#spring bugs

Once again, I need to work on drawing animals... wow that robin.

I was out walking my sister’s dog and saw something on a tree. I was thinking, that is not a ‘winged’ tree, what is that growth on the stem?

By Mark Strom

Editorial Staff

As we escape the icy clutches of winter and enter the warm embrace of spring, the sun breathes life into the slumbering landscape. We welcome the return of flowers (at least until they drop pollen on our cars) and various animals (as long as they don’t run into traffic).

Unfortunately, we must also suffer the reintroduction of various bugs. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but for some reason I’ve always been unusually attractive to all sorts of creepy crawlies.

I don’t know what it is about me that makes bugs defy all evolutionary common sense, but I can’t count the number of times a tiny winged devil has attempted to fly straight up my nose or into my mouth.  

While I admit most people aren’t bothered by most bugs, there are two bugs which are not only annoying, but pose actual health hazards. These two parasitic pests spread disease and seem to serve no ecological purpose beyond being eaten by birds: ticks and mosquitos.

They’re most commonly associated with summer and autumn, but I can assure you from personal experience that they are just as active in early spring. In fact, ticks and mosquitos are the main reason I’m reluctant to spend much time outdoors.

So what can you do to protect yourself from these seasonal menaces? The most effective method would be to carry one of those novelty bug zappers shaped like a tennis racket at all times.

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart never has them in stock so we must instead rely on insect repellants. They work well enough for mosquitos, but aren’t quite as effective on ticks (probably because they know they’re actually arachnids).

If a mosquito ignores insect repellant, you can easily get rid of it by whacking it. But ticks are nearly indestructible, even when hit repeatedly with a shoe. I have yet to find any reliable way of tick-disposal besides flushing them down a toilet or lighting them on fire.

So if you find yourself lying on the grass or taking a walk in the woods for an extended period of time, I’d highly recommend checking yourself every so often for ticks. And, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, if you’re in the woods you should wear as much clothing-cover as possible.