Woody and the Windigo by M. K. Sejbl “Ouch!” said Woody, “Another mosquito bit me. Boy, I wish mosquitoes had never been invented.” “Oh, you poor little moose,” said Woody’s mother. “Let's put some more mosquito repellent on you.” “Yes, Woody,” said his dad. “There's a storytelling down at the campground center, and it will be hard to enjoy the stories if we're being eaten alive.” When they got to the center, there was a large bonfire. In front of the bonfire sat an old storyteller. The campground managers asked that all of the campers sit quietly so they could hear the stories. Suddenly, the storyteller slapped a mosquito on her arm and said, “Another of the Windigo's children is seeking revenge. Long ago, when the first people came here, there were many strange and wondrous beings. Some of these beings were helpful. Others, like the Windigo, were very dangerous. The Windigo would lure young maidens and warriors out of their beds and into the deep dark forests. Once the Windigo had the young person in their clutches, they would sink their teeth into them and drain them of all of their blood. You see, the Windigo was a kind of a vampire. Usually, when the Windigo came into an area, the people would move away. But this time, the place they had found to live was beautiful ­ with plenty of hunting, lots of water and many types of roots and berries. So the people decided to kill the Windigo. “First they dug a very deep pit. Then they placed branches and leaves to hide it. Finally, the most beautiful young maiden and the strongest young warrior took their blankets near the pit and pretended to sleep. Soon the Windigo came, but as soon as he stepped on the branches, he fell into the pit. Before the monster could climb out of the pit, the people threw in burning branches and logs. Soon the entire pit was ablaze. “Suddenly, there was a huge explosion and smoke and ashes were thrown into the air. Then the people heard the voice of the Windigo say, ‘You may have killed me, but I will have the final revenge. My children will suck the blood of your children for all of eternity. That's when the ashes of the fire turned into mosquitoes and started to bite the people. And they have done so ever since.” There was a moment of quiet as the story ended. Suddenly the campers heard the voice of a little moose, “Ouch! I think another Windigo bit me,” said Woody. “I must need some more Windigo repellent.” Keep Mosquitos Away No matter where people travel, they are almost sure to find mosquitoes. Fortunately, there are ways to keep them from using you as a snack. In the past people have tried all kinds of things to keep these pesky critters away. People have tried covering themselves with onion juice, peppermint or eucalyptus oil, and smearing their skin with garlic or bay leaves. Others have burned citronella in torches and candles. Some desperate folks have even covered themselves with mud or urine (yelch!). Insect Repellents While citronella has been shown to keep mosquitoes away, most of the rest of these home remedies don't seem to work at all. Today, campers can purchase insect repellents in cans, tubes and bottles. The repellents that contain “DEET” seem to work the best, but make sure you use these safely. Don't use these repellents on infants, and don't spray them on broken or badly sunburned skin. Mosquito Netting Mosquito netting will also keep the bugs at bay, just like it does in those jungle safari movies. Many camping and outdoor stores sell hooded shirts, hats with mosquito netting attached and even mosquito netting in the form of jumpsuits, which cover you entire body. These may not look too cool, but they will keep mosquitoes away. Keeping the mosquito mesh of your tent and RV completely closed except when you're entering or exiting will also keep mosquitoes from bugging you at bedtime. Also, make sure that your baby brother's or sister's crib or playpen is covered with mesh to protect them from itchy bites. Mosquito Senses Mosquitoes have excellent senses of smell, so they are attracted to smelly people ­ both those who smell good and those who smell bad. The best way to keep mosquitoes from finding you is to take a bath or shower to wash off body odor and sweat using soap that doesn't have perfume in it. Avoid putting on perfume, scented powers or sprays. If mosquitoes can't smell you, they will only find you by sight, and mosquitoes have only average vision. Speaking of sight, mosquitoes seem to be attracted to some colors more than others. Some studies have shown that people wearing bright colors or navy blue are bitten more than people wearing drab colors, such as khaki, and lighter colors such as white and pastels. Mosquitoes tend to bite more at dawn and dusk. They also are more active in shady moist spots, like forests and near bushes, than bright sunny spots, like beaches and unshaded playgrounds. Places where there is a lot of standing water like swamps and bogs are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, so wear lots of repellent or cover yourself in mosquito netting before your explore these areas. By the way, female mosquitoes, the ones that bite, are almost deaf, so those high-tech sonic mosquito repellents probably won't work. Ditto for those blue-light-type bug zappers. Only about one percent of all the bugs zapped by these zappers are mosquitoes. Other bugs, such as moths, are actually attracted to them so, even though it may be reassuring to hear the crackle of a flying fiend being fried, bug zappers often increase the number of bugs in the area. After Bugs Bite No matter what you do, it's almost a sure thing that you will be bitten by a mosquito once in a while. Scratching an itchy bite really doesn't help, and if you scratch hard enough to break the skin you can get an infection. Here's a few things that may help you survive the itches: • Try rubbing the bite with an ice cube ­ the cold will help numb the skin. • Washing the bite with soap and water, then applying calamine lotion or a paste made of baking soda and water may also help. Some people claim that baking-soda toothpaste helps tame the itch. • Finally, scientists have found that some people become less sensitive to mosquito bites when they are bitten a lot, so maybe a bunch of bites will eventually keep the itches away. (Do you really want to find out?) Excerpted from Woodall's Monthly Regional RV/Camping Publications. Home | Back to Kids' Camping Corner | Back to Stories | Top of Page ©2000. Woodall Publications Corp. All copy and images.