Great video. As a beekeeper & backpacker, maybe I can offer some additional info. Bees' vision is attuned to quick movement and edge contrast. When they go to sting, it's often along a contrasting edge, or something small that is moving at or above the waist. Favorite spots include wrists, face, hands, neckline or belt line. Also, all mammalians that predate on bees are dark (think bears, raccoons, skunks, etc). They are alarmed by large blotches of dark color, which is the reason that bee suits are white or sometimes light blue like the sky. They also see yellow and blue, which can attract them, but they don't see red very well. (Notice that red flowers attract other pollinators and are usually inaccessible to honeybees). Biting deerflies are also attracted to blue in a big way. Bees communicate through pheromones and have unbelievably sensitive olfactory senses. So there are two things to avoid here: anything lemon scented and bananas. Citral is used to scent lemon products and is a significant component in the Nasonov pheromone, which bees use for location and worker recruitment. In short, they are attracted to it; so much so that some beekeepers even use lemon pledge to bait swarm traps. The alarm pheromone which will trigger a defensive response is released when stinging or when the colony is disturbed. So if you get stung, the sting site will give off a smell that tells more bees to sting you. It also smells just like a banana. Eat a banana near a colony and you may attract unwanted attention. Avoid floral scented stuff as well, but if you smell like flowers while backpacking you're probably not backpacking. Just sayin. A honeybee will die when it stings, so it will do everything it can to deter you before stinging. If you get too close to a colony (it varies usually somewhere between 15 and 50 feet depending on the time of year), some workers will fly up and bump you as a warning - usually in the head area. If this happens, you are probably walking toward a colony. If you turn around and go the other way, without making sudden movements or swatting, they will leave you alone after a short distance. Lastly, ammonia emulsifies venom and pheromones. It's usually the active ingredient in those sting pens. I carry a 1 oz squeeze bottle that works way better than one of those pens. Hope that helps and clear skies!
@tmcman119 Good question. Honeybees, because of the complexity of the colony, have evolved a myriad of pheromones for communication. I don't know whether the same would be true for other members of the wasp family. You might try checking with the entomology dept of a local ag school? I do know that the defensive behavior in many wasps, especially paper wasps, is governed by the reproductive state of the colony. Lots of brood leads to a greater response to a threat. Little to no brood and they will readily abandon a nest for safety. Clear skies, GH
When I was very young.....some 50 years ago ...... a friend of mine liked to let a mosquito bite him, but as soon as it locked on he would pinch his skin around the mosquito and create pressure until the mosquito would explode. He claimed that the bites never itched because the bug died before it could put it's saliva back into the bite. I saw him do it a few times and in fact the mosquito would explode....which was great fun for an 8 year old.
Hey Dixie! LOVE your informational videos! I am an ER nurse for 21 years and find your info spot on. One thing I would add is TOPICAL Benadryl for insect bites. This gives localized relief without systemic side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. Side effects such as drowsiness with oral Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can be pretty severe for some people and interfere with the ability to hike safely and have a kind of “hangover” feeling. Another option for oral antihistamines are the “ non-drowsy” forms such as Claritin. Those antihistamines work just as well on insect bites as with regular allergies. One more thing that most folks don’t realize is that Pepcid & Zantac are also “histamine” blockers and can be used to SUPPLEMENT Claritin or Benadryl for total histamine blockade. (Benadryl is a Histamine1(H1) blocker and Pepcid & Zantac are Histamine2 (H2) blockers. Using both an H1 blocker and an H2 blocker together can provide total histamine blockade for very allergic folks. AND Pepcid & Zantac are dual purpose meds for GI upset and histamine blockade. An Epi pen as you stated is life saving kit (not luxury) for those severely allergic. Hydrocortisone topical ointment can also be helpful for insect bites but should not be used if wound becomes infected. I know some of this info is a little complicated but if anyone has questions they can email me directly at McClintock.RN@gmail.com. I am NOT a physician and encourage everyone to consult their health care practitioner before embarking on any adventure that will require self-sustaining medical interventions for your particular medical situation.
Sawyer makes an “Extractor” gizmo that is well worth the 4-5 ounces that it weighs. It comes in a bright yellow plastic box, so it is easy to find, both in the store and in an OUCHEY type hurry. This tool consists of a plastic syringe with a spring loaded plunger. Several adaptors are included to attach to the syringe, and press onto your skin at the bite point. When the plunger is fully depresses - a one handed operation - it generates a strong suction. This suction firmly holds the syringe and adaptor to your skin, and sucks out venom that was injected by a bee sting, black fly bite, mosquito bite, etc. It has also sucked out stingers, ticks, etc for me. I strongly recommend these. With the venom out, the itch, burning, etc stops. You will hear a familiar voice sighing, “AAaahhhh!” Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Skin -so- soft works well, especially for black flies. Couple of years ago- wife, daughter and I were taking ferry to Janes Island State Park ( just a little island on Chesapeake Bay) in Md. A young woman was out in bay, wrapped in blanket waiting for ferry to return-only thing visible was her head. We soon found out why-- luckily we were covered with skin-so-soft and black flies were bouncing off us like a a pinball machine. Tons of them. But not one bite. Works well for mosquitos too.
i will never ever ever backpack without a bug net for my face. i don’t really need it while hiking, but in buggy areas around camp and on breaks it’s the first thing out of my pack. i’m known to get hangry, and when mosquitos are buzzing around my face biting me while i’m trying to cook or eat on trail, i can easily go from just a little grumpy to a full-blown toddler-like temper tantrum. having a bug net with protects my sanity, protects the people around me, and is just all around a good idea. i work as a backpacking guide for a summer camp, and a big focus of our work is community, and staff are encouraged not to pack out Extra Special things like snacks or gear that can’t be shared. the bug net still comes with. #1 most important piece of gear.
@@richardk7379 I had that happen with one bug net i've used, not sure the brand, but i have another now that doesn't trap air in at all. Bug nets are a hit or a miss
@@ZebraKatzWhereItsAt you mentioned, you "aren't sure of the brand." Is that the brand of the one that held in your breath or the new one you have that is more comfortable? If you know of the brand of the more comfortable out of the two, I could benefit from the info, provided you are open to sharing. Thanks for taking the time.
Great video, Dix. I've spent time outdoors most of my life even if not backpacking. Of all the critters out there to despise, chiggers are at the top of my list. I never know when I've gotten into them and they are freakin' miserable once you have them. I stopped along the highway to Austin, Texas one spring morning to capture some images of the blue bonnets that were blooming. That was the worst case of chiggers I ever got, and I got plenty of them while in the Missouri woods. It still makes me shudder when I think of that miserable experience. I have not found a reliable way to not get any of them, but treating pant legs and at the hem seems to help a little. Mostly I avoid dense grass during chigger season. Like you, mosquitos are my nemesis. In the spring we have a lot of them along the Carson River here in Carson City. They are worse in the morning or evening, of course, but are still active during the day. I carry some repellent in my pack (I wear a pack on my walks) in case they are active. A few spritzes will keep most of them at bay. Be sure to get the back of your neck and your ears! Don't ask me how I know... I was walking my dog down by the river a couple of years ago on a late afternoon. Before we even got close to the river they were bad, so I stopped and dosed myself with repellent. A dozen yards down the path I came across a mom, gramma, and child who looked miserable and were flailing about. So I gave them some repellent. I have seldom seen such smiles. Holding something in front of you in the woods to break spiderwebs is an old hunter's trick. I used it many times while hunting or walking the Missouri woods. There's nothing quite so exciting as seeing one of those big (BIG) black and yellow orb-webbers crawling up your chest while you're spitting and peeling web off your face early in the morning. :o Edit: I meant to say something about wasps. I've had plenty of encounters with paper wasps over the years. They would nest in the hay barn and could make a work session miserable. The reds were the most aggressive. I've watched them many times waiting to launch an attack if you get too close, especially on warm summer afternoon when we were stacking hay. The black and yellow variety are also aggressive, but not like the reds. In some areas of the midwest (Missouri, for example), yellow jackets make their nest in the ground. They are about the size of a honeybee and can sting multiple times. They are also very aggressive and you can be in the middle of them without knowing it, so it pays to keep an eye open. I've had a few encounters with them and avoid them if at all possible.
My family has a little suction thing called "the bug bite thing" that works for bee stings, mosquito bites, and every sort of bug bite and everything you can think of. It basically sucks some of the venoms out so they heal faster and don't hurt or itch as much and I really like it.
