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Karen’s Corner: Bug Bites?

May 5, 2024

Bug Bites?

I’m stopping by with a few quick tips to keep those pesky bugs away from you.

In addition to mosquitos sometimes being fierce where I live, I was once bitten by a tiny Midge Fly in my eye, which necessitated a trip to the emergency room. I had lived here 15 years and never encountered one. The ER doctor could see where a tiny chunk had been bitten out of my eyeball. It was painful and my eyelid was swollen for several days. I had been just sitting, enjoying my container garden at the front door.

Here is an article about them, but you can find many others on your own. https://www.healthline.com/health/fly-bites#biting-midges

How to Be Proactive and Avoid Insect Bites and Stings

Remove any standing water from the area

If you have a water fountain, consider using these ‘mosquito dunks” which will kill mosquito larvae, but are non-toxic and will not harm birds or plants. They can be found on Amazon or at most home improvement stores.

Wear light color clothing

Dark clothing attracts biting flies! Add a hat with protective netting, if desired. (I found my mosquito hat on Amazon for less than $10.) This mosquito hat on Amazon is currently around $14, but keep your eyes peeled for sales.

Burn mosquito repellant incense sticks

These “Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Incense Sticks” last up to 2.5 hours and come in a variety of scents (another Amazon find).

*Image: a packet of Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Incense Sticks*

Use tea tree oil

Before going into the garden, mix a few drops of Tea Tree oil with a teaspoon of your favorite body lotion and apply anywhere you have exposed skin. It will repel mosquitos, gnats, and flies. Here’s a photo of my Tea Tree Essential Oil:

Small glass container (100ml) of Tea Tree Essential Oil

Enjoy your garden!

Karen

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Have you tried any of these tips? Do you have questions! We’d love to hear from you. Comment below!

about the author

A black woman wearing a grey headband and silver earrings is smiling at the camera. She has grey hair styled in long thin locs and is wearing a blue jean jacket. There is green grass and sunshine in the background.

Hello! I’m Karen. The basics: happily married 33 years, 2 adult sons, and 2 adopted dogs (now 12 & 13); retired (twice) as an Operations Manager for a giant telecom company; post 2nd retirement went on to teach middle school Special Education (loved it) until my diagnosis with SCA III around 2009. I love just learning and all things creative. My hobbies include photography, furniture & decor up-cycling, gardening, dog behavior-modification training and genealogy. An absolute favorite item I hope to review is the Aerogarden indoor hydroponic gardening unit, which makes growing anything indoors from seed, flowers to salad greens & tomatoes, a breeze! My mantras: Someone said, “I don’t know how you do it.” I said, “I wasn’t given a choice.” And from poet Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”