Itching for a good time.....

I must say that summertime in the North Georgia mountains is heaven.  We are fortunate enough to have the best of both worlds.  While we have nice warm (and sometimes hot) days we still have cool evenings.  I’ve been all over this country and I must say that we have some of the most well rounded seasons and weather that I have experienced.  There is nothing like spending the evening on the deck barbecuing and enjoying a few adult beverages.

We are also quite fortunate when it comes to insects.  Very seldom do I become dinner for any preying insects while enjoying the great outdoors……with one exception…..

It’s CHIGGER season!  As the winter chills give way to sunny, warm days an annoying little critter re-emerges to make life miserable for anyone that loves the outdoors.  While sunburns peel and fade and the occasional mosquito bite itches for a few minutes, no one can forget the persistent itch brought on by a chigger injection.  So, what’s the answer???  I wish I had one, but here are some pointers to avoid becoming these little rascal’s prey.

First, it’s best to understand what a chigger is and why they do what they do.  Long story short - they are a VERY TINY insect that preys on its host by injecting the host with saliva that breaks down the hosts tissue (skin) allowing the chigger to actually suck the liquid tissue from the host in turn causing a nasty reaction resulting in a large red welt and a dreadfully persistent itch that can last for days!  Nice, huh?

Chiggers tend to live in tall weeds and underbrush.  This allows them to catch a ride on hosts passing by as the leaves or weeds they live on make contact with a tasty treat (your legs, arms, ankles, etc.).  While chiggers can quickly transfer themselves to their host it is important to know that they don’t have a real good grip on you.  Many attempts by chiggers to make you their next meal fail because they are easily brushed away or fall off of you.  This is good to remember if you find yourself trudging through tall weeds, grass or underbrush.  Think about brushing down your pants, shirt, legs, shoes and everything else periodically.  This will help remove any chiggers that may be making themselves at home on you.

Chiggers also prefer to live in shaded, moist and relatively cool areas.  So, it’s best to avoid areas that fit this description if at all possible.  They don’t care for areas that are exposed to full sun and get warm during the day. 

You can also help alleviate the chance of being injected by chiggers by keeping grassy yards mowed and any brush and weeds around your immediate property cut short.  Remember, chiggers will also get on Fido and he can in turn transfer them into the house. 

So, what is the best treatment for a chigger bite?  The only real cure is time.  I have yet to find a truly effective remedy for chiggers.  Please remember this, though – if you get a welt caused by a chigger you MUST RESIST THE URGE to scratch it.  Scratching will only spread the poison, inflame the welt and make the itch MUCH WORSE!  Trust me, I know.  And by the way, the old home cure of putting nail polish on a chigger welt to remove it is a myth.  Chiggers do not bore into you like a tick.  The chigger welt is simply a remnant of its last feast.

Do you know of any products or home remedies to alleviate chigger welts?  I’d love to hear about them.  Please post your comments below.

As always, enjoy this beautiful place we call home AND stay out of the tall weeds and brush along the Coosawattee River!

Til next time,

Chris

Revitalization of the Coosawattee Campgrounds

Nothing can start a fiery discussion among neighbors quicker than discussing the Campgrounds in Coosawattee River Resort.  I am certainly not here to start a fiery discussion, but to make some general observations that continue to encourage me to think that CRR is making headway at revitalizing this wonderful community resource.

First, I would like to say that I think CRR has done a great job at marketing not only the Campground properties, but also the residential properties within our community.  The sales figures released in the monthly newsletters show that we are moving property quickly and it is primarily in the Campground area.  I firmly believe as the economy continues to slowly improve we will see more development in the Campground.

Why, you ask?  Well, it is simply economics.  It’s fair to say that people are certainly doing better than they were four years ago.  It’s also fair to say that most people are not riding the high tide of the falsely elevated stock markets and bloated housing industry.  That leaves us somewhere in the middle.  I would say that most people looking to invest in CRR and seeking a weekend getaway or vacation spot are doing ‘okay’ but not getting rich.  I don’t know if you have taken a look at the local real estate listings lately, but there isn’t much in our neck of woods below $100K anymore.  It was only a handful of years ago when prime real estate in CRR could be purchased between $40K and $100K, and this bought you a fairly nice home.  The market is changing and the sun has set on those days.

So, where would a retiree or young family be able to secure a piece of mountain paradise at a reasonable price?  Now, you’re starting to see my point….

A lot of families and retirees still can’t afford to delve into a $100K mortgage for a weekend getaway.  And, I personally don’t believe they should.  It was this uninformed spending that landed us in a bit of a pickle before.  But, there is great value in setting up camp in the Campgrounds without emptying the bank account.  I have also noticed a lot of quality development in the campgrounds.  Not only are more roof-overs being constructed, but also roof over and screen room combos/enclosures.  I have to say, these look great and give such a polished, clean appearance to the area.  These roof-overs and enclosures not only provide attractive aesthetics, but also protect the RV’s and keeps them cleaner and in better overall condition.  The Campgrounds are (hold your breath!) beginning to look like a high end RV Community!  The key to full revitalization is to continue investing in the Campgrounds and keep pushing the property values north.  It’s my opinion that young professional families seeking an affordable weekend ‘cottage’ or retirees looking to live the RV lifestyle will be the demographics that rebuild this once beautiful and bustling area of CRR.  We will all do better once we achieve a level of quality that makes the Campground property sought after.  Just the notion that people are investing a great deal of money into these high-end campground properties should provoke all CRR residents to think what they can do to continue this trend.  I would also think that as these developments continue to rise that the residents and owners of the campground properties will gain a new sense of pride in ownership.

