"It's looking pretty good" for the early mosquitoes this year, says [Gordon Surgeoner], who actually seems to look forward to the emergence of the beasts. The melting water from the thick blanket of snow we had this winter ensured a good first crop of mosquitoes, he says.

After many years of being a deli on the hoof, Surgeoner says the bites don't really bother him any more. He has built up a resistance to the insects' secretions, which cause the swelling and itching. Similar resistance to insect bites is sometimes reported by people such as hunting and fishing guides, who spend a lot of time in the woods.

Surgeoner heads the biting fly section of the environmental biology department at Guelph University, where he is involved in testing repellents and researching biting fly behavior.