How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.
While I always look forward to the arrival of spring each year after a long, dreary winter, I also dread the inevitable thorns that will be growing amongst the roses.
Horseflies, ticks, red bugs (chiggers), ants, fire ants, no-see-ums, wasps and the common household fly are among the sometimes bothersome — and potentially dangerous — beings that warmer weather brings in greater abundance.
One of the most aggravating critters for me personally is the mosquito. I hate them, but they seem to love me.
It’s bad enough to be forced to deal with them outdoors — their swarming and high-pitched buzzing are very annoying, and their appetite for blood can lead to the spread of diseases such as West Nile virus and encephalitis — but I find them to be a greater nuisance indoors, in my domain.
Whether sitting at work in the office, in my recliner at home, in my car or lying in bed at night, the very sight or sound of a mosquito seems to spike my blood pressure.
I am irked by the flittering, fluttering, floating and hovering tiny dive bombers and the fact that when they come around, they mean business!
Mosquitoes have incredible maneuverability skills. They can stop and turn, not on a dime, but on a mustard seed. They are difficult to kill in flight, but I have taken down a few with the one-handed swatting method or the two-handed clapping technique.
There are all manner of plants, devices and gimmicks — hanging a plastic zip-lock type bag filled with water near an entrance to a building comes immediately to mind — that supposedly help to repel flies, mosquitoes and their ilk. Some do not work at all, and precious few ever seem to work as well as advertised.
One of the best weapons is the old-fashioned fly swatter, but there are hanging glue fly-catching strips that do occasionally snare a cross-eyed skeeter and electronic insect killers that attract and zap flying bugs of all types.
Chemical sprays, fogs and other concoctions can keep mosquitoes at bay. Some older readers will remember the hand pump metal sprayers with a screw-on reservoir that you could fill and refill with insecticide, then pull and push a plunger at the end of a cylinder to dispense a mist of poison into the air. Once upon a time, we used those indoors without blinking an eye.
Personal insect repellents are available for those who do not mind spraying or rubbing chemicals on their skin. I have done it and would again under the right circumstances.
Another naturally occurring nuisance that seems to cross my path in abundance every spring, summer and fall are poisonous plants.
I am highly allergic to poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac and other assorted vines, weeds, etc., that I have not identified by name. If I play with greenery outdoors, such as trimming a shrub or weeding a bed of flowers, I may develop a skin rash.
I also learned the hard way to be extremely careful when answering nature’s call out in the woods.
According to the American Skin Association, 85 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to the aforementioned poison ivy, oak and sumac. In fact, it is said to be the most common allergic reaction in the country, with an estimated 50 million Americans each year developing the itchy rash after exposure to urushiol, the oily sap in those plants.
Wearing a long-sleeved shirt and gloves, pants instead of shorts, and socks and shoes rather than sandals, can provide some protection, but it also makes for an uncomfortable summer outfit — especially in sultry Mississippi. Plus, trying to remove those articles without exposing the skin to irritating sap that might be on them is problematic.
WebMD explains it like this: “Urushiol triggers an allergic reaction when it comes into contact with skin, resulting in an itchy rash, which can appear within hours of exposure or up to several days later. A person can be exposed to urushiol directly or by touching objects — such as gardening tools, camping equipment, and even a pet’s fur — that have come into contact with the sap of one of the poison plants.
“Urushiol is found in all parts of these plants, including the leaves, stems and roots, and is even present after the plant has died. Urushiol is absorbed quickly into the skin. It can also be inhaled if the poison plants are burned. The smoke may expose not only the skin to the chemical but also the nasal passages, throat, and lungs. Inhaled urushiol can cause a very serious allergic reaction.”
That is a serious zombie plant, and it is difficult — I have found it to be impossible — to completely and permanently rid from one’s property. But there is a glimmer of hope for those of us who itch.
Last week came word that the University of Mississippi has been issued its fourth patent for a compound that acts like a vaccine or immunotherapy to prevent itching and rash after exposure to the sap in poison ivy, oak and sumac.
According to a news release from the university, Memphis-based biopharmaceutical company Hapten Sciences is performing clinical studies on the compound developed on the basis of research conducted at the UM School of Pharmacy and at ElSohly Laboratories Inc.
Hapten obtained a worldwide, exclusive license for the technology from the university in 2010 and has been involved in development of the compound ever since.
Findings from a 2018 study evaluating the safety and biologic activity of the compound in subjects testing positive for poison ivy reaction are expected later this year.
Hopefully, a retail product containing the compound will be forthcoming soon.
I will be standing in line.
