It’s a bad year for mosquitoes, especially in the Yukon.
The biggest mosquitoes I’ve ever seen in my life were in Watson Lake, Yukon. We arrived there in the VW Camper sometime in 1993, our daughter still tiny, and had to set up camp without any of us getting eaten alive. The air was thick with them and we sat inside our van making a plan. We had the handy “Pack & Play” playpen which we usually popped our kiddo into to keep her safe while we got organized, but this time, we had to absolutely cover the playpen with mosquito netting. I joked they could carry her away. We’ve never moved so fast. When we were ready to bring her back inside the van, we did a rock/paper/scissors to see who would go out in the swarm.
She did not have a single bite. A proud parenting moment indeed.
Fun fact: I recently learned that caribou behaviour is very much determined by mosquitoes. Like us, they want to get away from them. That’s why they hang out on ridges where the wind might give them some relief.
Another fun fact: The best advertisement ever created in my opinion was for Off. Remember the bare arm in the clear cage swarming with mosquitoes? That poor arm. But then, the arm goes back in, this time, sprayed with off and … voila! They don’t bite! They don’t even light!
FYI: My husband likes to claim that his uncle Jim was the man with his arm in the cage, which is hilarious and I’m not saying if it’s true. But try making the claim if you need to liven up a social situation or are playing “Two Truths and a Lie.” It’s a good one. (But which is it? A truth or a lie?)
DEET is allegedly okay to use says a recent NYT article. People worry that it causes cancer or whatever, but the worst thing about it seems to be the smell. Says the expert in the article: “The whole point of smelling unpleasant is you’re not the only one that thinks that….Insects do, too….That includes other bugs like ticks, fleas and biting flies.” The risk of insect borne illness is probably worse than the risk of DEET. In a nut shell, says the article, don’t use more than recommended, don’t spray it in your eyes or mouth and definitely don’t swallow it.
DEET does smell terrible and also leaves my skin kind of sticky. Between that and the sunscreen and not knowing when my next shower might be, it all gets a bit much. So I tend to spray it on my clothes instead of directly on me, especially on my hat. But DEET is no match for Yukon mosquitoes. I know this already. So I have the suit. I will be a kind of superhero in it, repelling mosquitoes.
By the time I come home, I imagine my mosquito suit is likely to have been enhanced by duct tape. It will get increasingly ridiculous. But I believe in the mosquito suit. My suit will protect me. I’ll repeat it like a mantra.
Behold me in my glory!
Me Mosquito Free