The prospect of spending a summer night anchored on the edge of a pine-studded island off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula didn’t worry me. The troubling part was how close my wife, Maria, and I would be to that edge.

When it became apparent that our boat’s outboard was not going to start before darkness descended, I devised a plan to get away from the island and its buggy inhabitants. I allowed the wind to carry us as far as possible before dropping the anchor and settling in for an unanticipated night on the hook. This was also downwind from the islet, which I hoped would keep the bugs at bay.

It didn’t work. As the sun set, a pulsating cloud lifted off the island with a dull hum. We had not drifted far enough. And despite donning every inch of clothing on the boat, we suffered a night of swatting and swearing at the mosquito horde.

Oddly, my wife didn’t suffer nearly as much as did I. She slept through most of the onslaught, while the ’skeeters turned my evening into a living nightmare.

ODD MAN OUT

After a lifetime of being the primary target of every insect within stinging range, I have made it a point to investigate why insects bite; more specifically, why insects bite me — often to the exclusion of other perfectly acceptable, warm-blooded creatures in the immediate vicinity. My research explains why I was the primary target of the mosquitoes that night. That mild breeze, which I had hoped would keep the bugs away, was now blowing in the opposite direction and actually allowed them to find me by following a plume of particularly tantalizing carbon dioxide that I emitted with every breath, not to mention through every pore.

I have also learned that it was nothing personal; the mosquitoes that played darts with my hide were merely doing their motherly duties. You see, only the females bite, and they use the blood to nourish the eggs they’re carrying. And for whatever reason, research has shown that mosquitoes prefer their human hosts to be male. What’s more, they are attracted by bright colors and sweet scents left behind by soap, shampoo, after-shave and deodorant.

’SKEETER SAVVY

Mosquitoes are considered public enemy No. 1 by many anglers, and there are some 240 species in North America alone. It’s estimated that there are 42,000 mosquitoes to every human in the U.S. As if mosquitoes weren’t enough, there are more than a million insect species in the world. These include black flies, deer flies, chiggers and the dreaded “no-see-ums.” The really bad news is that we’re a food source for many of them.

Boaters have been trying to repel bugs since the first swat at an errant insect resulted in capsizing a caveman’s dugout. A thick coat of mud was an early bug barrier for primitive boaters. Once they were ashore, they figured out that smoke from cooking fires kept bugs at bay. It seems many insects breathe through their wings, which get clogged by the smoke. In the same vein, some modern-day sailors swear by a cheap, stinky stogie to create a dense cloud of thick smoke.

Today, most anglers simply reach for one of more than 250 insect repellents available —concoctions that come in sprays, creams, lotions or waxy sticks in scented or unscented formulas. More often than not, the key ingredient is deet (diethylmetatoluamide) in concentrations from 2 to 100 percent.

In addition to chemical repellents, there are physical barriers that provide protection from biting bugs. These range from simple mosquito netting to repellent-scented, bug-proof suits. When overnighting along buggy waterways, I now carry a mosquito net that was designed for suspending over a bed. When we are anchored or docked for the night, and bugs get bad, we drape it over the cockpit of the boat. You can get creative with VHF antennas, planer board masts, boat hooks and convertible tops to get the mesh to drape over the deck the way you want it. In the morning, the netting easily stores in a quart-size plastic zip-bag.

FATAL ATTRACTION

There are also steps you can take to prevent insects from being attracted to you in the first place. Entomologists (scientists who study insects) have learned that the most powerful attractant is carbon dioxide we emit through our skin and breath. The insects can detect our scent from as far as a half-mile away.

Interestingly, some humans give off a more provocative scent than others. For example, as indicated earlier, men are usually more attractive to mosquitoes. However, the favorite odor among biting insects is a chemical found in the carbon dioxide emitted by bovines, such as cows. It’s called octenal. That’s reason enough not to anchor-up near a feedlot or cattle pasture.

There are also electronic bug zappers, including 12-volt models for boaters. These devices electrocute insects that are drawn to a distinctive, blue light. However, the effectiveness of these gizmos against mosquitoes is in question. In a test performed by a television news crew, some 10,000 bugs were killed during a single night, but only eight were mosquitoes. To increase effectiveness, some bug-zappers now come with a bait device treated with synthetic octenal, in hopes it will lure more ’skeeters to an untimely demise.

