No Mosquitoes for Me, Thank You!

You do not have to suffer from mosquito stings. If you correct the underlying nutritional deficiency, the little pests won't come near you.

Series on Mosquito Protection

This is the first in a series of articles on protection against mosquitoes and other pests, including intestinal worms. It talks about making sure that you do not get stung personally. The second article shows how you can protect your pets and yourself from external and internal pests. The third article shares something which I have just learned by observation this summer, how to keep mosquitoes off your property. The other two articles are linked below.

Mosquito Pests

I did not know what a real mosquito was until my family came to Canada almost half a century ago. The cute little swirling insects which I had seen in Germany certainly never bit anyone. It seems that insects grow into huge monsters on this continent to keep pace with the vastness of the landscape. No one ever pays attention to the German midget insects. I did not even know that they sting people. All I remember is the high-pitched buzzing sound of a swarm as it circled my head, and that happened only twice in 17 years. During my first summer on this continent, I was a mother's helper at Victoria Beach, a resort on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg. Within a few days of arriving there, I was unable to see my ankles, because they were covered with dozens and maybe even hundreds of stings upon stings. I scratched till I bled to relieve the itching.

Mosquito Repellents

No one used repellents in those days. My employer was a dermatologist who did not allow his children to be exposed to any poisons, and I was treated like family. People then believed that the poisons were more harmful than the stings. I agree with them. I do not even go near people who use chemical repellents, because the fumes make breathing difficult for me.

Relief at last

After 20 years of itching, one summer night I became aware that I was no longer bothered by the pests. Here is what happened. We were camping at a popular retreat in Minnesota, and I was not getting any sleep on account of the noise from the other campers. I therefore left the comfort of the tent and took my Toyota Corolla to a secluded spot in the bush, put the passenger seat down, stretched out, and slept like a baby. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by the buzzing noise of hundreds of mosquitoes. When I turned on the light, I watched them settling against the roof of the car. With the help of a terry-towel I became a mass murderer that night. The light green roof was covered with red splotches, my blood.

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