Insect Encounters

[2sweed]

There are many insects that we can come in contact with out in the woods and fields, while camping or backpacking. Some are beautiful and some can be deadly, but most are just bothersome as in flying around our faces or stinging and biting. All areas of the country or world, have insects that can do serious bodily harm and should be avoided when possible such as the Bees and Wasps, Hornets and Yellow Jackets.

Remember that "Bees" are attracted by bright colors and sweet scents of food or cosmetics. Also hair sprays and hair oil, and perfume. If a bee or bees, fly near you don't swing wildly at the bee or run. Attempt to move slowly away from the area. However, if in the area of a swarm of bees, try and move slowly away and if there is water nearby and the bees are following you it is said by dunking yourself under water the bees will leave the area and return to their hive or nest. While human nature tends to want to swing our hands in defense this act only seems to anger or excite the these bees into attacking. Sometimes, after moving slowly away to a safer location it is then best to hightail it out of the area.

What to do if stung. If the stringer is still present scrape it out of the skin, but don't plunk it out. Do so to avoid breaking it off. Apply wet compresses or mix baking soda with a bit of water to form a paste and smear it thickly over the area to help with the pain and swelling. If you are an individual who is hypersensitive to the venom of this group of insects, then you should always carry an emergency treatment kit with you at all times. Lots of swelling indicates a hypersensitivity to the venom. Call for help or transport the person, to a doctor as soon as possible.

 

[2sweed]

Chigger's and Fire Ants
Found mostly in the southern states.
Before walking through tall grass or weeds, tie your pant legs tightly at the ankles to protect yourself from chiggers. Often it helps to spray your shoes and lower pant legs with repellent. When returning to camp or home, take a hot shower as soon as possible and scrubbing with soapy water should remove any chiggers that may have gotten on your skin. If bitten cover the bites with soapy lather and allow it to remain on your skin at least ten minutes. Then use a mixture of baking soda and water to made a thick paste, and smear this over the bites and let it dry. This helps to reduce the pain and itching. Try not to scratch the bites as swelling and infection, and blisters can develop. If swelling continues apply a cloth saturated with ice water or rub ice cubes over the areas.

Fire ants are also found in most southern states. Look for mounds of sand or many pencil sized holes in the ground with red ants moving in and out. Avoid stepping onto the mounds or near them. If the ants get on your clothing brush them off quickly. If they climb under your clothes, undress if necessary to brush them off as quickly as possible. These ants will get on your skin and bite. Sometimes it seems they will wait for a sign from there leader, then start biting all at once. If bitten pour cold water over the bites, and apply the baking soda paste to stop them from itching and swelling, and to control the pain. If allergic see a doctor right away.

 

[2sweed]

Crickets
This is one bug I do not mind hearing on a camping trip. The music he makes is by rubbing a scraper located on one fore-wing along a row of 50 to 250 teeth on the opposite fore-wing. The tone and the duration of the chirping sound varies with the number of teeth struck per second. The most common noises are the calling sound for attracting females and the mating song which lures them in for sexual favors, and the fighting chirp which repels other males.

While there are over 2,400 species of crickets, there are two main types of cricket. Those that keep themselves in pastures and woodlands and those that stay around houses and yards. The field cricket and the house cricket, feed on plants and animals, clothes and even each other. The tree crickets are green and have transparent wings and are beneficial to man, as they feed on aphids. The tree crickets and wood inhabiting crickets, usually sing at night and weed inhabiting crickets sing both night and day.

It is said that in Mandalay markets a large brown cricket is fried and sold to Buddhist monks, and in the Orient, male crickets are caged in beautiful cages for their songs, and lastly, in China, cricket fighting is a popular sport. As for me I enjoy listening to their chirping song in the night as I drift off to sleep.

 

[whnuien]

That's a very helpful information and videos. I'm sure this will help a lot of campers. Reading and watching this reminded me of the time when I got stung by a bee on my lips while trekking with my parents. It swelled so fast that I cried and begged my parents for us to camp in the jungle that night. I did not want to pass the villagers on the way back home. My lips were so big and I felt as if there was a big chunk of bread hanging on my lips, it was horrible and embarrassing. We used coconut oil to lessen the pain and to get rid of the swell.

 

[2sweed]

My worse bites were when I was young and had crawled underneath my uncles barn to see what was under there. what was under the barn was a honeybee nest and they attacked me. I got bit on my face and back and arms. I grandma mixed up some baking soda and water to make a paste and then smeared it over the bites. It took the sting and swelling away, but the itching.

Another time I was out in the field with a friend and some hornets bit us. Boy did that hurt and for quite a while. We used the same treatment and it worked out well for us, we were told the hornets had nested in the ground and my friends dad burnt them out.

 

[campforums]

@2sweed I have a similar story like that when I was younger and found a hornet's next on the ground when I was out playing in the back yard. I guess it fell down, I didn't think it would be a nest since it was on the ground. Anyways I was poking around it and next thing I knew a huge black swarm came out of nowhere and I was just running around trying to dodge this things but they kept stinging me until at one point my brother saw and came to help me get inside.

 

[tess pfeif]

2Weed, I have a question about chiggers! When I was a young camper on the east coast, my best friend, Meg got chiggers on her foot. Our counselor solved this issue by putting a layer of nail-polish on Meg's foot twice a day for two days. The chiggers went away and our counselor told us they "suffocated". Is this an effective way to remove chiggers, or are there other, more effective ways to remove them?