I'm a Finn, and Finland is basically one big swamp, a really flat swamp. I know we market ourselves as the country of thousands of lakes, what we don't tell is that some of them are just big swamps and the rest are surrounded by swamps. On one particular trek I had so many mosquito bites on my arms I couldn't move my right one at all nor could I feel it, and I have a friend who was hospitalized because of mosquito bites. He had so many bites on his legs the water retention prevented blood flow. Now why not use long sleeved shirts or trousers? Why not use bug repellent? Did I mention Finland is flat? and surrounded by mountains (in Norway, Sweden and Russia)? So when you leave the coast the air can get stagnant, with not even the slightest breeze, and during the summer the sun doesn't set so it get unbelievably hot and you just sweat any bug repellent off.
My tick removal tool is a "Tick Twister" or "Tick Tornado". Works great, easy to use, does not squeeze the tick and removes ALL of the tick including the head & mouth parts. I carry it in my field first aid kit and have used it several times here in Florida and South Georgia. Also, I've actually found DEAD ticks on my Permethrin treated hiking pants so I Know the stuff works. Another Dixie fact filled video, thank you....
"Tick Twister"? Is that the crazy new dance sensation sweeping the nation? "You stick your left leg out, you stick your right leg out, you stick another left leg out, you stick another right leg out, c'mon baby, lets twist the tick..."
I use a healthy dose of garlic, fresh. To remove them I just turn them counter-clockwise. I reckon that tornado thing you're talkin about does the same thing.
As much as I hate cigarettes, I have to add this: When we were growing up, Mom used to keep one or two cigarettes in our medicine cabinet. She hated cigarettes too, but when one of us kids got stung by a bee, wasp, or yellow jacket, Mom would tear open just a bit of the end of the cigarette, get some tobacco out, moisten it with water, and apply it directly to the sting, securing it with a band-aid. I can speak from personal experience that this works great! Also, I'm a HUGE believer in extra-strength vinegar as a pest deterrent. Here in Texas we are lucky to have a line of grocery stores called H-E-B, and they carry 9% vinegar. Wow that stuff packs a punch but it's all-natural! If you don't have an H-E-B near you, Amazon sells some very highly concentrated vinegar. Just don't take a whiff!
"I just slap myself all-over and kill as many as I can and then rejoice in the death........ 😳 ...of all the Mosquitos in the Mosquito Massacre." 😂😂🤣 6:09
Living in Arkansas in the woods, and cutting firewood every year, I have had much experience with ticks and chiggers. To go on a wood-cutting foray into the woods, I would first use Avon Skin So Soft with a few drops of patchouli(a natural insect repellent) all over my body. Long pants and long sleeved light colored shirt, with my pant legs duct-taped at the ankles to keep the creepies from crawling up the inside of my pant legs. Then I would spray deet on my boots, pant legs, and sleeves. I smelled rather flowery, but I rarely got bit. On one occasion, I took a short hike in the woods, in September, without protection, and apparently stood on a chigger nest. I ended up with over 120 chigger bites on my left leg alone. Yes, Dixie, mosquitoes are little shits for sure, but I would rather have 10 mosquito bites instead of one chigger bite.
Forget DEET, use picaridin. It's non toxic and doesn't harm your precious precious gear. And get the Sawyer lotion, not the spray. Both work great against bugs but the spray leaves a noticeable layer on your skin (I wouldn't quite call it greasy but it's a similar feeling especially when you're sweaty) and its gross AF if you spray it on your face and it gets in your mouth. The lotion rubs on clean and because you can apply it to your face with more care than a spray, you're not gonna eat any of it.
Great video Dixie!!!! I'm deadly allergic to wasps.. My first night ever sleeping in a shelter was with about 150 bees nesting in the ceiling. Talk about overcoming your fears. I had no choice, it was in a severe thunderstorm in Alabama.
I hike in good lite weight hiking pants, light long sleeved shirt and often gaiters. I have taken dozens of ticks off my clothing over the years along with assorted spiders, scorpions, and other interesting creatures. Never had a serious bite. Hard not to swat wasps when they land on a neck or ear to get a drink from the sweat on my body. Don’t swat, let them drink and so far they have left. Never seen a brown recluse. Great video with good advice. Texas Jack
Old school and probably frowned upon now, but.....moistened tobacco will help with bee, wasp and hornet stings. Also old school, if a tick gets attached, you can paint the exposed portion with nail polish, and they'll let go. :-)
And please remember that Brown Recluses and Black Widows like dark places, so they don't make spider webs across trails! Where you have to worry about the poisonous ones are in wood piles, under rocks, in caves or holes. Don't freak out about dying from spiders from running into webs on the trail, they aren't going to hurt you, but be careful when collecting firewood and be cautious around hollow trees or logs.
Your advice about tucking long pants into socks is my prevention of ticks... that and I treat my socks and pants (up to knees) with permethrin and haven’t had a tick since.
We live in Alabama as well and lived in the woods for 6 years. Lot's of ticks! We use the oil Thyme to get rid of them. You put a drop on a q-tip and make a circle around the tick and it crawls out as fast as it can! (careful not to get any oil on the tick as that will kill it before it can squirm out). we then use tweezers to catch it and use a plethora of ways to kill them. (Although setting them on fire outside is a favorite way because they make a poping sound) Hope this helps!
Another fine installment Dixie. As an old turkey hunter I can attest to the effectiveness of permetherin for clothing. The Deet products can harm some synthetics and plastics. On a ligjhter note, the video you shot on the PCT of the spider catching the mosquito was pure gold, and so was the satisfaction in your voice as you added, "Yesss!" Best wishes as always.
Hi Dixie, just a quick tip here...sometimes if you're out hiking, camping or doing anything, you may not be carrying an antihistamine on you, and so one remedy for any type of bite (I know for bee stings for sure, unless you're allergic, it may or may not help) is to use mud immediately, preferably cool mud. If its a dry environment and there's no mud around, you can make mud by mixing a little water with dirt. I've done this a few times while out camping when my kids were young. It instantly takes away the itch and pain and in most cases will reduce or take away the swelling completely. The mud absorbs the poison. Same thing with baking soda mixed with water (done this as well while at home). It's effective if applied right away and is a natural resource if either you don't have medication with you or you prefer natural products. Me personally, do have and am ok with Benadryl cream but find that these methods work more effectively. Everyone will always have some water on them and you can find some dirt in any environment (and I mean ANY environment, including dry grassy area and even snow; just dig it out from under the grass or snow). Also...one thing I would caution is applying any kind of lake, pond or any type of stagnant still waters to any open sores, cuts or bites like the spider bites shown in the video, because those waters carry bacteria that, if gotten into the open flesh, can cause a mass infection that could potentially cause permanent damage and even death. It has happened, so I'm super careful about that. Boiling water to disinfect it is a good option if those type of waters are your only option, however, using your drinking water for treatments like that are safer. Also, fast moving running water like rivers, I believe, are safe as well but I would still be a little cautious and grab the water coming off the rocks versus the water in the pool areas. I'm not a doctor but I know things from hearing and learning and of course experiences. So yah, mud is a great resource and is always available so I just wanted to share that with you and others Thanks for all your fantastic videos. I am enjoying them. I've always been an outdoors girl; I was born an outdoors girls. I have never been on a long backpacking trip, mainly because I was raising kids since I was 20 yrs old (actually even earlier because I was helping raise my niece and nephew before mine came), but have always wanted to. Because my love was being out in the woods, my kids did grow up in the outdoors on day hikes and primitive camping all their lives, so, though I've spent a good majority of our fun times outdoors I have this one absent feeling still lingering in me for the desire for overnight backpacking. My husband and I also hunt, so during that time, we do live the same way as if we were backpacking (almost) but the truck is still only a few miles away so its not completely the same and we always go back to the truck even if we do set up tent. Even so, I carry my backpack full as if backpacking, in the event we get stuck out there. Anyway, I am now inspired and craving the opportunity to some day be able to do a thru hike (before I get too old). It's not in our near future because my husband would not be able to take that much time off from work (he doesn't retire for another 8 1/2 years). This spring however, I am excited to say, my husband and I are planning to do a 3-5 day/night backpacking trip in our area here on the west coast. My kids have all been grown now for a few years, some even longer and we're enjoying adult children friendships and also grandkids; so now I feel like I have another life to live. I don't feel old at all yet; I actually feel really young and have the desired to live my life outdoors as much as possible, which we still do but not for long periods of time. Another adventurous journey I want to do is the same thing but by boat (our semi small fishing boat); travel and camp the Columbia across Oregon. Anyway, I could go on and on. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures but also for all your tips, tricks, information, and insights. Being that I haven't been previously familiar with all the lightweight gear, I'm thankful for your informational videos surrounding that. I have been purchasing some items a little at a time so I should have everything I will ever need when the time comes. It doesn't help that I'm a gadget junkie too; but an organized gadget junkie...:) (I can't help it; if its useful for me and makes things easier, I buy it) Thank you again. What are your next future plans?
