode with one of the campers who was at the camp down through British Columbia. If you ever have the chance to drive from Prince Rupert to Prince George BC, I highly recommend it. We stopped in Cache Creek for the night then into the Fraser Valley and on to the border crossing near Bellingham.
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i have heard people from alaska refer to those alaskan mosquitos as B-52s... .. because they are huge and come in at you in swarms..... plus they also leave your skin looking like it suffered a carpet bombing attack... ........ they attack women far more often than men... .all mosquitos do... . 2 of the things that attract them are estrogen and cortisol.... .
i use deet any time we are in the rainforest - unless we are up there during heavy rains...heavy rain keeps them under control....... .... powedered sulfer like the kind used for controlling bugs around rose beds is also good if used on shoes and clothing... . just don;t apply it directly to skin.. .... eating garlic can help some people due to it;s natural sulfur content... ..
many years ago the blue/green/black variety of poison arrow frog was released into the hawaiian rainforests to control mosquitos... . .they proliferated and are there now in huge numbers.. but are hard to see due to their natural camo... ..it;s one of the few instances of introducing an alien species into an environment to control a pest that actually works and didn;t back fire....
My brother in law used to live near Anchorage. I've seen home movies taken from their place and the mosquitoes were BIG and plentiful. I've heard them referred to as the Alaska State bird.
The black flies in Ontario that Ransom referred to we're definitely there where I was in SE Alaska. I'm not sure what was biting me but they weren't easy to see and they hurt like the dickens.
Luckily, we stopped at the Canadian Tire in Prince George and I was able to pick up a big bottle of Gold Bond Medicated Lotion. That stuff was my best friend for the following week.
The black flies in Ontario that Ransom referred to we're definitely there where I was in SE Alaska. I'm not sure what was biting me but they weren't easy to see and they hurt like the dickens.
Luckily, we stopped at the Canadian Tire in Prince George and I was able to pick up a big bottle of Gold Bond Medicated Lotion. That stuff was my best friend for the following week.
I think I once saw a YouTube video about the ferry you went on. It was an affordable version of a cruise ship, if I’m thinking of the same thing. I’d probably go that route if I lived in the area you do, but not being a local, I have a feeling we’d probably fly into Seattle and go the cruise ship route. It’s on my bucket list, emphasis on me because my wife doesn’t want anything to do with a cold climate. We’ll get it done one day, but it will probably be down the road a bit.
The Alaska Marine Highway is a fantastic way to get up to Alaska from Washington. In 2004 it only cost $200. I was pleased to find that 22 years later fares start at $300. In this economy, that's very affordable. You aren't going to beat that.
It was an adventure. I brought a tent and set it up on the fantail so I didn't need to rent a stateroom. Saved some coin that way. Room on the fantail is first come first serve. I was one of the last so I ended up on an engine room access elevator. It was metal and it vibrated. But I had a good sleeping mat and my body was still young enough to tolerate that. The hidden benefit was the cover was warmed by the engine room, so even though it was misty and cold most of the time, my tent stayed dry and warm. If I needed more cushion, the lounge with recliners wasn't far away.
The scenery was unbelievable navigating between Vancouver Island and the BC coastline. In places, the channel were in narrowed down to being just a bit wider than the vessel.
The whole environment there was absolutely chill. Very quiet and not at all busy like you would expect on an actual cruise liner. Much more preferable to me.
We left Bellingham around 6pm... Sailed right by Point Roberts then Vancouver BC as the sun was setting. Surreal. I'd do it again, only this time I'd probably rent a stateroom.
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That’s great. Sounds like you made some lasting memories. I’m looking forward to getting there one day. I’ve never met anyone who regretted the trip, even when expensive.