Media Article

Monday, August 24, 2009

Okay, it's war.

This wet summer has been a procreating bonanza for mosquitoes who lay their eggs in stagnant water. But you don't have to take their buzzing and biting lying down.

The Star went to the experts in the field -- provincial parks staff who battle these bloodsucking attackers daily -- to learn their wily lessons of self-protection.

While the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care says products containing DEET are the only insect repellent proven scientifically to work, our bug fighters resort to homemade solutions ranging from donning oily rags to lighting smoky fires.

At Chutes Provincial park, on the Aux Sables River, the mosquitoes are so bad this year that "the maintenance crews are just running behind the lawn mowers," says assistant superintendent Mike Stoneman.

To keep the insects out, he says, it's customary to cover the body from head to toe, including gloves and boots. he often wears a bandana under his hat or he soaks a rag with diesel fuel, wrings it out and attaches it to the back of his hard hat, "like the French Foreign Legion."

He's skilled at building "smudges" -- fires made from jack pine, which emit a lot of smoke to drive the mosquitoes away.

Parks staff don't allow bugs to drive them batty

One experiment at the park that went horribly wrong involved Stoneman and his crew all eating raw garlic to ward off the insects.

"We all reeked, we were sweating garlic. It got into our clothes and ruined our uniforms. We couldn't get the smell out. And it didn't make a bit of difference to the bugs."

Bob Elliott, superintendent at Lake Superior Provincial Prk, halfway between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa, says this year's crop of mosquitoes started later than usual, because of the cool spring, and is lasting longer than usual, too.

"They're pretty bad. It has been good breeding weather."

He protects himself by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants in light colours "that make you less attractive (to the bugs)."

While he doesn't put repellent on his skin, he has an old fishing hat that has been sprayed with bug repellent so often, it just reeks of the stuff.

"There's a lot of lore that citurs is good (to keep bugs away) and that bananas attract bugs," he says. "The better you smell, the better the bugs like you."

With that in mind, he doesn't shower with shampoo in the summer.

People ask him what is a good time to come to the park to avoid bugs. He answers, "January."

Ecologist Ed Morris, who works in parks in the northeast part of the province, explains that many naturalists don't want to put chemicals on their bodies.

He'll spray his hands with a DEET-based product, but sparingly. He has pants with zip-off legs so that they can be worn as shorts or trousers depending on the bugs.

"At times, they can drive you crazy. But I'd rather deal with that than rush hour traffic in your part of the world."

Bridget Antze, head naturalist at Killarney Provincial Park, north of Parry Sound, says being stylish is impossible when you work outdoors. The "bug suit" -- a jacket with a hood and face screen -- "is high fashion here in Killarney," she says.

"It gets a little bit stuffy," she says of the suit, and she can't wear it when she needs to talk while leading nature walks. At those times, she resorts to dousing her Tilley Hat with bug spray.

"I also tuck my pants in my socks, another fashionable item."

Doug Currie, curator of insects at the Royal Ontario Museum, says the province has nothing to complain about. At a recent trip to Alaska and the Yukon, he was treated to "huge clouds" of mosquitoes.

He says loose clothing is thekey. And remember, he says: mosquitoes "can bite through spandex."

Currie points out that mosquitoes are attracted to us by our smell.

"The most powerful stimulus is carbon dioxide and body temperature."

Before there was DEET, there was an ingenious home remedy used by Canada's native population, he says. They coated their bodies to create a physical barrier to insects.

However, Currie isn't recommending it for today.

"They used pine tar and bear fat."

A "bug suit" does its job but the wearer can't easily talk with others, so park staff have to find another solution when giving a tour.