Whup-a-Bug

Yes, it’s that time of year again. What? Christmas already? No, not the winter holiday season that seems to move closer and closer to Labor Day every year. I’m talking bug season. Yes, that time of year when the humidity rises and mosquitoes, deer flies, and horse flies buzz your body from your ears to your ankles. In my case, it was my big toe, and after a chomping bite from a horse fly, it was my big, big, deformed looking toe. Nothing like a swollen appendage to set my husband off, sometimes I think he married me just to enjoy the humor of my sensitive skin. Well, as long as it makes him happy….*cough*

As everyone in Florida and possibly other locales can attest, the bugs are here and we humans (along with our dogs and equines) are apparently fair game. So, what do we do about them? I hate using repellent because of the chemicals and the stickiness, but if we’re going to be out for a while I’ll go for it. I have found that if am bitten and can wash the area right away with soap and water or even rub some alcohol on it (a single malt scotch whisky works best) a bite won’t usually form. But, in the case of the dreaded horsefly, nothing was stopping that puppy from surfacing in a really big way.

So what’s a good approach to keeping bugs off and avoiding the chemicals? That’s not a rhetorical question; I’m really hoping you’ll answer it. I mean come on, I told you about washing bites and everything, the least you can do is share some good avoidance advice.

My friend Heidi, “hey, Heidi!” told me about Whup-a-Bug. As much as I love the name (it sounds like you’re going to open up a can of whoop-a$$ on some insects, oh, I’m bad, bad to the mosquito slappin' bone), I’m wondering how well it works. I recently heard something that said unless the repellent has DEET; it’s not worth the money. Can anyone verify or refute this claim of DEET supremeness?