Allergy Alert - Trees, Grass and Mayflies, Oh My

We live in the woods, ok...it's not the woods if you REALLY live in the woods but to my city friends, we might as well be in the middle of Montana, in a log cabin, surrounded by nothing.


Both kids are suffering badly from the tree pollen which has been really high here lately.


I get an allergy alert email from the Pollen People every day and it tells us what allergens are high right now for our area.


The boy, saw an allergist when he was 23 months for a peanut allergy and we found out he is allergic to grass, trees and peanuts.


The girl, has yet to see an allergist but I believe she is allergic to nuts and probably trees. She got a rash the two times I kissed her after eating a PBJ sandwich and starting today her eyes are swollen, itchy and red and she is miserable.


This happened last year too and it lasted about a week. Urrgghh!



It could also be that she is allergic to whatever is in Mayfly spit. Right now we are over run with Mayflies. They suck! I hate them.


My first experience was about 4 years ago when my toddler son came inside with blood drips all over his head. I ran outside to see what he had gotten into. Did he cut himself on something? I searched and found nothing. I spoke to a neighbor later who told me that she had gotten bit by Mayflies while gardening.


My daughter got bit yesterday, about 8 times. These damn things must be all mouth because they leave the biggest, bloodiest mark when they bite. The first two that I noticed on her yesterday were near her collar bone. It looked like she was bit by a vampire. The blood looked to have been dripping under the skin. So nasty. After that I searched her and found two more at her scalp line. There was 1 in the back and one on her temple. Then I searched her head, under her hair and found 4 more in different areas under her hair. They had all bled and created dried blood hills that I cleaned off with Benadryl wash. Nasty! Then they swell up and get really big and gross. So fun.




I hate them!


This is the 4th year that I have dealt with these damn pests. The weather is beautiful but you can't go outside and be a feast for a bug that has a 24 hour life span. I would move just because of these damn things.


Signed, living on Claritin and Benadryl.