Midges!

[slohairt]

Two billion? I'll fit them in my back pocket easily.

Back Pocket? What forum do you think you're on? You'd carry those midges to America in your sporran!

[Howard Clark]

I don't think I would try any 100% deet on an acrylic kilt. The stuff will eat many kinds of plastic.

There are all sorts of reasons why one might be using sodium hydroxide. None of them much fun, in my experience.

[Glen C]

I spend a lot of my summer and fall in northern Wisconsin half way between KEVINKINNY and SORCERERDALE, and I have to say our midges are harmless. But, we do have that dreaded Deerfly. They don't swarm like the midges and skeeters, but man one bite and your heading for the bar for some liquid pain killer.

[Cynthia]

Several years ago, my hubby and I went to Chicago (he's from there) and he took me to Volo Bog. At some point during our lovely walk around it, we ran into a swarm of deerfly (he says that's what they were). Anyway... OUCH! He wanted to take a photo of me being swarmed. No thank you... that's a memory I'd rather not have in detail (I remember enough, thank you) I could've punched his lights out for holding me up that long (and wanting to take a photo while I was in such pain) while I was just wanting to get out of there. I felt those things bite through my clothes! Eek!

[Christo13]

He wanted to take a photo of me being swarmed.

Even though it would have resulted in years of hearing how evil I was, I sooooooooooooo wish I had taken that photo!

Of course, since I was being swarmed, too, the photo of you probably wouldn't have turned out because there were flies all around me, blocking out the view!

Ah, good times! It really was a fun day...except for those flies!

[Cynthia]

I still feel like swatting you for even suggesting it, Christopher :P Heheh. Yeah, I don't know how you would've taken the photo. It would've have been interesting to see if one even turned out thanks to the huge cloud of flies swarming us.

Except for that little moment, it was a great day

[Niblox]

I was in Sri Lanka recently and they recommend an Ayurvedic preparation - citronella oil, prepared from a distillate of the skins of oranges and lemons. It smells a bit acrid (as well as of oranges / lemons) but it works like a charm!

[7 miles]

Any body else just start itching after reading this. In georgia we have a combo of "no-see-ums" or gnats mosquitos ,deer flies, and the smaller biting flies.

[Cynthia]

Yup! I feel the need to rub my arms, shudder, and take off into another room.

[canawler]

My wife has been living in PA (from Oklahoma) for about 12 years now and is still afraid to sit on the grass. She keeps mumbling something about "chiggers" ....