bugs

Summer Cooking

Posted on by Josef Havelka

It’s so hot these days that it is difficult to want to cook dinner. Making the kitchen extra hot using the stove or oven is unbearable. Even getting out at the grill is tough. The heat and humidity makes for a challenging cookout.

The other day, my son was grilling over the open flames. Even I didn’t want to hang out by the fire as it was a sweaty evening already. But he did pretty well at his first attempt at open flame cooking. I stayed in the kitchen to make some guacamole stuffed potato skins as a side dish. Those were equally as tasty!

But we needed to eat quickly while it was still hot out. It has become apparent that once it begins to cool off outside- the ‘Skeeters come out. Nothing like getting eaten alive while eating.

Sitting outside is generally pretty nice. We eat on the back deck at least 9 months out of the year. Getting through these excessive hot spells and mosquitoes is the only complaint I have about summer. That, and I hate Sweating.

Bugs Be Gone

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This summer is one of the worst for mosquitoes. Every year I complain about them.

I use bug repellent and sprays every night. Because we like to sit outside for dinner, we also use area spray to try and prevent the bugs from bothering us. I don’t overly like the sprays as it affects my asthma. I really don’t have a choice though or I’ll be super itchy.

We have a bug zapper outside the door as well. The occasional ZOT or BZZT sound makes me giggle each time. Does hearing the little bit of death make me a psycho?

We also have a bug catcher in our kitchen. Trying to keep those annoying fruit flies at bay. As well as any other mosquitos that may arrive inside our home.

How do you deal with the bugs this time of year?

Bug Off!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The heat is on- On the street.

Summer has hit us early it seems. With this sudden influx of heat comes MOSQUITOES! Everyone is getting eaten alive! Time to bring out the bug spray with a lovely scent that reminds me of toxic chemicals.

We also have a couple of more tools in our arsenal to keep us safe.

The bug zapper.

This is more for larger bugs. Not sure how effective this is. I just enjoy hearing a BZZZZTTTT when an insect dies as we sit outside for dinner. Because of this I had to buy another toy:

A bug zapper fly swatter.

This is hours of fun. Swishing around in the backyard like a tennis racket. Catching swarms of bugs in the electrical mesh. Pop! Fzzzt! And small lightning bolts as the bugs die. My children have fought over who gets to use it the most. (I’m secretly waiting for one of them to touch the metal part with their finger.)

All of these are an excellent way to deal with the bug situation. I still smack and kill the blood suckers when I notice them. But these bugs sometimes outsmart me. Take a few minutes ago for example: Tonight I smacked at my crotchular area to shoo away a mosquito. Turns out hitting oneself in the testicles adds more pain than the lingering itch of a bug bite.

I won’t be making that mistake again any time soon. From now on I’m going to drown myself in Off! No more self-dick-punches for this guy. I learned the hard way.

Blood suckers

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As I may have mentioned previously, ok numerous times, summer is nearing the end.  Thank goodness.  Spending extra time with my family and friends these past few weeks had me thinking- I’m sure glad those blood suckers will be gone soon.  

I’m talking about mosquitos.


Seeing the opening of Dexter a few years back, reminded me of those days back in my childhood, minus the murder stuff.  

When I was younger and lived in Edmonton, I swear the mosquitos were twice the size they are now.  But I was half the size I am now also, so it’s all relative.  We lived near some pretty marshy land where we went hunting for frogs.  The perfect location for mosquitos to be.  As we got “bitten”, my friends and I used to wait for the mosquitos to get a good amount of blood in them, then squash the buggers.  The splat smear was the best part.  The itching sucked.  No matter how much OFF! my parents sprayed on us, we still got bit.


Living in Edmonton in the early 80’s, I recall a fantastically bad Canadian children’s educational show called “The Hilarious House of Frightenstein“.  It was already in re-runs by the time I began watching it.  But there was a mosquito character that came down onto a foot, told a bad joke, followed by a boing noise.  Added bonus, bad costumes, crappy puppets, silly jokes, plus Vincent Price was the star.  It was filled with hippy psychedelic imagery.  Perfect for the 70’s.  I don’t remember much more than that, but I think I shall search out the show and see it in all of it’s glory once more.

Anyways, back to this summer: I’ve only been “bitten” about three times.  I hardly used repellent, so I think the mosquitos just don’t like the taste of me.  I hope this keeps up for years to come.