WOW--I agree!! I finally bought some DEET repellant--was trying to use herbal--a total joke!!! I think they liked it...I heard it was due to recent rain---and it was such a nice mosquito-free summer til now. At least the mosquito-eating birds should be happy. (My poor cats go out on their harnesses and get attacked on their ears and noses.) (and--to the bird people -- they never kill or even catch a bird!)

I usually don't get a lot of their attention -- I guess I just taste too sour -- but these little ones we have around are both vicious and voracious. All three kids are one big mosquito bite from the knees down to their feet. and they itch to beat hell. Sage leaves usually work well to repel the little biters but nothing but DEET seems to keep the little vampires away.

On a related note, Walgreens on Superior Street is currently out of Benadryl, Bactine, calamine lotion, and practically anything related to itch relief.

If you're having trouble beating the itch, I'd suggest Aveeno (or any other brand name) oatmeal bath, and maybe witch hazel to help dry the bites out and cut down on the itch.

They're horrible! I'm usually the mosquito's favorite prey, but they're just horrible! I let the dog out the other night, was ransacked by mosquitos and covered in 15-20 bites.

I think someone accidentally replaced the Duluth-area aerial mosquito spray with some kind of über mosquito mutagen. And they're everywhere.

We were up the shore this weekend and really had no mosquitos. But lots of dragonflies Friday night. That was cool.
Got back to Duluth and got chewed up again tonight. I was in the yard less than 30 seconds and looked down and there were 20-30 swarming around each ankle. They love me.

I've been back in town 72 hours and my legs and feet are covered. They're *everywhere* too, from Lakeside to Upper Woodland.

Best mosquito repellant: A good cigar.

I currently have 29 bites on my feet and ankles; my dog has about as many on her too.  I spent all weekend smashing these vampire bastards to death on our floors and walls.  They leave these disgusting blood bombs when you smash them, worse than I've ever seen.

Disgusting.

It's bad. I've never in my life had so many mosquito bites. The only thing that relieved the itch was tiger balm, and then I finally gave in and bought Cortizone. I think it's due to our unusually humid and warm summer. I will concur with Barrett that there is no shortage of dragonflies, and I pay pretty close attention to that. In fact, I'd say I've noticed *more* of the white-faced meadowhawks in my yard this year than prior years.

Actually these do look like the mosquitoes I recently saw in Detroit! Smaller than the usual Duluth crew.

Now that you mention  it, they function a lot like the awesome people moving here, increasing Duluth's diversity while enjoying those delicious free checks.

I gotta say, everyone is talking about the wet weather this summer; am I missing something? Seems to me that other one or two big gully-washers it has been pretty dry for the last month. We've had to water the garden and the outdoor plants regularly all month. Maybe I just haven't been paying attention.

TimK- LOL!!!

Try Benadryl cream for the bites - works for me.

Sorry to have offended, Smithville, but I was especially bitten in Lakeside and in Upper Woodland this weekend. Bitten in Chester too, but not as bad.

And TimK, LMAO, that was good!

We've had more than 5 inches of rain this month, and average is close to 3. I guess mosquitoes don't mind that half of it came in one storm. I'm pretty sure in past Augusts I've noticed more of a drought when the lawn doesn't have to be mowed for a couple weeks.

OMG -- skeeters greatly lessened today in Lakeside -- awesome!!! Funny how this makes such a difference to us -- how do animals stand it?

"Nah, I'm sure they're in the U.P., too."

Was in the UP last week, the biters where actually not too bad, about average.

It's been much drier down south. I wouldn't worry about your concert.

Could be worse... at least the bites covering my ankles aren't bedbug bites. I have to say, though, that "Off!" stuff doesn't really work, does it?

You need to use the Deep Woods Off (the normal stuff doesn't cut it anymore). When they are as bad as these, I just look for the spray containing the highest amount of DEET. Sure, I may have cancer in a few years, but at least I'm not clawing my skin off!

Thanks for the tip about Deep Woods Off!, Barrett and Bad Cat! OK, could be worse ... remember army worms?

I'd rather have army worms - they don't hunt me down and bite me repeatedly, resulting in huge itchy welts which scratch for a week.

@Barrett - Garlic Myth?  Obviously.  Simply put, I find it quite funny when being outside and others begin the frantic slap, associated profanity, and then the application of poison.  I just look at them and smile.

Lacking any more appropriate ammonia-based products, I was reduced to vainly spraying Windex on the incredible throbbing bite I got on my finger while I slept one night last week.  It was probably comical, if pathetic and ineffective.

After a few days of camping in Jay Cooke and berry picking up the shore in mid August, I had so many mosquito bites I was pretty much out of commission for the remainder of the summer:( I would wake up scratching my arms and legs.

I found the best treatment was hydrocortisone cream.