Question of The Day. Saturday the 16th of May.

[dejolane]

ants,roaches

 

[mani]

Scorpions... we used to have little ones in our outside loo when I lived in a share house in my 20s... It was scary....

 

[Kat0121]

It's pretty much bug season all the time in Florida. I loathe mosquitoes but I also hate the bigger bugs that we see here. Especially the American Cockroach (often referred to as the palmetto bug). It's not nearly as invasive as it's German cousins but it makes up for it in size and grossness. They can grow to the size of a Bic lighter. Want some?  

 

 

[swampwitch]

Another mosquito-hater here, too. Their stupid bites itch for two weeks! Thank goodness for epsom salt baths.

I haven't seen many mosquitos in this area, though, I think the wind from the ocean blows them away, but the few times we have had them in the house I've been shocked how difficult they are to kill here. They have some really tough armour-like exoskeletons! When I'd slap a mosquito in Texas, all that was left was a spot of black powder (and maybe a little blood), but here I have slapped them HARD six times or more, and they just keep flying away again! It's crazy.

Yesterday I was reading about planting certain herbs to keep mosquitos away from an area. Rubbing the leaves on your skin is supposed to help, too, and catnip is one of the plants that mosquitoes dislike.

 

[mani]

 
Another mosquito-hater here, too. Their stupid bites itch for two weeks! Thank goodness for epsom salt baths.

I haven't seen many mosquitos in this area, though, I think the wind from the ocean blows them away, but the few times we have had them in the house I've been shocked how difficult they are to kill here. They have some really tough armour-like exoskeletons! When I'd slap a mosquito in Texas, all that was left was a spot of black powder (and maybe a little blood), but here I have slapped them HARD six times or more, and they just keep flying away again! It's crazy.

Yesterday I was reading about planting certain herbs to keep mosquitos away from an area. Rubbing the leaves on your skin is supposed to help, too, and catnip is one of the plants that mosquitoes dislike.

@SwampWitch Sundar came up as allergic to mossie bites so I planted out the cat enclosure with all sorts of things that were meant to deter mosquitoes ... It didn't make a scrap of difference... I think the leaves of that kind of plant have to be broken to have the best effect.

 

[Norachan]

 
@SwampWitch Sundar came up as allergic to mossie bites so I planted out the cat enclosure with all sorts of things that were meant to deter mosquitoes ... It didn't make a scrap of difference... I think the leaves of that kind of plant have to be broken to have the best effect.

My brother, who lives on the East coast of Australia, says the best thing for mosquito bites is to scratch them until they bleed and then go for a swim in the ocean. I don't know how he's managed to survive this long without getting eaten by a shark.

 

[mani]

 

 
@SwampWitch Sundar came up as allergic to mossie bites so I planted out the cat enclosure with all sorts of things that were meant to deter mosquitoes ... It didn't make a scrap of difference... I think the leaves of that kind of plant have to be broken to have the best effect.

My brother, who lives on the East coast of Australia, says the best thing for mosquito bites is to scratch them until they bleed and then go for a swim in the ocean. I don't know how he's managed to survive this long without getting eaten by a shark.

He has a point (and we're not that riddled with sharks over here @Norachan

) but he may not even have to do the bleeding thing.  I have a very odd 'sun allergy'.. if I expose skin to the sun that hasn't seen it for a while I come up in huge welts that are almost unbearably itchy.  Once it happened while I was down at the beach.  It was so dreadful I stripped off and dove into the ocean and stayed there.  The welts went down, the itching stopped and when I came out of the water the sun didn't affect me, even when I'd dried off.   I now swear by 'Ocean Therapy'  (although, if I'm just out in the garden it works just to tip salt water over myself).

 

[Docs Mom]

I can't even say the word...so I use spanish. la cucaracha (sp?) Now if I look down again and see long folded legs...ah....just a cricket !

Centipedes too... not too many around my part of Indiana.