Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 2004 01:37:16 -0400
Reply-To:     Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject:      Re: Eliminating mosquitoes while camping
In-Reply-To:  <005801c4656d$b978d140$29e379a5@jw1dy3621>
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Boy, have I been dealing with these little suckers this year?
I really wanted to believe in this "cure".

The Westy has been pretty much modified to satisfy SWMBO in order to make
her feel that the two year old is "safe" from West Nile while camping.  We
added a no-seeum netting under the sliding door curtain (very nice for
keeping the door open and the bugs out).  I also did the in-place
replacement of the pop top screen so that we now have a functional bug
screen up there. And finally I was able to make the original sky light
screen stick to the pop top ceiling by replacing the original Velcro® to
eliminate the free pass the bugs had inside from there.

At the cabin things are MUCH worse. I have for the first time in the four
years of seasonal habitation noticed that the buggers are coming up through
the floor boards of the porch (2 x 12 with a 3/16" gap). I almost broke my
neck jumping up to check our pantry for the "right" dish detergent after
reading the first post about this subject. I envisioned myself dropping and
smashing more than one of her Willams-Sonoma white French plates ("You took
THOSE to the cabin?").  I even had to go back and retract the original post
that I had forwarded to my family (who know very well about my mosquito
problem).  Inside the screened in porch,  I have resorted to burning those
incense coils that worked moderately well on my patio in FL in a past life.
They help, but outside it's a bloodbath!  I use some of my son's Marine Corp
super DEET salve every time that I mow.(For those of you that know that I
was in the USN...no, I didn't raise a jarhead...he is a Corpsman.. he just
"looks" like a jarhead).
I should buy stock in the makers of Deep Woods OFF®. DEET is the only solace
I can offer to the pre-bitten; at my getaway, there is no such person as the
unbitten.  Fortunately for Spencer (the two y.o.), the latest pediatric
association finding on DEET is that when used properly, at the correct
dosages, it does no harm to the post 18 month old (ingestion
notwithstanding). Bat boxes are a long term project. For some upcoming
activities I am very close to varying my usual "no chemical sprays" stance
for at least a short term application of the back yard stuff that works for
a day or so.  
If any of you have a solution to this bane and blight. Please post.  SOON.
Thanks.
-- 
Stephen
Chillicothe OH