Best way to avoid bugs while hiking...hike in winter. Other than that they're just a part of life. Wasps are a-holes though with biting flies and midges (in Scotland) fighting for second in the a-hole category. Best advice, plan your meals for earlier, be in your shelter near dusk, come back out to socialize after the skeeters have gone...
In R.I., we have these enormous bees, about the size of a smallish grape, that attack, attack, attack. I think they are invasive, because I never saw them 10 years ago.
I love your insect videos. I am another person who likes to observe the small things on trail, not just the megafauna. I have watched a lot of different hiker videos, but yours are unique because you're not always focused on the view or on yourself but instead on these little things that make a place so special.
I found that 30% deet wipes worked significantly better against mosquitos than 100% deet spray, for what that's worth. Also, be aware that the classic "bullseye" does not always appear even if lyme has been transmitted. Be familiar with the symptoms because there is medication you can take to try and treat it to reduce the risk of long term effects.
Jessica Pu, thank you. I have a friend who suffers with Lyme and has for over 25 years! She’s an invalid and has a miserable existence. I didn’t know you could/should keep the bug/spider/tic and take it to a health center...I may keep my next tick rather than flushing it.
Hey Dixie! I love your UA-cam channel! I wanted to give a warning for folks who have cats that are considering using permethrin. Permethrin is very dangerous to cats. So if you use it on your cloths, be sure to keep the treated cloths away from your kitties.
Hello Dixie, thank you for another informative video. A couple things that I have done to reduce contact with creepy, crawly, flying and buzzing critters: I) use military blousing bands at the base of the trouser legs. 2) I use tiger balm in my wrist area and the back of my hands. In addition to a head net, I will use an essential oil around the neck and ear area. You be safe out there and always have fun. 🤗
Insect venom is acidic. A little bit of ammonia applied to the sting area will bring almost immediate, blessed, pain relief, because it's a base. An ounce or so in a plastic squeeze bottle would be worth the weight.
I recently was on a side trail going to the pct in wa and was stung by a wasp. They are just jerks. I would add with anytime you have an opening in your skin to clean it before and after cold compresses or soaking in a lake which I did. And again when any fabric is removed for the day over the area such as pant legs over a shin. I took an antihistamine and thought I’m good and cleaned it up good when I got home not immediately after hunting for the stinger ...and the following day half my lower leg swelled itched like a lumpy mosquito bite felt but for abt 5 inches. Early cellulitis. So don’t forget your first aid. Doxycycline/ prednisone is what I’ve been prescribed but had I been on trail for more than a day it would have been bad. So even if your tough take extra care of yourself. If your body tends to over react to bug bites antihistamines and maybe keep a starting of antibiotic for strep/staph type bacteria’s if you are going to be out for multiple days and might not be able to get to a clinic for say cellulitis something I’ve never had but is easy to get when a insect jams it’s self into your leg and your hand sanitizer and first aid are packed under everything else in the moment. Lesson learned. Be ocd clean with new open holes in your body even if they seem minor and small enough to wait another .8 miles. Wasps are jerks.
In the Scottish Highlands, midges can be a big problem; they are so small that mosquito nets don't really work. Avon Skin-so-Soft seems to work for them, and doubles as a skin lotion!.
Thank you for mentioning that ... Avon Skin-so-Soft has been sworn by for many many years by many many people as a mild insect repellent. I had completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it, so thanks again!
A tip for stubborn tick removal: Light a match and blow it out. While the tip is still hot, put it against the tick and the tick will back out to escape.
Dixie, I'm going on my first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 9 days. To say im anxious or to say I'm excited would be an understatement. I'm experiencing so many different emotions as this adventure approaches, often in quantities and forms I've never had before. Your videos have been an amazing resource throughout my training and mental preparations. At this point I know most of the information in these videos, but I still watch them due to the comfort, rationality, and insight you bring. Thank you so much for all you do!
Thanks so much. I use Permethrin and Deet...and have purchased Picardin, but not used it yet. I do not want bugs on me or my gear. My last BP trip, I could actually see a wall of protection around me. The flying insects stopped about 3-4 feet in front of me, and got no closer. It was great.
Omg omg omg those mosquitos! The worst I've ever had was at Kakadu National Park, in Australia. Thousands and thousands of them. I actually was itchy for 3 weeks! I still have nightmares.
After living and hiking for many years in Colorado and getting constantly bitten by mosquitos someone told me to take vitamin B12 daily. Several months later I noticed a considerable reduction in the number of mosquito bites. It worked for me, but that doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. Plus, it needed to be taken for nearly 6 months before it was noticeably working. I can't recall if they helped with the midgets. Does anyone have any ideas about what detracts midgets?
Great shots of the spiders. It is actually very difficult to provoke a spider to bite, except brown recluses. They suck. You can actually build up a tolerance to mosquito bites if bitten enough over a long enough period and then they will no longer itch. Unfortunately, you have to go through the process every season. A great natural repellent for mosquitos is sassafras leaves or wild mint. Sassafras has a lemon scent. You can either boil them down like a tea and apply it, or simply grab the leaves and rub them liberally on your skin. The same is true of wild mint, but it is harder for most people to spot.
Mosquitoes looove me. I'm the best mosquito deterrent for hikers around me. Take me within you, all. The mosquitos will all come to me. They won't even touch you.
I can confirm that I have Type O positive blood. And yes, I wear black a lot. 😁 I also heard that taking some vitamin helps to repel skeeters. I forgot if it's E or a type of B...I need to look this up.
1st rule for eliminating bugs: don't camp when its above freezing. Summer camping sucks. Fall can be ok, but for the most part winter camping is heaven. It takes a little training and practice, but camping down to about -30 is much more enjoyable than Summer survival. Learn how to prevent and treat hypothermia and be sure your partner is also. Solo camping below -20 takes some special equipment. Snow squeaks when you walk on it at -20C. Always thought that was interesting as we were preparing our skis before going out for an adventure. I did all the summer camping I am going to do in Vietnam. Give me the frozen tundra any day. Your milage may vary. Peace.
Before every outing/canoe trip/camping trip, I spray permethrin onto: 1. Top half of socks, inside & out 2. Bottom half of pant legs, inside and out. Inside of pants waistband & groin areas. 3. Bottom half of shirt sleeves, inside and out. Shirt tails, inside and out. 4. Hats and caps, inside 5. Tent entrances, inside & out. Inside tent corners & ceiling. 6. Sleeping bag inside. And spray Deep Woods Off on me, morning and night. Grass around tent entry area. Self inspection, morning and night. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Shawn Klein for wasp stings, a blue bic ink pen so my dad swears by (drawing on the affected skin) and my unopened swears by WD40. He works in attics a lot with Reno projects
I read a study that looked at how effective deet insect repellents were vs non-deet insect repellents. They had 4 groups: deet, non-deet, nothing, and perfume. They had a group use perfume (specifically Victoria's Secret Bombshell) because they assumed it would attract mosquitoes because mosquitoes are also pollinators. But the perfume was actually a more effective mosquito repellent than the non-deet bug repellent. It didn't do as well as deet-based bug repellents, but I don't want to use those anyway because I'm uncomfortable with the idea of having deet on my skin and my bedding. I don't mind having perfume on my skin and bedding even if it means local wildlife can smell me, it's not like I'm trying to hide and sneak up on a deer, and I would hate to surprise a bear because he didn't know I was around. Not a backpacker, just a camper.
Thanks Dixie, great topic!! My tick removal has always consisted of dabbing them with absorbine jr. and they literally fall off. Not only that but absorbine jr is great for sore muscles 👍 Long pants, long socks, treated with permethrin, and a wide brimmed hat are my tools in bug repellant. Once, in Arkansas, I had ticks raining down by the dozens onto my tent from the trees above. It was horrible lol but I survived tick free. 😉 happy day all!!