We are on a path to positive change.  I hope that the CRR Board and General Manager continue to put a concerted effort into the continued growth and development within the Campgrounds.   I’m thinking it’s going to be a great summer along the Coosawattee River.

Till next time,

Chris

Oh, BEE-have!

Welcome to bee season folks!  Yes, it comes every year and no, there isn’t a cure!

Feel better?  Probably not, but while there isn’t a cure for carpenter bees there are a few things you can do to prevent damage and ward off future infestations.

First, let me start by saying that these little devils will only be around for a few more weeks.  Their lifespan is fairly short and while you may think they are being destructive, they simply think they are being good parents.  The urge of parenthood is strong with these little guys – thus….the birds and the bees.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Carpenter bees bore holes in wood to create tunnels in which they lay their larvae.  They will be doing this until sometime around July when they die.  The larvae will gestate in these tunnels until next fall where they will begin to develop and ultimately find their way out of the tunnel and into the sunlight only to start the process over again.  You probably didn’t think that your eaves would ever be considered a womb did you???

So, the matter at hand isn’t what a great parent these critters may be, but how do I stop them from boring holes everywhere?  Carpenter bees can be a serious issue if their tunneling begins to compromise a structure.  You should make every attempt to plug a bee’s hole when you find one.  Moreover, it’s just as important to seek and destroy any larvae that may be in the tunnel prior to your reclamation of the kingdom!  This can be done in multiple ways, most commonly with insect spray or bee butter.  The use of insect spray is fairly straight forward – insert straw and spray.  The use of bee butter is not.  Bee butter is not a deterrent, but will kill the bees once they get it on them.  A small dab of bee butter in the hole will surely spread to the bee and larvae in an active tunnel.  Bee butter may also be a better choice since the bee will spread the butter throughout all of the tunnels.  There may be more tunnels than you think and spray may only get to some of the lair.  No matter which way you choose, you should always plug the hole.  A vacant hole is another bee’s opportunity to move in.  This can be done with a quality caulk or you can drill the existing hole out slightly to fit a piece of wooden dowel rod that can be glued into place.  The use of dowel rod will give a more uniform fix depending on where the damage is and how important appearance is.

The other option (and highly recommended) is to put Carpenter Bee traps around your home where you see Carpenter Bee activity.  The premise of bee traps is simple.  As I said before, Carpenter Bees will be more than happy to take up residence in an existing tunnel.  This saves them a lot of energy!  Bee traps are designed to provide an easy entry into a wood structure that isn’t so easy to get out of. 

If you are handy, you can make your own traps reasonably cheap.  The internet is loaded with design options and instructions on how to build them.  The other option is to purchase them.  The General Store at Coosawattee has traps that are built locally.  I opted to purchase the traps as it saved me time and helped support our local economy and our neighbors.  Truthfully, I'm not sure I could build them for what I bought them for.

It’s also important to know where to put the traps and to inspect for damage.  Keep in mind that Carpenter Bees are attracted to bare, non-painted wood.  If your house is painted wood and you have seen carpenter bees buzzing around you may want to inspect around deck railings or under decks where the wood may be unfinished or only stained.  These are also VERY important areas to keep structurally sound.  Painted surfaces deter these little guys, but this is not a guarantee that you won’t have problems.  Painted wood siding is still susceptible if you have worn, thin, flaking paint or areas where the siding has been compromised by water, sun, etc.. 

Another tactic you can try is the old ‘bait and switch’.  You may try baiting the bees away from your home by strategically placing pieces of untreated wood around your property to provide quiet tunneling zones for the bees.  Simply purchase (most of us have a stock laying around from projects) some clean untreated wood.  This could be pieces of 2X4's, 2X6's, etc.  Next, drill some holes into the wood at various angles.  Bees never bore straight into the wood, but typically at an upward or sideways angle to the grain of the wood.  This angle boring protects the tunnel from rain.  You have just created a convenient home for any discriminating bee to take up residence!

You may attach these chunks of wood to trunks of trees around your home with bungee cords or ratchet straps.  Just be careful when hanging them that you have the angle of the holes in the right position.  Bees will not occupy a tunnel that fills with water.  Once bee season is done, remove them and enjoy a campfire!  Just make sure you put these convenient bee condos in areas around your home that show bee activity.  HOPEFULLY they'll choose your peace offering over your deck stringers!

So, take a deep breath and a good look around your home.  Take care of those tunnels now and get them sealed up before they give birth to the next generation.  You can take some relief in knowing that we will only be dealing with these little guys for a few more weeks along the Coosawattee River.

Till next time,

Chris