They're back! They buzz, they bite and this year, they're big!!!

I can only be talking about one thing - the mozzies have returned.

Over the last week or so we have been watching the mosquito lava hatching on the lakes up at the golf course and we knew we were going to get up there one morning soon and they would be up and ready. This morning we were prepared, both Neil & I covered ourselves in mossie spray - and boy were we glad! They were thousands of them - and they are big.

We start golf at about 9.30am so the mossies are just swarming everywhere at that time in the morning. By 11ish the breeze has got up and it's a lot warmer and there doesn't seem as many about but if you go into a sheltered part of the course where there's no wind, be careful 'cos that's where they are all hiding.

As far as we know, they are going to be spraying the course in the next week to reduce the numbers of mozzies, it's like crop spraying. They do it over the village as well and again, should be doing it soon and I did notice tonight when I was down in La Venta that there were a number of mozzies about - but so far, up at the villa we haven't seen any - but we are ready for them, the little monsters.

Todays bite count (despite all the spraying) is 2 on the right arm and 2 on the neck - I have a feeling that all the 'unprepared tourists' on the golf course this morning in their shorts and T-shirts and and no mozzie spray will be counting many more. When you stood still for a minute you would have a number of them land on you - so we did kill quite a few which made us feel a little better when they were dive bombing us while we were trying to take our shots. And you have to learn to speak through clenched teeth otherwise they're in your mouth - and that's not pleasant!

I have to say that having had a number of bites last year, the ones today don't seem as bad - they are not driving me mad with itching and they haven't come up in such large red lumps - maybe you build up immunity to them like when you have a vaccine - anyway, I'll put some cream on them just to make sure I can sleep ok .

One of the down sides to living in a hot climate!