Good topic, Daisy, with spring just around the corner. Your blood type may determine if you do or do not attract some biting insects, such as mosquitos. When my wife and I hike, she draws misquitos away from me to her. (Sigh...the things people do for love, lol.) I do not know if it is because of Ph or whatnot, but it is factual. I know I have a low Ph. A fella' I knew who was raised on a farm in Idaho swore by eating roasted garlic like candy, every day, to ward off ticks. His wife would not eat it. When they'd walk the farm fields back home, within minutes she would be covered in ticks, but there would be none on him. On the rare times he did find a tick on him, he'd never find them imbedding. But his wife would have ticks imbedding all over her. That all said, I would not leave it to chance. I use organic bug sprays and full clothing, even in 90+°. I know people who have or had chronic Lyme disease here in Rhode Island. It is epidemic here. I know a family friend that died from chronic Lyme disease, and I knew a co-worker back in the '90s that was dying of it, last I knew. You really, really do not want Lyme disease. If you are one of the unlucky ones who do not respond to treatment, you will descend into Hell for the next 20 years before dying an agonizing death. No joke. Under Our Skin is an award-winning documentary film about it.
Avril Lavigne got Lyme disease a fee years ago and she was bedridden for lile 6 months. She said she felt like death almost everyday and it was horrible. Head above water is her song about the experience.
I read a study that found lemon eucalyptus oil is as effective as other repellents for 4 hours. So re-apply. I'm all about some DEET and permethrin, but like skipping the gear-melting chemicals from time to time. Used the lemon euc the other day in a pretty green swampy area and no bites. Hurrah! One note about EPI pens, if you are called upon to use one and have no medical background, when you stick the needle in (or push the button that sticks the needle in the skin) you have to LEAVE IT IN FOR 3 SECONDS. Don't just yank it out!I bought the REPEL brand lemon euc at Academy for about 5$, and you can find it at Target and Walmart as well. Dixie, I'm super curious, how many TICKS did you find on you during the whole of your triple crown? Which had the most? Hike on! Another great video!
Arachnids are neat little critters. Wasps are just flying buttheads. For stings from wasps and such I just find a smoker. I've used cigarette tobacco to draw out the stinger. Just soak the tobacco and put it on the area and it draws it out. Also helps with the swelling and such. Dont ask me how it works but it does. Have used it a few times. Has yet to fail me. I keep a cigarette in my first aid pack just for this reason. Love the video series.
For mosquito bites, applying a clean cotton swab with some 70% rubbing alcohol on it as soon as possible and holding it pressed to the bite on the bod,y on and off, for about 30-60 seconds, or a bit longer, until I feel it is itching less, usually helps me to stop the itch. Also it makes the bite mark disappear pretty quickly. When I still feel itchiness after I have applied the cotton swab with alcohol, I do it again in a moment. Often the next day there is no bite mark remaining at all, or it is very small and not itching anymore, at least for me.
In my experience, Picaridin is only marginally better than essential oils or other natural repellents. In the Sierras, we get about 1-2 hours of effective use out of them vs most of the day with DEET. I'm pretty sure only European Honeybees are the only ones with barbed stingers so wasp & native bee stings are pretty mild by comparison since you only get a small dose of venom. It helps to recognize their warnings if you're getting close to the nest: Strike 1 -- being buzzed, especially near your face. Strike 2 -- head butting (ramming themselves into you). Strike 3 is the sting. It also helps to pay attention to buzzing of bees near the ground -- possibly indicating a ground nest or downed tree nest. Bears eat the hives (they like the brood) and once disturbed, the hive can be very defensive for many days after. Finally, carpenter ants -- if you cowboy camp or take a break, keep an eye out for their entrance holes. They'll crawl on you for a little while without much of a problem and then start biting. And it hurts! Sometimes, I'll zip up the bug bivy just for the ants.
Lindsay Swain I’ve used the oil straight out of bottle dabbing it on my arms & legs. I also use a great product called Buzz Away Extreme. I transfer it to a travel size spray bottle to save on weight while backpacking. I also add a few more drops of the rose geranium oil to it for good measure.
Yea, those are just plain mean, but I discovered something even worse, biting black flies in NYC! I have been around flies all my life and they land on everything and lay their little maggots but never have I been more miserable than walking through NYC (in the Bronx) enjoying a nice park and getting bitten by about 50 of them over a 3 day project. They didn’t itch too badly (less than a mosquito) at first.....but about 3-5 days after I was a miserable itchy mess! They are apparently only out in force for a month or so, I was there in July (and they were supposed to be gone by then...but alas, not!!!)
In addition to taking a Benadryl pill to help with stings, you can also apply it directly to the sting. They make Benadryl cream. If you don't have that but have a tablet or gelcap, you can take a tablet and also crunch one up and put the paste on the sting or squeeze the gel from a gel cap directly onto the sting. It helps while you're waiting for the tablet dose to kick in.
I grew up with mosquitos, used to have dozens of bites across my body at a time. every year. I went camping and experienced a tick as a kid, I have no idea what it was at the time. I know now it was a tick. Wasps are more of a nuisance than a danger. Even the bad ones. They're contained in their area and wander wasps are very tame.
My wife is terribly allergic to mosquitoes and swells up quite painfully where bitten. This had limited our outdoor activities a bunch. Shes used benadyl and ice for decades with poor results. just found out Zyrtec is amazing for and prescribed for mosquitoes allergies. Enjoy all. Thanks Dixie:)
I used to be a hardcore DEET user whenever I went outdoors, but I wanted an alternative to use for casual occasions. I've used Coleman's Botanicals mosquito repellent with excellent results in several environments. It lasts a long time and it smells refreshing.
Fun photos and video clips, Dixie! For mosquitoes, have you ever tried garlic and/or onions? Just raw, a good amount so your pores excrete a garlic/onion smell. The complex molecules are a deterrent, I think. And if not, it at least helps my mindset. Also, I appreciate what you said about bees and spiders, etc. ‘cause they have their place in it all.
I would suggest using an EPA registered repellant. Deet seems terrible to me and gives me headaches and can ruin gear. A little bit of permethrin on your shoes, gators/socks, and pants goes a really long way in preventing bites (especially if you tuck your shirt into your pants). It's natural to want to use essential oils etc. but they don't work against ticks. I've had Lyme and it's really nothing to mess around with. I've also found Picaridin to work pretty well. It's synthetic but has a much lower toxicity profile compared to Deet or permethrin based on my research. At least it's not a neurotoxin. Just my 2 cents. Good luck everyone in choosing your strategy.
My youngest daughter got ravaged by mosquitoes one year camping, so after that I decided to make my own soap what's citrus in it and found some shampoo with natural citrus in it. Neither one of us has ever had a problem since then. Will use this type of soap and shampoo anytime we go camping or in the outdoors during the bug seasons.
One part tea tree oil and two parts water, shake well and put on gear, boots and/or clothing. Helps quite well against a lot of insects like ticks and musquitos.
Repel lemon eucalyptus spray is my favorite choice for a natural bug repellent that actually works! And since it doesn't have deet, no worries about swimming and killing the wildlife or polluting the water. Also it smells amazing!
I'm about to go out for my first solo & overnight backpacking trip, and I really consider taking lavender essential oil. This is amazing at treating bug bites, and even quite a few plants. I use it fairly often at home for wasp stung etc.
Using a pattern of black and white (think zebra) confuses many bugs - flying and non-flying. I've heard wearing nylons works against ticks - not for the nymphs as they're just so small. Ticks only crawl upwards so - pants in socks or boots and blouse them over and the same for your tucked in shirt. Just remember there could be ticks hiding underneath the fold when removing clothes - do it away from where you are resting or setting camp or they'll just climb back on. Anyone heard Absorbine Jr or Vicks vapourrub as an insect repellent around the ears and wrists, ankles? Just read that on a forum. The responses seemed positive.
Good video Dixie...I’m happy to hear that you mentioned essential oils as an option for bug repellent. There is several recipes out there for people to make up their own...they really work you just need to reapply more often, and in my opinion the safest way to go. Happy trails everyone.
