You know, the more I hear from friends back home, the more I can't stand mosquitoes. I am getting spoiled in WA, and am really going to hit the roof when I get swarmed by those blood suckers when I return.

Are they bad this year yet?

m

   

Well hear in southern manitoba, the mosqitoes were virtually non existent up until this past weekend. We had a very hot day around 30 degrees and that evening they began to come out like crazy. Me and my buddies were drinking on the deck so we were lucky we had some mosqitoe candles. They kept most of em away but the few that got close didn't really bite. When it got dark, we made a fire and the pests never bugged us so it was alright. And I have alot of stagnent water behing my house in the bush so there are alot of mosqitoes.

To sum it up, they are hear and their presence is pretty much like every other year. The bugs I hate are bees and pine beetles. They always seem to land on or near you and they can sting lol.

   

Well its been as ugly as an ass here lately. We havent had very many days with a temperature over 20. Plus alot of rain, so there is alot of water laying around. Its starting to warm up, so theyre really starting to come out. Its going to be getting really bad.

   

Abouts the same here in good ol Saskatoon.

   

I left Winnipeg in February and traded West Nile for Dengue Fever. However I bought one of those bug zappers and enjoy listening to the sound of the little bastards frying. lately , it has been too wet for even the mosquitos.

   

Blackflies have been bad here, but I've only seen one or two mosquitos.

Have you ever seen those handheld bug zappers that are like tennis racquets? The strings are rows of wire, and you swat at the bugs, and it zaps them at the same time. I'm pretty sure Canadian Tire had them.

They pack quite a punch though, so not a kids toy... but drinking beer around the campfire, after all the bugs are gone, it's waaay too tempting to zap the guy next to you

I tell you, with one of them in your hands, there can't be ENOUGH bugs around!!

   

Last time i went camping we put a couple in my buddy's sleeping bag. Even after a dozen beers he moved quick. They pack a nasty little zap

   

No Mosquitoes in NS and few black flies so far. THe Wood Ticks are CRAZY this year. I must have seen 10 between my dog and my kids. One was the size of my thumb.

   

Once you find one tick crawling on you you have the heebee jeebies for hours afterwards

   

No matter which province I am in, I will always get bitten by some rotten bug - even when I am on a beautiful tropical island and not one other person gets a bite, I manage to get multiple bites that are itchy and huge! I have a trap called Mosquito Magnet ( www.mosquitomagnet.com ) which keeps mosquitos & other bugs away. It really works and you can buy them direct from the wholesaler in Toronto if anybody is interested - [email protected] .... [fade]good luck to all tasty-blooded people all over the world![/fade]