As I continue my travels around the Northeast, I had the privilege of spending a week in Maine, at a camp that borders one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the state: Sebago Lake. It was a beautiful view, and with the absence of any Wi-Fi and spotty cell service in the area, I was able to enjoy nature significantly more.
All was practically well at campgrounds, that is until I realized that there were swarms of flying insects. Mosquitoes and other questionable winged species were flying around me, trying to bite. They're literally flying monsters. The worst is when these bugs realized that my movements were not jeopardizing their lives, so these winged monsters won't budge even after my arm-flailings try to shoo them away.
By now, most people would probably tell me to put on bug spray. And I did. Every single day -- multiple times a day, even. However, by reasons unknown to mankind, these insects were not repelled at all. The bugs especially loved me; every morning I wake up with six or more new bites, and at the end of each day I would find a handful more. At this point, I had come to the conclusion that bug sprays are pretty much useless.
I finally went to the camp's infirmary to inform them about their malicious mini-monsters. "Welcome to Maine," they told me. She gave me a handful of mini hydrocortisone gel packets. Apparently these help with alleviating the itchy feeling as well as the inflammation that comes after the bugs bite. Those gels saved me from going crazy.
Moral of the story: mini aero-monsters are everywhere. They attack viciously; some are more prone to be attacked more than others, and unfortunately there's nothing to repel their bites.
I don't know about you, but I know what I'll be buying a big bottle of for next summer.