Mosquitoes of the Pacific Northwest !

This photo was taken by Daniel after he successfully executed the nasty beast.
 Notice the length of her Proboscis.

I have shared the many wonderful experiences we have had  while cruising the Pacific Northwest. 

Now I must tell  you the bad news.  MOSQUITOES ! 

 I was attacked in Lund, BC.  I was outside at dusk in sandals without socks.  The perfect scenario for the blood thirsty evil flying demons. I received 13 bites on my ankles and feet. This insect is universally hated the world over.  These pesky, disease-carrying pests make a living by sucking the blood out of just about anything that moves.  Only the female mosquito feed on blood.  Though we commonly call them mosquito bites, she's not really biting you at all.  The mosquito pierces the upper layer of your skin with her proboscis, a straw like mouth part that allows her to drink fluids.  Once the proboscis breaks through the epidermis, the mosquito uses it to search for a blood vessel in the dermal layer underneath.  When she locates a vessel, the mosquito releases some of her saliva into the wound.  Mosquito saliva contains an anti-coagulant that keeps your blood flowing until she is finished with her meal.  Now you immune system realizes something is going on, and histamine is produced to combat the foreign substance.  The histamine reaches the area under attack, causing blood vessels there to swell.  It's the action of the histamine that causes the red bump, call a "Wheal".  But what about the itching?  When the blood vessels expand, nerves in the area become irritated by the swelling.  You feel this irritation as an itchy sensation.

I HATE MOSQUITOES !