New York, as it turns out, is plagued with late season-blooming mosquitoes. As the temperature rose yesterday to 18°C and is now hovering around 15°C, the little bastards manage to rise again and again, like Peter Sellers failing to die in the hilarious opening scene of "The Party".

By late autumn, one grows weary of slapping around frantically – and often missing. Fly swaps are messy and leave red stains on the walls. So let me give you a trick that has done wonders for me lately, especially for the late night buggers that won’t let us sleep – a mosquito buzzing around your head in a dark silent room is like the sound of bombers approaching London during WW2. Or so I imagine.

So my trick in two words: shaving cream!

No, seriously! It’s instant mosquito glue. Rub around a bit of cream on the palm of one hand and merely wave your hand close to the insect. Make sure to be in its path as it takes off. It’ll stay stuck as surely as if the shaving cream was contact glue. Wash your hand up. You’re done.