“Mosquitoes remind us that we are not as high up on the food chain as we think” - Tom Wilson


Every once in a while TEB has to travel inland to pay a visit to land-locked relatives. I traveled 200 miles north last weekend to attend a family picnic at my cousin's house located in Levy County.   Like most of the southeastern US, the Nature Coast of Florida has been experiencing drought-like conditions for several years now. Thanks to Tropical Storm Debby, Florida got a much needed drenching.  Everything is green & growing, the frogs are croaking in crescendo, and the mosquitoes are proliferating  with a vengeance.  My weekend in the swampy coastal hammock where my cousin lives was in the state of mosquito plague. 

 My cousin's cousin came with his mosquito truck and blew around the property...twice.  My cousin's husband donned his full body mosquito net suit that he uses for hunting and sprayed the perimeter of the house with a hand-held fogger.  I doused myself in my fancy botanical insect repellent made from Lemon Eucalyptus.  The little buggers actually yelled "sucker" at me before they covered ever available uncovered fleshy surface of my body.  I upgraded my defense to Cutter Deep Woods with deet.  I figured my malathion intake from breathing the mosquito fogger would make the deet issue a moot point.  Swarms of blood-sucking, disease-carrying insects aside the week-end was a wonderful family get together.  

One of my favorite stops in Blogville lives in the same neck of the woods.  Pure Florida  is a 10th generation native  Floridian who worked as a National Park Service Ranger for 8 years.  He now works as a high school science teacher.  His blog is an enjoyable look at the real Florida through the eyes of someone who loves the land and the creation it contains.  He has a fancy little camera that shoots some really cool video too.  His latest post contains a video of his take on the mosquito eruption.  Take time to peruse his archives to experience some really authentic Florida culture from Datil peppers that he grows and makes into hot sauce to zip lining, rattlesnakes, shrimping on the St. Johns River to snorkling videos of springs and Cedar Key.

I donned my mosquito gear to get a foto of the owls hanging out in the front yard.

He doesn't look too happy about the mosqitoes either.

The latest fashion in mosquito chic from Gulf Hammock, Florida.

Comments

  1. gpcJuly 10, 2012 at 5:36 PM

    Hate them. (shudder) I saw a video from Alaska once where they seem to be as big as birds. I simply don't see their divine purpose. (speaking of which, the Shadow seems to have disappeared from bloggiland, I hope all is well.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. DellaJuly 10, 2012 at 9:38 PM

    Mosquitoes are truly the enemy. We are very fortunate in our central FL location to not have too much of a problem with them, or I'm not out when they are. Whichever it is, I am grateful!

    Hope you had a good time despite the little buggers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kim@Snug HarborJuly 10, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    Karen, you look like a bee keeper! LOL! No mosquitoes here yet, but then, its been unusually dry, so maybe that's why.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ~Lavender Dreamer~July 11, 2012 at 8:55 AM

    It was a treat to see the owls! I hope you had a fun visit...I love that area! And I'll keep the 'OFF' handy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. iheartsunnydaysJuly 11, 2012 at 9:25 AM

    Living in the tropics of far northern Australia we have to put up with mozzies most of the year and I hate them with a passion, even though they love me to bits! I could be sitting outside with hubby and get attacked whilst not one even lands on hubby. Annoying little monsters! How cool to have owls in the trees - would've been better if they ate the mozzies for you :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. JaneJuly 11, 2012 at 11:21 PM

    We're having problems with mosquitos, too!!! And with the continued rain (not complaining, mind you) they are everywhere! The Cutter yard spray has not particularly helped. (Our whole back yard is woods and now bogs) No matter what we do, those buggers are getting inside! Yikes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. rjerdeeJuly 12, 2012 at 10:05 PM

    yikes!!!! i'm so afraid of mosquitoes and all the diseases the carry, especially when it comes to little grandsons and all their love for being outdoors in the summer...so glad they live in town where mosquito control helps...

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownApril 1, 2013 at 2:28 PM

    Aside from frogs and other living creatures that feed on mosquitoes and insects, no one ever liked the idea of them around. We should keep our home free from mosquitoes to keep ourselves safe. Start by cleaning your surroundings, planting plants that repel insects and wear insect repellents for added protection.

    -Maurise Gelman

    ReplyDelete

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