Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Nahanni Butte (Aug 05/05) - There are people waving away the bugs everywhere in the Deh Cho, but the little suckers don't come much worse than in Nahanni Butte this summer.

These are the hordes of blood-thirsty mosquitoes that Michael Pealow attracted when he exposed his hand for approximately 30 seconds near Nahanni Butte earlier this month.

Michael Pealow, a Fort Liard resident, said it's been a bad year for mosquitoes in his community "but Nahanni's worse."

He was there a few weeks ago on a canoe trip and described the infestation of flying parasites as "insane."

Priscilla Betsaka, who lives in Nahanni Butte, can attest to that. She said she stays indoors as much as possible to avoid the mosquitoes.

When she does venture into her backyard, she is sure to burn a pile of rotting wood. The smoke keeps the blood-hungry vermin away, she noted.

Betsaka doesn't always get the upper hand, though. She was out attempting to pick berries recently and was absolutely tormented by the relentless insects.

"I just gave up because they were even getting inside my bug jacket," she said. "They won. I just went home."

Nic Larter, regional biologist for the Deh Cho, chalks up the lofty number of mosquitoes to heavy bursts of rain throughout the spring and summer.

That creates pools of standing water, where mosquitoes breed, he noted. "Then boom, you've got a whole generation emerging," he said.

In Fort Providence, where swarms of black flies thrive every summer, some residents seem to have become desensitized to the pests.

Angie Matto doesn't bother with bug repellent or a bug jacket. Asked how she can tolerate the flies, she laughed and replied, "You've got to be a Dene."

Her husband, James, also offered some tongue-in-cheek philosophy. "Don't bother them and they won't bother you," he advised, smiling.

He did provide insight into one natural method for warding off the flies. Bending over to pluck some greenery from the ground, he demonstrated how a white, liquid substance can be squeezed from its roots. He suggested rubbing a bit of it on one's skin.

"It works pretty good," he said.

Repellent or no repellent, the good news is that the flying parasite population should expire over the next few weeks.

The bad news is that warm summer days and long hours of sunshine are also drawing to a close.