Several high-tech repellants have been introduced in recent years. Most use high-frequency sounds to ward off insects. In my testing of portable models, however, these devices did little to deter mosquitoes.

BREAK OUT THE BIG GUN

The heavy artillery in the war on bugs has to be the Mosquito Magnet from American Biophysics Corp. (877/545-5737; mosquitomag nets.com). Resembling a backyard barbecue grill, the Mosquito Magnet emits a warm, moist stream of octenal-laden carbon dioxide that draws mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums and other biting insects to the unit. Once the bugs are within range, a powerful vacuum sucks them into a net. Powered by electricity or propane, the Mosquito Magnet comes in three sizes (from $500 to $1300) to provide coverage for up to an acre. Even the smallest model is not appropriate to have aboard a trailerable-sized boat, but would be great to have dockside.

SECRETS OF THE NORTH COUNTRY

Home remedies abound. For example, to thwart the advances of mosquitoes and black flies in Ontario’s bug-filled north woods, Canadian bush pilot Ron Buck swears by vitamin B1 or B12, which he starts taking a month ahead of any boat trip. Buck takes 500 mg of B1 or 1000 mg of B12 daily in tablet form, and claims the chemical reaction creates a body odor that humans can’t detect, but insects avoid. Furthermore, he says that the bites don’t itch as bad or for as long as those endured when he is not on the vitamins.

Some of my boating friends say zinc is an effective deterrent, and take up to 60 mg per day in tablet form, which they say makes their body odors unattractive to insects. There are even simpler methods. A canoe guide I know says the best bug deterrent for trips into backcountry is simply not bathing, which seems to agree with findings about toiletries’ attractiveness to insects. It may also deter your fishing buddies, however.

A fishing lodge owner I know in Northern Canada eats garlic to ward off bugs, and her housekeeping staff stuff their pockets with Bounce fabric softener sheets when the mosquitoes get bad. The Bounce tactic is also used by some Great Lakes boaters to deter small biting flies that terrorize the ankles of anglers. The lodge owner said one of her regular guests takes the primitive mud-pack idea a step further and coats himself with a layer of Vicks Vapo-Rub to keep mosquitoes at bay before heading out for a day of fishing.

Consumer Reports magazine conducts in-depth tests of insect repellents, and its most recent results indicate that repellents containing deet continue to be the most effective at warding off mosquitoes. My own experiences confirm these findings. When biting insects are merely bothersome, products such as Avon Skin So Soft, Badger Bug Balm, Natrapel and other non-deet-containing repellants can ward off insects for a while. But when the bugs get bad, I want to be coated in deet and anchored upwind of a Mosquito Magnet.

SIDE BAR

The Trouble With Deet

Developed by the U.S. government in 1951 after testing the efficacy of some 11,000 compounds in repelling insects, diethylmetatoluamide — more commonly known as deet — is the active ingredient in products used by an estimated 200 million people around the world. Deet was approved in 1989 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and it is the No. 1 insect-repelling ingredient on the market.

However, deet can cause problems for boaters’ gear. For example, repellents containing higher concentrations of deet can etch or dissolve some plastics — such as those found on sonar screens, sunglasses and the bezels of cheaper watches. As such, boaters need to be careful of over-spray when using pump- or aerosol-propelled repellants.

Deet can also be an irritant, and contact with the eyes, mouth and open sores should be avoided.

Alternatives found in insect repellents include citronella, cactus juice, peppermint, aloe vera, orange or lemon-peel oil, myrrh and sassafras, to name a few. However, in tests, none have proven to be as effective for repelling biting insects as deet.

Incurable Itch

Doctors say to never scratch a bug bite, as this may lead to infection. To relieve itching, some boaters rub a wet aspirin on a bothersome mosquito bite in the belief it neutralizes the venom. Over-the-counter antihistamines will lessen swelling and pain, and some fishermen swear by meat tenderizers for the same purpose. Tenderizers contain papain, which detoxifies insect venoms.

Other home remedies include making a poultice of salt and water, while others dab bites with a wet rag or cotton swab dipped in baking soda, leaving the residue on for a half-hour. Even simpler than those concoctions is covering the bite with plain old mud, which helps relieve the sting or itch.