Though the heat has once again come into our part of the world, Southwest Georgia is not as bad as the southwestern United States or California’s Death Valley. We were blessed with the weather we had over the July 4 weekend, but have given that all back now. We need to be satisfied with what we have and enjoy the overcast days that help hold the temperatures down under 100 degrees.

One would think that the fish might have slowed down biting with the heat, but they haven’t slowed much. The summertime patterns with very few fish biting are coming any day now, but enjoy the last of the good season while you can. New Dog Days are upon us, beginning around June 28, and Old Dog Days are not long off, starting July 28 and ending around Labor Day. I have been seeing some lazy dogs and with them, a few lazy folks. They both are having a terrible time with the heat and most probably will until on after the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Another thing that comes right along with the heat is the insects. Gnats don’t bite, at least the kind we have don’t bite, but they will land on you and bother the tarnation out of you crawling around on your skin. I have so much hair on my arms that at times, I will let the gnats land on my arm and naturally, they will go down in the hair and have trouble getting out. I can easily pop them and then thump them out, never to crawl on me again. Not the cleanest thing to do, but it does get rid of them and tells the brethen not to come close to the hairy arms.

All the other insects in the world that bother us are flying and crawling around trying to make our day. Thermacell units are still available. The problem with them is they are only effective in a small area, but in that defined area they are really great. During turkey season and during the archery season that is to come, the thermacell unit will certainly keep the area you are sitting in clear and free of insects. They work better if the wind is not blowing, though the wind will blow away most of the flying insects. The crawling ones will still get you if the wind blows, so it would be best if you still carried and used a good insect repellent. The repellent would still work on the trip into the woods as well as out of them and that is when the thermacell it not effective.

A thermacell would work for you when you are fishing, if the wind is not blowing and you are sitting still, like anchored down, as in perch fishing or panfishing. So even though you may have used the thermacell and were pleased with what it could do, there is a place out there for the regular insect repellents. Use them and always keep plenty with you for yourself and the kids. Kaylee’s cousin, Kira, is visiting for the week and she needs repellent even inside. That may be stretching it some, but you know those folks that are so very pale and get eaten by insects worse that either you or I. She is that person and even in the pool she was eaten up. She was ready to come in and doctor the multitude of bites. She lives in Jesup and that is close to sand gnat territory. They bother me and I bet her life is miserable on Georgia’s east coast beaches.

We have turned the corner and are on the downhill side of this time of the hot part of the year. It won’t be long before it is Christmas.