Grace Iovine I use essential oils. I’ve done small day hikes. My concerns about essential oils. Is when you are doing a thru hike.Will it attract more mice , chipmunks and bears in the process of getting rid of the bugs. Essential oil have a strong aroma.
Bugs are genuinely my number one concern when I'm in any stretch of nature - I'm borderline phobic (clinically so, as in my psychiatric team has noted this, not in the hyperbolic sense), and I can get really freaked out by them. Like, I have a hard time killing mosquitoes if it means I have to touch them. It tends to improve quite a lot after I've had time to adjust, though, but the first couple of days (or weeks 😬) can be really difficult for me - basically, the longer it's been since I was last exposed, the harder it is for me to reach a point of normal, rational reaction to them. I do really want to get out into the woods more, though, and hopefully going out regularly will help me build up a bit of longer term tolerance 😅
I’m currently in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, flip-flopping between the two parks while shooting wildlife photography for the entire summer/fall season and after hiking a 10 miler I found a tick latched onto my belly button! I freaked the Buck Out!!! It hadn’t been there that long so I was able to pull it off in one piece thank guad!!! So from now on I cover up my belly button with a bandaid before I go out hiking lol..... Love your show!!!! Gunner
i hate mosquitos. whilst working at asummer camp in NH i had a inflateable hammer which i used to eliminate all the ones in my cabin room that had got in...only then could i sleep.
I don't have much of a problem with mosquitoes but black flies consider me candy. It may sound strange but Avon Skin So Soft works for me. Thanks for all the great info.
I have heard coconut butter lotion also repels mosquitoes and that’s another big reason they use it a lot in the tropics. Someone I know used it the entire time where mosquitoes are prevalent and did not get bit. It was something she noticed but is not advertised. Might want to test that.
If you tense your muscles in the area or squeeze the skin around the area being bitten, the misquito cannot extract, nor can she stop the blood flow, and she will eventually burst. Now you know.
I use a product called Kids afterbite it works very well as this Florida granny is allergic to mosquitoes the bite area swells but the afterbite along with so antihistamine keeps me going.
OK I don't know if you get this in the US but the go to treatment for ticks in Australia is a product call WARTOFF available from a pharmacy generally for wart removal. By holding the tube down on the tick for a few seconds the tick is frozen and it will fall off within about 15 seconds. It is otherwise useful for cool relief for mozzies bite as well. Freeze don't squeeze.
I would love for you to go back to the A.T. for another thru hike with your experience , not only hiking , but also photograph . Coming to you all the way from Oxford, Al. Thanks for the share homey !
In regards to ticks, when I was hiking/backpacking on Cumberland Island, we used clear nail polish to kill/remove the tick from the skin. Worked like a charm.
Actually, I too hate mosquitos. On a recent trip to wilderness Alaska I used deet as usual but also a thermacell device. It does work. With the combo of deet and the thermacell I got no bites and also the mosquitos did not swarm around me. That being said, thermacell is too heavy for a long trip. Also it uses a propane cartridge and a little pad of repellant that lasts about 3 hours. I its a weekend trip device only. I do treat my clothing with permetherine, though my results with it alone have not been great. Forget about the electronic repellers. Have fun and be safe out there.
Not many different manufacturers of EpiPen one of the reasons it can be so expensive. My bee allergy is one thing that keeps me from back country backpacking. 20% of people need a second injection, and you can still have a second reaction up to 72 hours after the first requiring another injection. Without insurance it can cost between 300$-630$ for a two pack. CVS offers a generic two pack for 100$
TIME STAMPS!
00:34 General Tips
01:53 Ticks
04:33 Mosquitoes
07:02 Bees and Wasps
09:12 Spiders
Great video. As a beekeeper & backpacker, maybe I can offer some additional info. Bees' vision is attuned to quick movement and edge contrast. When they go to sting, it's often along a contrasting edge, or something small that is moving at or above the waist. Favorite spots include wrists, face, hands, neckline or belt line. Also, all mammalians that predate on bees are dark (think bears, raccoons, skunks, etc). They are alarmed by large blotches of dark color, which is the reason that bee suits are white or sometimes light blue like the sky. They also see yellow and blue, which can attract them, but they don't see red very well. (Notice that red flowers attract other pollinators and are usually inaccessible to honeybees). Biting deerflies are also attracted to blue in a big way.
Bees communicate through pheromones and have unbelievably sensitive olfactory senses. So there are two things to avoid here: anything lemon scented and bananas. Citral is used to scent lemon products and is a significant component in the Nasonov pheromone, which bees use for location and worker recruitment. In short, they are attracted to it; so much so that some beekeepers even use lemon pledge to bait swarm traps. The alarm pheromone which will trigger a defensive response is released when stinging or when the colony is disturbed. So if you get stung, the sting site will give off a smell that tells more bees to sting you. It also smells just like a banana. Eat a banana near a colony and you may attract unwanted attention. Avoid floral scented stuff as well, but if you smell like flowers while backpacking you're probably not backpacking. Just sayin.
A honeybee will die when it stings, so it will do everything it can to deter you before stinging. If you get too close to a colony (it varies usually somewhere between 15 and 50 feet depending on the time of year), some workers will fly up and bump you as a warning - usually in the head area. If this happens, you are probably walking toward a colony. If you turn around and go the other way, without making sudden movements or swatting, they will leave you alone after a short distance. Lastly, ammonia emulsifies venom and pheromones. It's usually the active ingredient in those sting pens. I carry a 1 oz squeeze bottle that works way better than one of those pens. Hope that helps and clear skies!
Yup ..... "momma's remedy" ....ammonia
@tmcman119 Good question. Honeybees, because of the complexity of the colony, have evolved a myriad of pheromones for communication. I don't know whether the same would be true for other members of the wasp family. You might try checking with the entomology dept of a local ag school? I do know that the defensive behavior in many wasps, especially paper wasps, is governed by the reproductive state of the colony. Lots of brood leads to a greater response to a threat. Little to no brood and they will readily abandon a nest for safety. Clear skies, GH
Wow this is super informative! Thanks for taking the time to write that!
WoW! super helpful info!! I am gathering my gear and have added -no blue, lemon, or banana!
Wait so would adding lemongrass and citronella oil to my homemade inset repellent be a BAD idea when it comes to bee protection?
When I was very young.....some 50 years ago ...... a friend of mine liked to let a mosquito bite him, but as soon as it locked on he would pinch his skin around the mosquito and create pressure until the mosquito would explode. He claimed that the bites never itched because the bug died before it could put it's saliva back into the bite. I saw him do it a few times and in fact the mosquito would explode....which was great fun for an 8 year old.
Hey Dixie! LOVE your informational videos! I am an ER nurse for 21 years and find your info spot on. One thing I would add is TOPICAL Benadryl for insect bites. This gives localized relief without systemic side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. Side effects such as drowsiness with oral Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can be pretty severe for some people and interfere with the ability to hike safely and have a kind of “hangover” feeling. Another option for oral antihistamines are the “ non-drowsy” forms such as Claritin. Those antihistamines work just as well on insect bites as with regular allergies. One more thing that most folks don’t realize is that Pepcid & Zantac are also “histamine” blockers and can be used to SUPPLEMENT Claritin or Benadryl for total histamine blockade. (Benadryl is a Histamine1(H1) blocker and Pepcid & Zantac are Histamine2 (H2) blockers. Using both an H1 blocker and an H2 blocker together can provide total histamine blockade for very allergic folks. AND Pepcid & Zantac are dual purpose meds for GI upset and histamine blockade. An Epi pen as you stated is life saving kit (not luxury) for those severely allergic. Hydrocortisone topical ointment can also be helpful for insect bites but should not be used if wound becomes infected. I know some of this info is a little complicated but if anyone has questions they can email me directly at McClintock.RN@gmail.com. I am NOT a physician and encourage everyone to consult their health care practitioner before embarking on any adventure that will require self-sustaining medical interventions for your particular medical situation.
I leave a note by my tent listing the species not welcome inside, it usually helps
Sawyer makes an “Extractor” gizmo that is well worth the 4-5 ounces that it weighs. It comes in a bright yellow plastic box, so it is easy to find, both in the store and in an OUCHEY type hurry.
This tool consists of a plastic syringe with a spring loaded plunger. Several adaptors are included to attach to the syringe, and press onto your skin at the bite point.
