I Can’t See It!

I don’t remember ever seeing these in Colorado, and you can’t really see them here in Florida either, but they are here. These little monsters are so tiny you don’t notice them, until it’s way too late! I swear they are nothing but mouth, with a full set of teeth. They only feel like they have teeth, instead they are equipped with an alien like probe, seeking out blood, and from the looks of my legs, they prefer my blood to any other! These beasts are known as no-see-ums!!! Yes, that’s an official name! Like I said they are tiny. When they fly you hardly notice them. They appear to be innocent, and barely register on our radar. When they land, they look like a tiny speck of dirt, and if it didn’t hurt so bad you might never notice what had bitten you. Even when you’re looking to find the culprit you often don’t see it. I’d rather take my chances with a mosquito!!!

At least with a mosquito you have a fighting chance. They don’t attack from the shadows in silence. They make their presence known with their obnoxious whine-like buzzing. We anxiously search the air around us, hoping to swat them in mid-flight before they have a chance to insert their hypodermic needle into us. When mosquitos do land, you can usually feel their presence on your skin, giving you a chance to level the playing field, so that the mosquito’s friends don’t think you’re an easy target.

No-see-ums…no such chance! They are nothing if not stealthy. They know we are oblivious to their presence. Last week Kim and I, along with our daughter and granddaughter, attended an evening event at the Naples Botanical Garden. October is a big month for these nasty creatures, so we sprayed up with insect repellant. It’s not the perfect solution, but it helps. A few no-see-ums made it through the gauntlet of Deep Woods Off, but the results were not too miserable. On Saturday evening we were pushing our luck when our son, a pilot, flew into the Naples airport. He doesn’t do that too often, so we were excited to get an unexpected visit. Kim and I went to the airport observation deck to watch him land. We had used the last of our repellant at the Garden, but we caught a break with the wind. Nature’s protection from flying insects. The following morning, when we went to see him off, it was a different story. The air was calm, but the no-see-ums were not! They were hungry! For 30 minutes we stood out there waiting to see Ben off, and wave our goodbyes. It was 8:00 in the morning, and in that short time those no-see-ums devoured their version of Thanksgiving dinner!

My legs are a tangle of red welts that make it appear as though I have chicken pox! I itch! They say not to scratch. Seriously! And just how am I suppose to subdue that overwhelming urge? I use cortisone cream during the day, take Benadryl at night, and curse these invisible creatures always! The effects last longer than a mosquito bite, swell larger, itch more, and even hurt. So, before cursing them all into extinction I looked to see what, if any, redeeming value they have. Turns out they are the only natural pollinator of the cocoa plant. Figures! It just might be worth giving up chocolate to rid the world of these nasty vermin, but I’m going to need to think on that.