Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Ah, summertime. Who doesn’t love the long days, warm weather, and weekend getaways? But like every season, there are pros — and cons. For me, one of the biggest cons is bugs, and last summer, my attractiveness to bugs became a running joke among anyone who traveled (or just went outside) with me.

It all started with a trip to Central Texas, where I was bombarded by chiggers while camping — 151 bites later, they were done with me, and I was in agony for the next two weeks. (As I looked at my unrecognizable legs, one of my fellow campers said, and I quote, “You’re not that much uglier than before.”)

A month or so later, while on assignment and spending the night at a hotel, I woke up to ants crawling all over the nightstand and a number of small red welts all over my body: the result of some hungry bed bugs. Needless to say, that hotel won’t be appearing in any of my stories anytime soon.

A picnic shortly after that led to dozens of mosquito bites — and I, of course, am allergic to mosquitoes, leaving large, swollen, sore marks along my back, arms, and legs.

Summer may be a glorious season, but this year, I’m staying indoors a little more.