When the plunger is fully depresses - a one handed operation - it generates a strong suction. This suction firmly holds the syringe and adaptor to your skin, and sucks out venom that was injected by a bee sting, black fly bite, mosquito bite, etc. It has also sucked out stingers, ticks, etc for me.
I strongly recommend these. With the venom out, the itch, burning, etc stops. You will hear a familiar voice sighing, “AAaahhhh!”
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Skin -so- soft works well, especially for black flies. Couple of years ago- wife, daughter and I were taking ferry to Janes Island State Park ( just a little island on Chesapeake Bay) in Md. A young woman was out in bay, wrapped in blanket waiting for ferry to return-only thing visible was her head. We soon found out why-- luckily we were covered with skin-so-soft and black flies were bouncing off us like a a pinball machine. Tons of them. But not one bite. Works well for mosquitos too.
Quick important note. Don't use permetherin near cats. It's okay once dried, but it's highly toxic for them in liquid form.
reicirith Thanks for the heads up!
I didn't know that. Thanks. My wife and I rescue, TnR, and foster cats, and have 8 in our home. You just helped saved some kitties. 😊
@@trollsteadent.72
Thanks for the heads up. I have 5 kitties.
Tea tree oil is also toxic to cats. There are many everyday things., Such as flowers, which are poisonous to cats
i will never ever ever backpack without a bug net for my face. i don’t really need it while hiking, but in buggy areas around camp and on breaks it’s the first thing out of my pack. i’m known to get hangry, and when mosquitos are buzzing around my face biting me while i’m trying to cook or eat on trail, i can easily go from just a little grumpy to a full-blown toddler-like temper tantrum. having a bug net with protects my sanity, protects the people around me, and is just all around a good idea. i work as a backpacking guide for a summer camp, and a big focus of our work is community, and staff are encouraged not to pack out Extra Special things like snacks or gear that can’t be shared. the bug net still comes with. #1 most important piece of gear.
Bug nets are good but in hot weather, most likely bug time, those nets are uncomfortably hot because they tend to keep in your own warm breath.
@@richardk7379 I had that happen with one bug net i've used, not sure the brand, but i have another now that doesn't trap air in at all. Bug nets are a hit or a miss
@@ZebraKatzWhereItsAt you mentioned, you "aren't sure of the brand." Is that the brand of the one that held in your breath or the new one you have that is more comfortable? If you know of the brand of the more comfortable out of the two, I could benefit from the info, provided you are open to sharing. Thanks for taking the time.
Great video, Dix. I've spent time outdoors most of my life even if not backpacking. Of all the critters out there to despise, chiggers are at the top of my list. I never know when I've gotten into them and they are freakin' miserable once you have them.
I stopped along the highway to Austin, Texas one spring morning to capture some images of the blue bonnets that were blooming. That was the worst case of chiggers I ever got, and I got plenty of them while in the Missouri woods. It still makes me shudder when I think of that miserable experience. I have not found a reliable way to not get any of them, but treating pant legs and at the hem seems to help a little. Mostly I avoid dense grass during chigger season.
Like you, mosquitos are my nemesis. In the spring we have a lot of them along the Carson River here in Carson City. They are worse in the morning or evening, of course, but are still active during the day. I carry some repellent in my pack (I wear a pack on my walks) in case they are active. A few spritzes will keep most of them at bay. Be sure to get the back of your neck and your ears! Don't ask me how I know...
I was walking my dog down by the river a couple of years ago on a late afternoon. Before we even got close to the river they were bad, so I stopped and dosed myself with repellent. A dozen yards down the path I came across a mom, gramma, and child who looked miserable and were flailing about. So I gave them some repellent. I have seldom seen such smiles.
Holding something in front of you in the woods to break spiderwebs is an old hunter's trick. I used it many times while hunting or walking the Missouri woods. There's nothing quite so exciting as seeing one of those big (BIG) black and yellow orb-webbers crawling up your chest while you're spitting and peeling web off your face early in the morning. :o
Edit: I meant to say something about wasps. I've had plenty of encounters with paper wasps over the years. They would nest in the hay barn and could make a work session miserable. The reds were the most aggressive. I've watched them many times waiting to launch an attack if you get too close, especially on warm summer afternoon when we were stacking hay. The black and yellow variety are also aggressive, but not like the reds. In some areas of the midwest (Missouri, for example), yellow jackets make their nest in the ground. They are about the size of a honeybee and can sting multiple times. They are also very aggressive and you can be in the middle of them without knowing it, so it pays to keep an eye open. I've had a few encounters with them and avoid them if at all possible.
My family has a little suction thing called "the bug bite thing" that works for bee stings, mosquito bites, and every sort of bug bite and everything you can think of. It basically sucks some of the venoms out so they heal faster and don't hurt or itch as much and I really like it.
I'm a Finn, and Finland is basically one big swamp, a really flat swamp. I know we market ourselves as the country of thousands of lakes, what we don't tell is that some of them are just big swamps and the rest are surrounded by swamps. On one particular trek I had so many mosquito bites on my arms I couldn't move my right one at all nor could I feel it, and I have a friend who was hospitalized because of mosquito bites. He had so many bites on his legs the water retention prevented blood flow. Now why not use long sleeved shirts or trousers? Why not use bug repellent? Did I mention Finland is flat? and surrounded by mountains (in Norway, Sweden and Russia)? So when you leave the coast the air can get stagnant, with not even the slightest breeze, and during the summer the sun doesn't set so it get unbelievably hot and you just sweat any bug repellent off.
My tick removal tool is a "Tick Twister" or "Tick Tornado". Works great, easy to use, does not squeeze the tick and removes ALL of the tick including the head & mouth parts. I carry it in my field first aid kit and have used it several times here in Florida and South Georgia. Also, I've actually found DEAD ticks on my Permethrin treated hiking pants so I Know the stuff works. Another Dixie fact filled video, thank you....
Thanks so much for posting this. I'm planning a Cumberland Island hike this month and just treated everything. Glad it was worth the effort.
"Tick Twister"? Is that the crazy new dance sensation sweeping the nation?
"You stick your left leg out, you stick your right leg out, you stick another left leg out, you stick another right leg out, c'mon baby, lets twist the tick..."
Woodenarrows a wet cutip and spinning the tick works just as well
I use a healthy dose of garlic, fresh. To remove them I just turn them counter-clockwise. I reckon that tornado thing you're talkin about does the same thing.
As much as I hate cigarettes, I have to add this: When we were growing up, Mom used to keep one or two cigarettes in our medicine cabinet. She hated cigarettes too, but when one of us kids got stung by a bee, wasp, or yellow jacket, Mom would tear open just a bit of the end of the cigarette, get some tobacco out, moisten it with water, and apply it directly to the sting, securing it with a band-aid. I can speak from personal experience that this works great! Also, I'm a HUGE believer in extra-strength vinegar as a pest deterrent. Here in Texas we are lucky to have a line of grocery stores called H-E-B, and they carry 9% vinegar. Wow that stuff packs a punch but it's all-natural! If you don't have an H-E-B near you, Amazon sells some very highly concentrated vinegar. Just don't take a whiff!
"I just slap myself all-over and kill as many as I can and then rejoice in the death........ 😳 ...of all the Mosquitos in the Mosquito Massacre." 😂😂🤣 6:09
Living in Arkansas in the woods, and cutting firewood every year, I have had much experience with ticks and chiggers. To go on a wood-cutting foray into the woods, I would first use Avon Skin So Soft with a few drops of patchouli(a natural insect repellent) all over my body. Long pants and long sleeved light colored shirt, with my pant legs duct-taped at the ankles to keep the creepies from crawling up the inside of my pant legs. Then I would spray deet on my boots, pant legs, and sleeves. I smelled rather flowery, but I rarely got bit. On one occasion, I took a short hike in the woods, in September, without protection, and apparently stood on a chigger nest. I ended up with over 120 chigger bites on my left leg alone. Yes, Dixie, mosquitoes are little shits for sure, but I would rather have 10 mosquito bites instead of one chigger bite.
Forget DEET, use picaridin. It's non toxic and doesn't harm your precious precious gear. And get the Sawyer lotion, not the spray. Both work great against bugs but the spray leaves a noticeable layer on your skin (I wouldn't quite call it greasy but it's a similar feeling especially when you're sweaty) and its gross AF if you spray it on your face and it gets in your mouth. The lotion rubs on clean and because you can apply it to your face with more care than a spray, you're not gonna eat any of it.
