"As time went on, I began to think the reputation of the Lapland mosquito had been exaggerated. Mosquitoes were common, but certainly not in the concentrated numbers I had heard of. The reindeer must be timid animals indeed, I decided, to be troubled by so few mosquitoes. Gradually, however, I began to scratch more frequently. Soon they attacked in such clouds that one was forced to breathe through clenched teeth to avoid making a meal of them. The wet Lapland summer ground was perfect for mosquito breeding. Unless there was a good breeze, to go outside was to suffer. Standard mosquito sprays and lotions were pitifully ineffective."