"Immunity" to mosquitoes.

[Anne Kilmer]

But Mike, I used to get terrible welts, right here in my own yard. 
Now you could say that since I achieved enlightenment, the bugs like me
better. I like that theory myself. 
Or you could say that my immune system has decided, for whatever reason,
that these particular foreign proteins are not a problem.
In other words, the individual susceptibility changes. 
A favorite experience of mine ... watching the Dalai Lama explaining his
attitude about mosquito bites. 
One bite, he smiles serenely at the beast. 
A second bite, he gently blows the little critter away. 
A third, he squashes the little mother, just as you or I would. 
This (the immune reaction we're discussing) is probably all because of
the placebo effect, which medical science has finally decided to
harness. If you don't mind being bitten, your body (surprise) doesn't
make a fuss about it either. 
I carry a 10X loupe when I go about ... if you put it over the mosquito,
and watch her enjoying her meal, you may be able to work up an affection
for the little lady. 
In moderation. 
Kenelm and I have already done our dueling mosquito stories ... 
and I recall a mosquito storm on Chincoteague Island where you had to
cover your mouth and nose in order to breathe.
I don't think anyone's philosophy could have been as comforting as that
car was. Especially after we got rid of all the little folks who came in
with us. 
 
  Anne Kilmer
South Florida

Michael Gochfeld wrote:
> 
> Given the evidence, Ken's explanation of individual susceptibility to
> mosquito bites seems most likely.  It just shows that you can build
> precious hypotheses on scant data.
> 
> Mike Gochfeld