Mexico could have coined the phrase: necessity is the mother of invention.
And I just may have acquired a bit of that trait. At least, inadvertently.
I was sitting on the patio the other day deeply engrossed in my Kindle. When I noticed the mosquitoes were sucking more blood out of me than tales of the Mexican war were getting past my thick skull.
So, I did the natural thing. I grabbed the orange can of Off. Sprayed some on my hands. And started rubbing it on.
I noticed the consistency was a bit odd. Foamy. And a bit runny.
For good reason. I had grabbed the Raid can my mistake. Part of my leaf-cutter ant defense kit.
In my defense, the cans are a bit similar. Orange. Blue. Yellow.
Of course, the "Raid" and "Off" labels are rather prominent. Not to mention the black cap on the Raid can. A pretty good warning that something dangerous lies within.
I switched cans and slathered the remainder of my bare skin with Off.
I considered washing off the Raid, and decided: why? In my years of spraying the poison around, I have been coated more than once with it. Both my exterior and interior. And maybe it would simply kill the next mosquito that dared to land on me.
There was some justice in this little accident. I have an acquaintance in Barra who regularly coats himself with Raid instead of Off. I guess this is what I get for making fun of him.
I would like to say I have learned my lesson. That the Raid can has been moved to a different table.
But, as I write, it is sitting right next to the Off can. Just waiting for another cameo appearance in some future blog.
Probably the blog where I mistake it for deodorant. Or Listerine.
And I just may have acquired a bit of that trait. At least, inadvertently.
I was sitting on the patio the other day deeply engrossed in my Kindle. When I noticed the mosquitoes were sucking more blood out of me than tales of the Mexican war were getting past my thick skull.
So, I did the natural thing. I grabbed the orange can of Off. Sprayed some on my hands. And started rubbing it on.
I noticed the consistency was a bit odd. Foamy. And a bit runny.
For good reason. I had grabbed the Raid can my mistake. Part of my leaf-cutter ant defense kit.
In my defense, the cans are a bit similar. Orange. Blue. Yellow.
Of course, the "Raid" and "Off" labels are rather prominent. Not to mention the black cap on the Raid can. A pretty good warning that something dangerous lies within.
I switched cans and slathered the remainder of my bare skin with Off.
I considered washing off the Raid, and decided: why? In my years of spraying the poison around, I have been coated more than once with it. Both my exterior and interior. And maybe it would simply kill the next mosquito that dared to land on me.
There was some justice in this little accident. I have an acquaintance in Barra who regularly coats himself with Raid instead of Off. I guess this is what I get for making fun of him.
I would like to say I have learned my lesson. That the Raid can has been moved to a different table.
But, as I write, it is sitting right next to the Off can. Just waiting for another cameo appearance in some future blog.
Probably the blog where I mistake it for deodorant. Or Listerine.
42 comments:
This might be characterized as an older persons dilemma ;-) When dealing with my parents house after they died (within two days of each other) I noticed they had a lot of notes here and there to prevent these kinds of problems - labels, markings and arrows here and there ;-) Get to work hombre.
Hehehe, sadly there are so many things that I could say that I do not even know where to begin.
That stuff smells nasty. And I'm surprised it didn't melt your skin off. Have you tried rubbing a limon on your skin before you start to get bit, the smell is much nicer, but apparently mosquitos don't like it.
I tried the lime alternative. The mosquitoes are not deterred and the lime attracts biting flies.
Discretion being the greater part of valor?
The good thing about this mistake is that Raid appears to work better than Off.
Uhh, Empty vessels make the most noise?
I have a killer fogger device, it runs on bottled gas and a liquid that kills all bugs, even the good ones. It seems to hang around as well, if you put it down on a calm day, the bugs are gone for at least a week. I'm of the school that the stuff you catch from the bugs is more deadly that the toxic fog. Spray away!
Maybe it wasn't a lemon you used--a fig maybe...
Good to know the Raid works better than the Off. I use it regularly and am still covered in mosquito bites. Maybe I'll try Raid.
Not only do I attract mosquitoes. When they bite, the welts swell to boil level and last at least two weeks. I really dislike the little buggers.
