This might seem like a strange subject to write about. However, I have recently had one bad experience after another with biting and stinging insects. I am a baby boomer, and when I was a child growing up in New Jersey, we all looked forward to Summer vacations. Unfortunately, New Jersey was a hotbed for mosquitoes during the Summer. And the number of biting insects did not decrease despite the mosquito truck that drove through our town, spraying DDT in Maple Shade, New Jersey, all Summer long, every night.

In fact all the kids in town would stay out late in the dark just so, we could follow the mosquito truck that was sprying DDT and we would all ride our bikes right behind the mosquito Truck until it was late at night and we would hear ours mothers yelling,” time to come in now.” We would all have bites from head to toe, and there wasn’t a whole lot that could be done about it.

In addition, we didn’t have air conditioning. My parents had fans in their bedroom windows. But we just had windows, some had screens to keep the bugs out, but some didn’t. In the morning, we would wake with mosquito bites from head to toe. But that wouldn’t keep us from going out every night after dinner in the dark to play with our neighborhood friends.

I came from a family of six siblings. My twin and I slept in the same bed. My next-oldest siblings slept in the bed next to us. My eldest sister, Jeanie, had her bed, and my big brother had his own room. Their rooms were sweltering as well. Believe me, Summer was rough on all of us. Some of our neighbors had window air conditioners. Eventually, my parent got a window air conditioner. But the rest of us continued to sweat and scratch mosquito bites. I kid you not. It was rare for a family to have air conditioners. My father and mother eventually got a window air conditioner. Over time, my older siblings got married and moved out. My twin and I remained at home until we were twenty. 

So, this is all old news, but just yesterday, I walked out to our greenhouse, which is located in our backyard. We live in North Carolina now. And as it turns out, North Carolina has its share of biting and stinging insects. And for some reason, I can not determine that they constantly hone in on me. My first experience here in North Carolina was somewhat of a highly unpleasant surprise. A small bathroom joins my bedroom. And I had a small dresser next to the window. And one morning, I went into the bathroom and looked into the top drawer, and without any warning, I was overrun and bitten by Red Ants. And if you haven’t experienced them, it is a whole new level of pain. The ants had somehow entered the side window and then infiltrated my top drawer, and when I stuck my hand in the drawer, hundreds of red ants ran up my hand and arm and began biting me nonstop. The only solution I had was to jump into the standing shower and wash the little Fer’s off. The bites were everywhere and burned like crazy and hurt for many days. This was my welcome from North Carolina.

I have to remember that New Jersey is the most mosquito-laden place I’ve ever been. So, everywhere you go, there are negative experiences. Life is struggles, but we all learn to adapt to sometimes difficult conditions, no matter how big your house is, or how nice it is. There are always experiences that are not pleasant at times. LIFE IS A CHALLENGE. I lived in New Jersey, Florida, California, and now North Carolina.

I loved the people in New Jersey, where I grew up. The people are friendly and outgoing, and California was like that, too. And the weather in California is wonderful. And it is a beautiful place to visit or live in. I loved Florida as well; it’s gorgeous, however, it’s hot, hot, hot, and you’d better have central air or air conditioners in every room, or you’ll cook. I kid you not. And don’t let me forget to mention that Florida has Palmetto Bugs. Palmetto bugs, commonly known as Florida woods cockroaches, are a frequent sight in Florida homes. These large cockroaches, while not typically considered pests like their German or American counterparts, can still enter homes and become a nuisance. They are attracted to moisture and decaying plant matter, often finding their way indoors through cracks and openings. And let me tell you folks, these “bugs” are giant, and if you don’t make every effort to keep them out of your house, they will overwhelm you. Just gross, they are very similar to the Cockroaches in New Jersey—those who live in damp places. In New Jersey, most people have cellars, and beneath almost all NJ homes are streams, and the streams promote the Cockroaches, and if you don’t eradicate them, your home will be overwhelmed by them.

But, as I mentioned, the mosquitoes in New Jersey are evil and will make your life miserable if you don’t get rid of them before they start reproducing. You will find them on your kitchen counter, on the floor at night, and pretty much everywhere.

So, I guess you are wondering why I am writing a story about biting insects. Well, as I was trying to explain earlier, I had a bad experience. We have a greenhouse in our backyard, where we grow most of our vegetables. The greenhouse is located right next to the vegetable garden.

I walked into the greenhouse and was getting bird seeds for all the birds I feed in the front and back yard. So, I wasn’t paying close enough attention, and suddenly I felt a painful sting on the heel of my left foot. I had sandals on. And my foot started to burn, and itch like crazy. I looked down and a wasp stung me. Let me tell you that I smarted. And here it is, forty-eight hours later, and it is still burning and stinging. And the heel of the foot is swollen and stinging like hell, and this was twenty-four hours ago.

And believe it or not, this is not the first experience I’ve had with biting insects here in North Carolina. I’m not blaming NC. Bugs are everywhere. When we first moved to our current home, I put a small dresser next to the window in our bathroom. About a day later, I was on the receiving end of a couple of hundred red ants swarming all over me. The ants had infiltrated the top drawer of my dresser. I had welts and bites all over. It was a nightmare. I was sore for weeks. And let me tell you, I would never want to experience that again.

However, it happened to me again just yesterday. I went into our little green house and was looking at the plants and getting some birdseed out to fill up all my bird feeders. And out of the blue, a WASP flew over to my foot and stung my left heel. And it swelled up like a balloon in no time, and here it is, a full twenty-four hours later, and my ankle is still swollen. All I can say is OUCH.

I know that insects have bitten everyone over their lifetime. But let me tell you, people, insects really seem to have it out for me. They have some vendetta, I assure you. Take care to carry bug spray with you at all times. Better prepared than not..

A bit of advice, if you find a few ants in your house, there are more somewhere else in your home. Get rid of them asap. Luckily, here in North Carolina, we have Anoles and Skinks, which reduces the sheer amount of biting insects. And let’s not forget the Japanese beetles that arrive at the end of the summer, and they gorge on all our plants. 

What can I say, folks, the birds, the bees, the mosquitoes, all a part of nature, take it or leave it. However, we all love summer and going to the beach, as well as taking long walks in the pleasant weather. By the end of Summer, we have had enough of long, hot, and humid days and look forward to Fall. Life goes on.