Phil Duffy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 25/01) - Tis the season not to be jolly, but to give blood involuntarily to the endless hordes of mosquitos, black flies, horse flies, deer flies, ticks, lice, fleas, no-seeums, etc.
Except for the legendary swarming black flies of North Ontario, where else in Canada but the North would insects make you run for your very life?
Andre Corriveau is the Chief Health Officer for the NWT and has witnessed first- hand the damage a ravenous swarm of insects can inflict.
"Children are always the ones who suffer the most when it comes to bug bites," said Corriveau, who then ticked off the reasons.
"Parents aren't always aware of a child's specific allergies, toddlers make an easier target, and a child is more likely to contract an infection due to scratching insect bites."
This time of year in the North is when the mosquito raises her tiny annoying head. (males don't bite, they are just there for breeding purposes.)
"Something a lot of people don't know is that the mosquito doesn't require a whole lot of water to breed."
"Unlike the horse or deer fly that stick mainly to larger bodies of water to reproduce, a mosquito can lay its eggs in the moisture left in a discarded soda can," said Corriveau.
When it comes to ways of relieving the burning itch that can accompany even one insect bite prevention is the key.
The choices one has for repelling airborn bloodsuckers are seemingly limitless. In any Northern drugstore worth its salt you will find everything from coils and citron candles, to mesh suits, to bug spray powerful enough to kill a flying musk ox.
"Raymond Bourget is a wildlife officer for Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development and has spent enough time in the NWT wilderness to have an extensive collection of traditional native remedies.
"Some say that to prevent yourself from becoming drained of blood by insects you can rub yourself with oils based on the scent glands of different animals," said Bourget.
"Other communities claim that eating things like citrus rinds or garlic will ward off the little vampires. As far as damage control goes, rubbing mud, garlic, or calamine lotion on are the popular remedies," he added.
The oldest known remedies are the thumbnail trick, and the old easy-to-say, "leave them alone" advice.
