Bug Problems? Solution!
06/25/08 07:53 PM Filed in: Stories
We all have to share
the world with them; bugs. Those nasty, annoying,
flying creatures that oh-so-love to munch behind your
ears and up your nose. They have numorous advantages
over us. First of all, and most obviously, they can
fly! Secondly, they’re so tiny, they’re difficult to
whack and kill. Thirdly, they can easily land on you
and bite you before you even realize it, thus causing
a scratchy bump. Finally, they generally fly in
swarms, which just adds to the frustration of those
of us who don’t want to be eaten alive.
I hate gnats. I try to remember that they’re creations of God just like frogs, pandas, and me, but they still bother me.
Today, Ben and I were digging up border of the playground at camp in order to put new boards in for holding the mulch. We also added some tile so the water would drain down the hill without carrying most of the mulch with it after a hard rain :P. The gnats have been terrible at camp lately (and that’s a severe understatement) due to the exceptionally wet ground. In case you’ve been living in a hole for the last month, Iowa has gotten way too much rain lately. That gnats enjoy this. Ben and I didn’t. We were their meal.
I was trying to be as manly as possible, but I failed miserably. When you have twenty gnats feeding on you at one time it’s nearly impossible to not scream like a Junior High girl. Ben was too, which made me feel a little better. It struck fear in my heart to actually see the swarm of gnats around Ben’s head.
Then there was Krista. For relief, Ben and I retreated (running and screaming) into the kitchen to construct a new plan of attack towards the gnats. It’s difficult to get any work done when you’re being eaten alive. “Do you want to try some vanilla extract?” inquired Krista. At this point, Ben and I were desperate enough to try anything. I felt a bit strange taking a wash cloth and rubbing vanilla all over myself, but it definitely did smell better than bug spray. We rubbed it all over our arms, neck, face, and, for good measure, I put some under my shirt on my stomach and back.
We each took deep breathes and headed back into the battle zone. But a strange thing happened. Not a single gnat touched us! The swarm of gnats around Ben’s head? Gone! The gnats didn’t even think about coming near us, let alone landing on us. Jesse came out after drumming to help us finish up, and we immedietly sent him to the kitchen to bathe in vanilla.
Even though bugspray is cheaper than vanilla extract (by only a few dollars), vanilla extract works significantly better ... and it also makes you smell pretty. We decided to put some into a spritz bottle for regular use. Krista potentially saved our life, and we’re forever endebted to her.
I hate gnats. I try to remember that they’re creations of God just like frogs, pandas, and me, but they still bother me.
Today, Ben and I were digging up border of the playground at camp in order to put new boards in for holding the mulch. We also added some tile so the water would drain down the hill without carrying most of the mulch with it after a hard rain :P. The gnats have been terrible at camp lately (and that’s a severe understatement) due to the exceptionally wet ground. In case you’ve been living in a hole for the last month, Iowa has gotten way too much rain lately. That gnats enjoy this. Ben and I didn’t. We were their meal.
I was trying to be as manly as possible, but I failed miserably. When you have twenty gnats feeding on you at one time it’s nearly impossible to not scream like a Junior High girl. Ben was too, which made me feel a little better. It struck fear in my heart to actually see the swarm of gnats around Ben’s head.
Then there was Krista. For relief, Ben and I retreated (running and screaming) into the kitchen to construct a new plan of attack towards the gnats. It’s difficult to get any work done when you’re being eaten alive. “Do you want to try some vanilla extract?” inquired Krista. At this point, Ben and I were desperate enough to try anything. I felt a bit strange taking a wash cloth and rubbing vanilla all over myself, but it definitely did smell better than bug spray. We rubbed it all over our arms, neck, face, and, for good measure, I put some under my shirt on my stomach and back.
We each took deep breathes and headed back into the battle zone. But a strange thing happened. Not a single gnat touched us! The swarm of gnats around Ben’s head? Gone! The gnats didn’t even think about coming near us, let alone landing on us. Jesse came out after drumming to help us finish up, and we immedietly sent him to the kitchen to bathe in vanilla.
Even though bugspray is cheaper than vanilla extract (by only a few dollars), vanilla extract works significantly better ... and it also makes you smell pretty. We decided to put some into a spritz bottle for regular use. Krista potentially saved our life, and we’re forever endebted to her.