What I need is more bats at night and more swallows in the day.
I would prefer the Off to smelling like a fruit salad.
Of course it does. Raid kills--Off only works as a deodorant. But there's probably a valid health reason they don't simply give you RAID in the Off can!
Well, we know why they bite you so often now. :)
But...it can be absorbed through the skin.
Your interior has been coated with Raid? That does not seem a good thing although you obviously survived. I suppose a mosquito net canopy is not practical?
Not outside. That is where I get most of the bites.
Yup. Like a whole family of nerve gases. I wonder if I can build up my own immunity in small doses? The way Napoleon is rumored to have done with arsenic?
For it to work it really has to be the Deep Woods Off, I don't think that's the one you have on that table. I also heard that Autan, another bug repellent, sold in Mexico works quite well. Have you ever tried that one?
Yes. Autan is like using water. My Deep Woods wipes work for about an hour. Then, half way through a meal, the mosquitoes break through. It is just one of the bad sides of living in Melaque. But, it is just another thing to be tolerated.
Made my morning, Mr Cotton. Glad to know I am not the only one that does such things and takes it all in stride. Hope all is well.
In that case, Sir Cotton has probably developed an immunity by now.
If I could only make a similar moment for the mosquitoes.
You and Peter need to come down here for a visit.
To the Raid -- yes. To the mosquitoes -- no.
You might try a 100% DEET product like Sawyer MaxiDeet. Deep Woods Off is only 25%, not nearly enough for tropical pests. 100% is said to keep pests away for over 24 hours. I'd be curious if it becomes your go-to solution for the worst areas of the world---in which you habit. After all, it was developed by the US Army for jungles pest warfare.
Unfortunately, products sold in Mexico arelimited to 25% DEET. In theory, that should be sufficeent. And it is. As ling as I keep reapplying. But that is true of 100% DEET in Back Woods, as well.
Meaning no problem with it being absorbed through the skin. You are 5 percent RAID 65 percent water by now!
I have both - bats and swallows. THAT explains why I don't have mosquitoes! Thanks.......
My father loved insecticides, pesticides, herbicides. He loved to double the amounts, because S. LA was a place that breds mutant bugs, weeds, even gators. He died from a rare but painful blood disease that caused his bones to fill with tumors. Not a nice way to die, hombre.It could have been connected to his love of toxic stuff. Who knows? My advice which you seem to ignore repeatedly: move. Visit torrid locales when it is tolerable.
The problem, of course, is that mosquitoes in these parts simply do not have an off season.
But you do have lovely chamber music.
Reminds me of the time my grandfather brushed his teeth with Preparation H. Let me tell you, after that he was the butt of a lot of jokes!
My DIY self is thinking about this.
I have thought about a screened patio. But the place is not mine. And it would cut down on the few cooling breezes off of the laguna.
But I can live with the mosquitoes.
And here I am without my trap set.
All kidding aside, that really is a true story. My grandmother would bring it up every time my grandfather had a senior moment. Needless to say, he was not amused.
For some reason, toothpaste stories seem to be common. Several times I have grabbed a tube only to discover I have almost brushed my teeth with some exotic ointment.
Loss of blood. Lightheadedness. Temporary Disorientation. In Meheeko you've got a relatively harmless self-inflicted mistake. Live & Learn. North of the Border you've got a potential lawsuit with long depositions over confusingly similar labels. (Just need to find the lady who sued McDs over too-hot coffee.)
Funny. Despite my former profession (or maybe because of it), liability never entered my head. I must have lived in Mexico long enough for common sense to return to my life.
Steve my friend, if you take a kyloic garlic supplement, voila your problems are solved. Kyloic has no scent so you will not lose friends, only the mosquitos. My brother lives on a ranch with a creek, we'd fish and I would get eaten alive, Behind my knees would swell so much could hardly walk. My nutrionist recommended the garlic and I am so grateful.
Besides great for your circulation and other good benefits. I always got natures way, like using vinegar to kill weeds. Try it......
Don't forget women were famous for putting hair spray under their arms and deodorant on their hair in the old days when everything was in a spray can. Take care....... Marilyn
Where in Mexico could I find such a thing? Walmart?
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