Great video Dixie!!!! I'm deadly allergic to wasps.. My first night ever sleeping in a shelter was with about 150 bees nesting in the ceiling. Talk about overcoming your fears. I had no choice, it was in a severe thunderstorm in Alabama.
I hike in good lite weight hiking pants, light long sleeved shirt and often gaiters. I have taken dozens of ticks off my clothing over the years along with assorted spiders, scorpions, and other interesting creatures. Never had a serious bite. Hard not to swat wasps when they land on a neck or ear to get a drink from the sweat on my body. Don’t swat, let them drink and so far they have left. Never seen a brown recluse. Great video with good advice. Texas Jack
Old school and probably frowned upon now, but.....moistened tobacco will help with bee, wasp and hornet stings. Also old school, if a tick gets attached, you can paint the exposed portion with nail polish, and they'll let go. :-)
And please remember that Brown Recluses and Black Widows like dark places, so they don't make spider webs across trails! Where you have to worry about the poisonous ones are in wood piles, under rocks, in caves or holes. Don't freak out about dying from spiders from running into webs on the trail, they aren't going to hurt you, but be careful when collecting firewood and be cautious around hollow trees or logs.
that's a comforting thought!
Your advice about tucking long pants into socks is my prevention of ticks... that and I treat my socks and pants (up to knees) with permethrin and haven’t had a tick since.
Really enjoying the backpacking basics series. Great job Dixie!
We live in Alabama as well and lived in the woods for 6 years. Lot's of ticks! We use the oil Thyme to get rid of them. You put a drop on a q-tip and make a circle around the tick and it crawls out as fast as it can! (careful not to get any oil on the tick as that will kill it before it can squirm out). we then use tweezers to catch it and use a plethora of ways to kill them. (Although setting them on fire outside is a favorite way because they make a poping sound)
Hope this helps!
I dont mind insects no matter how much of them but ticks could fuck off i remove atleast 3-5 every day mostly just walking around BUT STILL
Another fine installment Dixie. As an old turkey hunter I can attest to the effectiveness of permetherin for clothing. The Deet products can harm some synthetics and plastics.
On a ligjhter note, the video you shot on the PCT of the spider catching the mosquito was pure gold, and so was the satisfaction in your voice as you added, "Yesss!"
Best wishes as always.
Hi Dixie, just a quick tip here...sometimes if you're out hiking, camping or doing anything, you may not be carrying an antihistamine on you, and so one remedy for any type of bite (I know for bee stings for sure, unless you're allergic, it may or may not help) is to use mud immediately, preferably cool mud. If its a dry environment and there's no mud around, you can make mud by mixing a little water with dirt. I've done this a few times while out camping when my kids were young. It instantly takes away the itch and pain and in most cases will reduce or take away the swelling completely. The mud absorbs the poison. Same thing with baking soda mixed with water (done this as well while at home). It's effective if applied right away and is a natural resource if either you don't have medication with you or you prefer natural products. Me personally, do have and am ok with Benadryl cream but find that these methods work more effectively. Everyone will always have some water on them and you can find some dirt in any environment (and I mean ANY environment, including dry grassy area and even snow; just dig it out from under the grass or snow).
Also...one thing I would caution is applying any kind of lake, pond or any type of stagnant still waters to any open sores, cuts or bites like the spider bites shown in the video, because those waters carry bacteria that, if gotten into the open flesh, can cause a mass infection that could potentially cause permanent damage and even death. It has happened, so I'm super careful about that. Boiling water to disinfect it is a good option if those type of waters are your only option, however, using your drinking water for treatments like that are safer. Also, fast moving running water like rivers, I believe, are safe as well but I would still be a little cautious and grab the water coming off the rocks versus the water in the pool areas. I'm not a doctor but I know things from hearing and learning and of course experiences.
So yah, mud is a great resource and is always available so I just wanted to share that with you and others
Thanks for all your fantastic videos. I am enjoying them. I've always been an outdoors girl; I was born an outdoors girls. I have never been on a long backpacking trip, mainly because I was raising kids since I was 20 yrs old (actually even earlier because I was helping raise my niece and nephew before mine came), but have always wanted to. Because my love was being out in the woods, my kids did grow up in the outdoors on day hikes and primitive camping all their lives, so, though I've spent a good majority of our fun times outdoors I have this one absent feeling still lingering in me for the desire for overnight backpacking. My husband and I also hunt, so during that time, we do live the same way as if we were backpacking (almost) but the truck is still only a few miles away so its not completely the same and we always go back to the truck even if we do set up tent. Even so, I carry my backpack full as if backpacking, in the event we get stuck out there. Anyway, I am now inspired and craving the opportunity to some day be able to do a thru hike (before I get too old). It's not in our near future because my husband would not be able to take that much time off from work (he doesn't retire for another 8 1/2 years). This spring however, I am excited to say, my husband and I are planning to do a 3-5 day/night backpacking trip in our area here on the west coast. My kids have all been grown now for a few years, some even longer and we're enjoying adult children friendships and also grandkids; so now I feel like I have another life to live. I don't feel old at all yet; I actually feel really young and have the desired to live my life outdoors as much as possible, which we still do but not for long periods of time. Another adventurous journey I want to do is the same thing but by boat (our semi small fishing boat); travel and camp the Columbia across Oregon. Anyway, I could go on and on. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures but also for all your tips, tricks, information, and insights. Being that I haven't been previously familiar with all the lightweight gear, I'm thankful for your informational videos surrounding that. I have been purchasing some items a little at a time so I should have everything I will ever need when the time comes. It doesn't help that I'm a gadget junkie too; but an organized gadget junkie...:) (I can't help it; if its useful for me and makes things easier, I buy it)
Thank you again.
What are your next future plans?
I think bugs are really high on the list of reasons as to why hiking the Appalachian trail (at least the lower half) might not be for me
All i heard from this video is. MOSQUITO MASSACRE
LOL, me too.
"And rejoice" ahaha 😂
Best way to avoid bugs while hiking...hike in winter. Other than that they're just a part of life. Wasps are a-holes though with biting flies and midges (in Scotland) fighting for second in the a-hole category. Best advice, plan your meals for earlier, be in your shelter near dusk, come back out to socialize after the skeeters have gone...
In R.I., we have these enormous bees, about the size of a smallish grape, that attack, attack, attack. I think they are invasive, because I never saw them 10 years ago.
AHHHHHHH! Scottish midges. So small, so annoying!
"Wasps are just jerks." That could be another T-shirt idea.
I love your insect videos. I am another person who likes to observe the small things on trail, not just the megafauna. I have watched a lot of different hiker videos, but yours are unique because you're not always focused on the view or on yourself but instead on these little things that make a place so special.
I found that 30% deet wipes worked significantly better against mosquitos than 100% deet spray, for what that's worth. Also, be aware that the classic "bullseye" does not always appear even if lyme has been transmitted. Be familiar with the symptoms because there is medication you can take to try and treat it to reduce the risk of long term effects.
Jessica Pu, thank you. I have a friend who suffers with Lyme and has for over 25 years! She’s an invalid and has a miserable existence. I didn’t know you could/should keep the bug/spider/tic and take it to a health center...I may keep my next tick rather than flushing it.
Conclusion: All the bugs are her friends now, except mosquitoes.
Hey Dixie! I love your UA-cam channel! I wanted to give a warning for folks who have cats that are considering using permethrin. Permethrin is very dangerous to cats. So if you use it on your cloths, be sure to keep the treated cloths away from your kitties.
Thank you.
Very important !!!
This has been one of the best and most important videos I have seen. Well done. Thank you
I like your hat at 5:40. I didn't see it mentioned on your gear list. Which one is it?
Hey, Dixie! I'm really enjoying this series of videos. Thanks SO much!
Hello Dixie, thank you for another informative video. A couple things that I have done to reduce contact with creepy, crawly, flying and buzzing critters: I) use military blousing bands at the base of the trouser legs. 2) I use tiger balm in my wrist area and the back of my hands. In addition to a head net, I will use an essential oil around the neck and ear area. You be safe out there and always have fun. 🤗
4:26 might have gotten bit couple of years ago, working at an hotel... i do have joint pain... always suspected...
Tick cards are also great. They are the size of a credit card, so just store them together - and they usually come with a built-in magnifying glass.