 

[Profit5500]

I hated dealing with the wasps in my backyard. I always look for the nest where they are hatching and then knock down the hive with my broom. Its always a big deal when you have nest all the wasps are there.

 

[Jessi]

2Weed, I have a question about chiggers! When I was a young camper on the east coast, my best friend, Meg got chiggers on her foot. Our counselor solved this issue by putting a layer of nail-polish on Meg's foot twice a day for two days. The chiggers went away and our counselor told us they "suffocated". Is this an effective way to remove chiggers, or are there other, more effective ways to remove them?

This is actually an old wive's tale. By the time you notice that you're itching, the chiggers themselves are already gone.

The nail polish *does* end up feeling good sometimes, though. It creates a layer on the skin that tightens and it might prevent you from scratching at them. It's not actually killing any bugs or healing anything unfortunately, though.

 

[Profit5500]

I kill ants since we have them in our house most of the time. I never dealt with ants while camping so I don't know what to expect. Spiders I cannot see myself dealing with a peacock spider it looks funny.

 

[ashley0323]

Throughout the day, I notice I come across a ton of wasps, and mosquitos (at night too), and dragonflies if I am near the lake. If it is night time, we usually have a small fire going and it attracts lots of mosquitos and june bugs!! Most annoying thing ever!

 

[Alexandoy]

The presence of ants in the campsite is very irritating especially at night. But I can control it with a good tent and a barrier. With wasps and bees, I can evade them with the smoke of the bonfire. What bothers me is the attack of mosquitoes. Those flying vampires are the spreaders of diseases. Forest mosquitoes are known for malaria and until now they kill people. My only defense against mosquitoes is the ointment repellent. But it doesn't work all the time particularly when the skin is wet with sweat.

 

[Bibsoutdoors]

I read an article last evening about 'ticks.' They now carry far worse things then Lyme disease. People are actually dying from their bites. Can be scary but don't let stuff like this dissuade you from going out. Simple enough steps and precautions can make your outing "event" free.

Alexandoy, you should ask Northern Dancer about the repellant he uses and specifically if it continues to work when your sweating.

Bibsoutdoors

 

[Northern Dancer]

...interesting stuff. When I instructed First Aid courses we received a memorandum about Lyme's disease being identified in British Columbia [far west] but not in Ontario. That's all changed now. Like the Killer Bees that were way down South? Apparently there are not way down there anymore.

I always encourage people to be aware of the immediate risks of camping. I don't use the term dangers. After all - this is just another part of life. I encourage people to take training especially in the arts of camping/canoeing and for goodness sake why wouldn't you take a first aid course?

On another thread I talk about the Giant Hog Weed - this is a plant that is popping up all over the place and it is decidedly dangerous. Check it out.

DEADLY STUFF DUDES!

 

[Bibsoutdoors]

I just read a little ditty on it. Wow, nasty stuff. It originates from Russia between the Black and Caspian seas. Can grow up to 14' tall and the sap is super nasty causing painful blisters, should you get some in your eyes it can blind you. Scars can last from 3 months to 6 years. It causes light sensitivity in as little as 15 minutes and that's PAINFUL sensitivity to light. Here in the states it's been reported from Maine and New York to Michigan. Wow, just another thing to keep our eyes peeled for. I didn't even know there was such a thing, thanks Northern Dancer for bringing it to our attention.

On a happier note we just got another 9"of snow. I live on Lake Michigan so lake effect is continuing to drop more of the nasty stuff.

Bibsoutdoors

 

[Northern Dancer]

...one of the problems we face with the Giant Hog Weed is the fact it is a fascinating plant that automatically attracts people, especially children.

...on another note thanks @Bibsoutdoors - your storm is expected to arrive - sorry - make that it has already arrived in my neck of the woods.

I have the full day off today so what I'm I going to do?. Let's see - I'm put together a clock/temperature/sign/lantern pole for base camp. I ain't goin no where today.

 

[Northern Dancer]

...now onto Killer Bees - another human blunder that we are paying for.

Canadian scientists have already advised that our weather will not be a deterrent and they will migrate to this country. Where are the Present Trumps when you need them?

 

[Jasmin Cottontail]

One of the reasons why I don't go camping (even if I want to) is because of insects and wild animals that we might encounter. I'm not scared of snakes but I don't like them because they are dangerous and could kill. Same with mosquitoes, leeches, bees and any animals that can be deadly that one can encounter during camping. Not only insects and other animals but also plants. I heard that there are dangerous plants that could actually kill if touched or even smelled or if you come near it, just don't know what kinds of plants are those.

 

[Northern Dancer]

One of the reasons why I don't go camping (even if I want to) is because of insects and wild animals that we might encounter. I'm not scared of snakes but I don't like them because they are dangerous and could kill. Same with mosquitoes, leeches, bees and any animals that can be deadly that one can encounter during camping. Not only insects and other animals but also plants. I heard that there are dangerous plants that could actually kill if touched or even smelled or if you come near it, just don't know what kinds of plants are those.

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...interesting. Guess you have never experienced the wonder an awe of a canoe trip? None of your descriptive note applies.