Archive for August, 2010
Escaping Insect Bites
Last summer my family and I went camping on the banks of the Columbia River and it was a disaster. Ok, that may be a little drastic. We did spend four days on the water, the weather was gorgeous and we had some quality family bonding. The trouble came from the nasty insects—mainly mosquitoes—which were rampant at night.
Every morning we all awoke to a host of new mosquito bites, and by the time we left, our truck had several emptied bottles of calamine lotion. This year we’re returning to the same campground, but I’m going to be prepared this time around. I’ve purchased a Eureka screen tent, offering us a safe haven from the perils of the riverside insects.
Combating Vicious Mosquitoes
Last weekend my wife and I hosted our annual BBQ at our waterfront property on Lake Washington. Summer is just hitting its stride here in the Pacific Northwest, and the weather was gorgeous the entire day. But as you probably know, the combination of heat and water creates a hotbed of mosquito activity. And as soon as the sun began to set, the mosquitoes began to rear their ugly heads.
We tried everything to keep the mosquitoes at bay—candles, spray, those tiki torches—but to no avail. Finally I decided to go inside and pull out my secret weapon: the screen house. After setting up the screen house and bringing all of the food inside, we were able to enjoy the rest of the evening free of bug bites.