Why Are Gnats So Bad In The Rockford Area This Year?
Hanging at my son's baseball games last night, I found myself waving my arms around like a crazy man.
Then it dawned on me, I've been swinging at gnats for a few weeks now.
It's probably the worst gnat infestation I've seen in my life, or at the very least the worst I can remember.
Apparently, gnats are out in full force in the Rockford area this spring because of all the rain we've received this season.
While most gnats just want to fly around your head and do nothing other than annoy you, biting gnats have been around the area leaving their mark on unsuspecting folks who think a simple wave can get rid of the pest.
Bites are most likely to occur on any exposed, uncovered skin and most often occur on the head, neck, forearms, hands, face, legs and feet. General symptoms are itchiness, irritation, redness and swelling at the site of the bite.
A few ways on how you can avoid gnat bites come from WikiHow.
- Use chemical bug repellent that's DEET or Picaridin based, or spray permethrin repellent on your clothes.
- Use all natural bug repellent like lemon eucalyptus oil or other botanical oils like "citronella, lemongrass, cedarwood, garlic, spearmint, lemon mint or cinnamon" to keep the pests at bay.
- Wear appropriate clothing like loose fitting shirts and pants or long sleeves, gloves or jeans.
If none of these work for you, just remember the gnats won't be here forever. News Channel 20 says the gnats will quickly start going away as soon as we start getting consistent summer temperatures.
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