I was up late working, candles lit, the balcony door open, when I heard that familiar, annoying “bzzzzzzzz” near my ear. Not the kind of buzz you hear from a fly or a bee, but that awful, high pitched one that grates on my nerves every time. I turned on the light and saw my first baby mosquito of the spring. It’s officially mosquito mating season in Buenos Aires.
Ever the vain and always-prepared milonguera, I immediately grabbed my repellent (Off! Cosmetic) and slapped it on my legs as thickly as possible, to avoid any bites which I know would otherwise result in unsightly, itchy welts. I got out the mosquito incense and lit it. I also smashed about 4 or 5 other mosquitoes while I was at it.
This morning I woke up relatively bite free, just one small bite near my knee.
Mosquitoes love me. Apparently some people have something in their blood that attracts mosquitoes while other people do not. I do. And warm seasons can be exhausting for me as I fight to ward them off. I usually still get some bites, but if I didn’t do anything, I’d be far worse.
Sigh. Let the battle against the mosquitoes begin.
7 users responded in this post
Your blood is too sweet, you need to start taking bitters.
A friend of mine once shared a room with a guy who later was diagnosed as diabetic. He could hear the mosquitos enter the room, approach him, then veer quickly away towards the other guy.
I have a similar problem. Mosquitos see my body as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Scott and i may be right next to each other, and they will all leave him alone, and commence to eat me alive.
try to avoid eating bananas – it may help. Also, citronella is a natural mosquito repellant.
That sound is enough to drive me screaming from the room, or become a head- and face-slapping lunatic…
That having been said, I read somewhere that it has something to do with a B vitamin deficiency – B6 or B12.
Good thing it is raining today!
Two years ago I invested in screens. That was money well spent. No more summer nights with mosquitos biting my legs!!!
I was advised by folks in Costa Rica to take tiamina ( thiamine) tablets. That is a B Vitamin, I believe, and it worked at the beach.
Mosquito netting or screens, and B vitamins… I’ll give it a try!
Thanks everybody!
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