The bugs of summer

This past Friday I spent an afternoon at one of my favorite summer places, which is a large lake located within a state park in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in western Maryland. The section of the park that contains the lake and its two beaches can get quite crowded on weekends, but now that my husband is retired we can go on my day off (which is most Fridays and some Wednesdays). It was a cloudy day, and the park was only sparsely occupied. Absent were the blaring stereos and thick clouds of smoke from many grills. The only noises to be heard were laughter, splashing and cries of children playing in the water and people talking. Occasionally the rumble of a motorcycle would echo across the lake from the nearby road. There was a slight breeze, and the highs were in the low 80’s. My husband and I set up our chairs, portable hammock and cooler beneath one of the large shade trees on the bank and began to eat the lunch we had just bought from a nearby deli. No sooner than I had taken a couple of bites, a big cloud of tiny black gnats appeared in my face, not far from my eyes. Every time I waved them away with a bandanna they came right back. My husband looked at me funny, unable to understand why they were mobbing me and not him. The only problem he had that day was an occasional ant crawling up his arm or leg.

Now I have been to that park many times and never was bothered by biting insects, and even if I was, I had a can of bug repellent in my beach bag. But these miserable gnats ignore any sort of sprays and the only way to keep them off is with a net over one’s face and head. And I didn’t bring any such bug barrier with me that day. Worse yet was when I went to change into my bathing suit – this ruthless flock of tiny pests accompanied me right to the bathroom door! And, they were waiting there for me when I came out. Essentially all of that day (save for the time I was in the water) I had my own personal cloud of bugs, like aggressive and unwanted groupies following a musical band around. They even followed me about 20 feet out into the water, and only abandoned me when got into about four feet of water. And yes, they just hung around and waited until I got out…

But when I was in the warm, calm waters of the lake, I found enjoyment at watching the antics of dragonflies and damselflies darting around just above the surface of the water. Bright rusty red dragonflies hovered just above mats of lake grasses floating at the surface, and turquoise blue damselflies occasionally perched upon the ropes that delineated the swimming area. There were also some large black dragonflies that would swoop down close to the water’s surface. And in the shallower water, tiny fish, some no more than a few millimeters long, swam in schools near my feet. Further out on the lake a flock of wood ducks pecked around the grass mats looking for food. Above, a flock of swallows hunted for insects, and a great blue heron flew high over the lake at one point.

Yet I knew as soon as I got out to take a break, those minuscule bugs would again take up residence in front of my face. I would much prefer to deal with mosquitoes, as at least I can negate them with repellent. In fact, I do a lot of my summer gardening at twilight in order to avoid the torturous gnats. Or, I’ll put on a hat with a bug net draped around it. They don’t sting or bite, but it’s most annoying to a swirling cloud of them circling an inch or two from my eyes. Sometimes one will land in the corner of my eye, fly into my ears or go up my nose…

As much as like to swim, and be outdoors, I always have mixed feelings about summer. I hate humidity (coupled with heat, which is the norm here in most of Maryland) and, of course, bugs. Not all bugs, just the ones that seek to torment me and make my time outside miserable. Next time I go to the lake I’ll have to bring my hat with the net. Then I can enjoy watching the dragonflies and be able to avoid the gnats!