There is more than the usual much-ado about mosquitoes in Texas this year due to the recent spread of West Nile disease into our area. After seeing my article in the paper about how we deal with them in this garden, a reader wrote to tell me his solution. Where once he was as big a mosquito target as Maggie the Mosquito Magnet (3M), the villains ignore him completely now, since he began taking 400 units of vitamin E.

I know that researchers have long been trying to unearth the reason why some persons are seemingly ignored by the tiny beasts and others not. So whether the E will work forfor me sounds worth a try. So I’m starting a daily dose today and will report back on it. Anyone else game?

I already take 200 units of vitamin E a day. They will bite me, but only after they have zeroed in on my hubby, who doesn't take any ?? Biting bugs have always liked him more than me, even before I started the Vit. E.

Another buggy episode: When our daughter and boyfriend visited, we had a picnic while at the Cass RR. by the river. The flies buzzed them relentlessly, and never came near me. ??

Such a mystery. I guess we will just have to wait for those scientist to unlock the secret ingredient.

Another column reader wrote to say she claims the 4M title (her 1st and last name start with M's) in skeeter warfare and has long been wanting to purchase the 2M 'Mosquito Magnet' machine. Also says her husband has heard that folks with more sulfur in their system are less bugged by flying bugs.

David has come across a new organic product to try. Says it was originally developed for treating body lice, (should I be offended?) but is meant to work real well as a sketter deterrent.

Recent e-mail from friends tells that putting a saucer of water with a squirt of lemon Joy in it will attract and drown the skitters. Meant to be used on a patio cause it would be difficult to drag that around while gardening after dinner!! Also, he had some success with attaching a "cling free sheet to clothing while outdoors.

Poor Jeffrey is the target for every biting insect within flying distance, his skin comes up in dreadful lumps whereas I hardly ever get bitten. I used to think that it was because he has sweet blood - type A - but it has transpired that I am also type A so that theory is knocked on the head. We both take Vit.E every day and have done for years so it looks as if that theory is out of the window as well. He says that they don't bite me because they know I am a sour old boot.

Tell him - Yeah,, but a tough ol boot - to boot ;-) Love to Jeffrey for putting up with you, ah,, taking good care of you (teehee) What a dear - I still want him cloned - bus stops and all. xoxo

Barbara, have you tried the Joy-water yet? I will pick some up at the store next time and give it a go.

Larry brought home a new product from Lowe's this week - a natural bug spray in an aerosol can. Label says its made from plant extracts, but doesn't list them -- same as the lice product from David. Think it is oil based, as it smells like cloves which may explain the oil - or not. Lars has really enjoys playing Red Baron with it - says they die instantly, unlike his alcohol spray and it def smells better. If something would just put an end to them ALL - once and for all!

What's the name of that natural bug spray? Sounds good. I've got some spiders in the house I would love to try it on. Now I just vaccuum them when I see them. But have you ever noticed that they mostly come out late night - when I have no intentions of reving up the vac.

It is called Bioganic Flying Insect Killer - in a tan, green and yellow can.
Spiders and other creepy crawlers love to set up housekeeping in our den, prop because it stays dark and cooler than anywhere else since it is half-sunken like a basement. I sprinkle hort grade DE around the baseboards and they are gonners for several months. They may be coming in from the chimney which reminds me of an old rememdy that I should put into use again. Put the leftover bits of soap bars under the grate in summer to keep the spiders away. I remember it worked like a charm in our last house.

It's hard to tell where our spiders come in at. The house is OLD. We took some trim off the door yesterday while putting up a new storm door, and chased all the spiders out of their daytime hidy hole. It would be nice to have the Bioganic killer on hand.

That's a klinkiedink - Larry removed our back storm door yesterday too, to rehang it (I wear the hinges off regularly) and disturbed a gecko's daytime home.

Your comment about reving up the vac reminds me of my favorite Roseanne Barr line… “The day Sears and Robucks comes out with a riding lawn mower, is the day I start doing housework.”
She would have made a great gardener ;-)

No, Maggie, have not tried the Joy in a dish yet. Having lots of probs with contact allergies this year and everything makes me itch. Don't need to add the skitters to the mix. Just haven't been out much in the evening except to take Sophie, aka, Devil Dog out to pottie every 30 min. She's turned into a doozie and I'm waiting for Dan to say "you wanted a dog"! but so far he's resisted rubbing it in. She's scratching an awful lot too although we've sprayed for fleas and given her a dose of Advantage. Any advice on how to make puppies stop biting/chewing hands would be greatly appreciated. Pardon the forked road I started here. Back to mesquitos y'all. I too have taken vit.E for yrs. so that's not the solution for me.

I wonder if she is biting on hands because she is teething? Have you tried giving her any of those chew things from the pet store? Maybe its just an instinctive puppy thing - her wanting to play with you the way she would play with her siblings ie chewing on them.

Maybe MK, David or other dog owners have some puppy wisdom on it?

About her chewing on her own paws,,, she might be having the same contact allergies as you. See how fast you two are building a resemblence already? teehee
Jannan has that problem with her huge Winston dog. She has tried all sorts of things thru the vets and is now taking him to a homeopathic vet. Really.

We had a prob with Beau chewing on the windowsill when he was home alone as a puppy. We tried to fix that with Tabasco sauce, which was really hard for me deal with. But not him. He appeared to have acquired quite a taste for it ;-). We just learned to live with what looked like a severe case of termites in the window for a few years. :-0