The latest Buzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, it's official. Spring is here. Mosquitos have been sighted outside.

This announcement is greeted each year with a mixture of joy and dread. Yay, Spring is here! Oh crud, the mosquitoes are here too.

You have to respect these first large, slow-moving mozzies. They've actually made it through an Alaskan winter - and without spiked hot apple cider or wooly slippers. That's something. I could tell you that out of this immense respect, we let them live to buzz along into summer. But we don't. We smash 'em, squash 'em, burn 'em and zap 'em.

Why? Because of their progeny. The big, lathargic parent mosquitoes will sire millions of faster-moving, industrious little blood-sucking, ear-circling babies. We hate them for it. Yeah, so they've survived the winter too, but they got to do it all cozied up in their nice warm eggs, and don't emerge until after the snow is gone and road construction season has begun. Are we jealous? You betcha.

Note: for a fascinating explanation of how adult mosquitoes survive the long Alaskan winter under the snow, click here: the guys at the Alaska Science Institute equate it to pretty much the same process as when you make fudge. Neat, but in our opinion, anyone who can equate mosquito hibernation with chocolate has serious issues.

So, we'll cope by lighting our citronella candles, spraying ourselves with copious amounts of our own homemade DEET-free bug spray, and wearing long sleeves. And by squishing every buzzer we can catch.

For your shopping pleasure: Limited Series 98 Mosquito Mug (microwave safe)at top by JimAndGina, Mosquito Card by SouthernPestPrints, Belgian Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut-Chocolate Cream Truffles by Nikid , Camper's Soap-To-Go by SudsNSuch, PithVogue Couture Hat wA Little Beekeeper Thrown In by whimandaprayer, and Citronella Spring Tin Soy Candle by LilacAve.