Insect venom is acidic. A little bit of ammonia applied to the sting area will bring almost immediate, blessed, pain relief, because it's a base. An ounce or so in a plastic squeeze bottle would be worth the weight.
Yellow jackets under ground nest avoid at all cost.
John Hindman yes! I learned this the hard way as a kid!
I recently was on a side trail going to the pct in wa and was stung by a wasp. They are just jerks. I would add with anytime you have an opening in your skin to clean it before and after cold compresses or soaking in a lake which I did. And again when any fabric is removed for the day over the area such as pant legs over a shin.
I took an antihistamine and thought I’m good and cleaned it up good when I got home not immediately after hunting for the stinger ...and the following day half my lower leg swelled itched like a lumpy mosquito bite felt but for abt 5 inches. Early cellulitis. So don’t forget your first aid. Doxycycline/ prednisone is what I’ve been prescribed but had I been on trail for more than a day it would have been bad. So even if your tough take extra care of yourself. If your body tends to over react to bug bites antihistamines and maybe keep a starting of antibiotic for strep/staph type bacteria’s if you are going to be out for multiple days and might not be able to get to a clinic for say cellulitis something I’ve never had but is easy to get when a insect jams it’s self into your leg and your hand sanitizer and first aid are packed under everything else in the moment. Lesson learned. Be ocd clean with new open holes in your body even if they seem minor and small enough to wait another .8 miles. Wasps are jerks.
In the Scottish Highlands, midges can be a big problem; they are so small that mosquito nets don't really work. Avon Skin-so-Soft seems to work for them, and doubles as a skin lotion!.
Thank you for mentioning that ... Avon Skin-so-Soft has been sworn by for many many years by many many people as a mild insect repellent. I had completely forgotten about it until you mentioned it, so thanks again!
Robert Kerr: I used to use that Skin-so-Soft when I was a kid... but can’t find it anywhere now. Hmmmm.. I’ll do some searching.
@@miketaylor6700 Avon "retailers" are all independent, so you won't find Avon products in a store. Try your local phone book. Or an internet search.
@@Dan-uw6xv I found it on Amazon.
@@bobthepome I should have known. Lol. Thanks!
A tip for stubborn tick removal: Light a match and blow it out. While the tip is still hot, put it against the tick and the tick will back out to escape.
Dixie,
I'm going on my first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 9 days. To say im anxious or to say I'm excited would be an understatement. I'm experiencing so many different emotions as this adventure approaches, often in quantities and forms I've never had before.
Your videos have been an amazing resource throughout my training and mental preparations. At this point I know most of the information in these videos, but I still watch them due to the comfort, rationality, and insight you bring. Thank you so much for all you do!
Thanks so much. I use Permethrin and Deet...and have purchased Picardin, but not used it yet. I do not want bugs on me or my gear. My last BP trip, I could actually see a wall of protection around me. The flying insects stopped about 3-4 feet in front of me, and got no closer. It was great.
Omg omg omg those mosquitos! The worst I've ever had was at Kakadu National Park, in Australia. Thousands and thousands of them. I actually was itchy for 3 weeks! I still have nightmares.
After living and hiking for many years in Colorado and getting constantly bitten by mosquitos someone told me to take vitamin B12 daily. Several months later I noticed a considerable reduction in the number of mosquito bites. It worked for me, but that doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. Plus, it needed to be taken for nearly 6 months before it was noticeably working. I can't recall if they helped with the midgets. Does anyone have any ideas about what detracts midgets?
Great shots of the spiders. It is actually very difficult to provoke a spider to bite, except brown recluses. They suck.
You can actually build up a tolerance to mosquito bites if bitten enough over a long enough period and then they will no longer itch. Unfortunately, you have to go through the process every season.
A great natural repellent for mosquitos is sassafras leaves or wild mint. Sassafras has a lemon scent. You can either boil them down like a tea and apply it, or simply grab the leaves and rub them liberally on your skin. The same is true of wild mint, but it is harder for most people to spot.
Mosquitoes looove me. I'm the best mosquito deterrent for hikers around me. Take me within you, all. The mosquitos will all come to me. They won't even touch you.
I’ve always heard it has to do with blood type lol
They don’t bite me like hardly EVER!
Do you wear black clothing a lot?
My wife is the same way. It definitely has to do with your blood type. That has been proved scientifically.
I can confirm that I have Type O positive blood. And yes, I wear black a lot. 😁
I also heard that taking some vitamin helps to repel skeeters. I forgot if it's E or a type of B...I need to look this up.
1st rule for eliminating bugs: don't camp when its above freezing. Summer camping sucks. Fall can be ok, but for the most part winter camping is heaven. It takes a little training and practice, but camping down to about -30 is much more enjoyable than Summer survival. Learn how to prevent and treat hypothermia and be sure your partner is also. Solo camping below -20 takes some special equipment. Snow squeaks when you walk on it at -20C. Always thought that was interesting as we were preparing our skis before going out for an adventure. I did all the summer camping I am going to do in Vietnam. Give me the frozen tundra any day. Your milage may vary. Peace.
Before every outing/canoe trip/camping trip, I spray permethrin onto:
1. Top half of socks, inside & out
2. Bottom half of pant legs, inside and out. Inside of pants waistband & groin areas.
3. Bottom half of shirt sleeves, inside and out. Shirt tails, inside and out.
4. Hats and caps, inside
5. Tent entrances, inside & out. Inside tent corners & ceiling.
6. Sleeping bag inside.
And spray Deep Woods Off on me, morning and night. Grass around tent entry area. Self inspection, morning and night.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
mud applied to the sting works good. Pack the sting with a layer of mud and let it dry-out. Seems to draw out the poison.
I love that you say "britches" I do too. LOL
Placing mud over a bee sting also helps if you don’t have anything else to treat one.
Shawn Klein for wasp stings, a blue bic ink pen so my dad swears by (drawing on the affected skin) and my unopened swears by WD40. He works in attics a lot with Reno projects
When using mud it can also pull the stinger out!
I read a study that looked at how effective deet insect repellents were vs non-deet insect repellents. They had 4 groups: deet, non-deet, nothing, and perfume. They had a group use perfume (specifically Victoria's Secret Bombshell) because they assumed it would attract mosquitoes because mosquitoes are also pollinators. But the perfume was actually a more effective mosquito repellent than the non-deet bug repellent. It didn't do as well as deet-based bug repellents, but I don't want to use those anyway because I'm uncomfortable with the idea of having deet on my skin and my bedding. I don't mind having perfume on my skin and bedding even if it means local wildlife can smell me, it's not like I'm trying to hide and sneak up on a deer, and I would hate to surprise a bear because he didn't know I was around. Not a backpacker, just a camper.
Thanks Dixie, great topic!! My tick removal has always consisted of dabbing them with absorbine jr. and they literally fall off. Not only that but absorbine jr is great for sore muscles 👍
Long pants, long socks, treated with permethrin, and a wide brimmed hat are my tools in bug repellant. Once, in Arkansas, I had ticks raining down by the dozens onto my tent from the trees above. It was horrible lol but I survived tick free. 😉 happy day all!!
Good topic, Daisy, with spring just around the corner.
Your blood type may determine if you do or do not attract some biting insects, such as mosquitos. When my wife and I hike, she draws misquitos away from me to her. (Sigh...the things people do for love, lol.)
I do not know if it is because of Ph or whatnot, but it is factual. I know I have a low Ph.
A fella' I knew who was raised on a farm in Idaho swore by eating roasted garlic like candy, every day, to ward off ticks. His wife would not eat it. When they'd walk the farm fields back home, within minutes she would be covered in ticks, but there would be none on him. On the rare times he did find a tick on him, he'd never find them imbedding. But his wife would have ticks imbedding all over her.
That all said, I would not leave it to chance. I use organic bug sprays and full clothing, even in 90+°.
I know people who have or had chronic Lyme disease here in Rhode Island. It is epidemic here. I know a family friend that died from chronic Lyme disease, and I knew a co-worker back in the '90s that was dying of it, last I knew.
You really, really do not want Lyme disease. If you are one of the unlucky ones who do not respond to treatment, you will descend into Hell for the next 20 years before dying an agonizing death. No joke. Under Our Skin is an award-winning documentary film about it.
Chris Eidam: I totally agree with you. I’ve got a friend in Florida that has been battling Lyme disease for years. Damn ticks.
Avril Lavigne got Lyme disease a fee years ago and she was bedridden for lile 6 months. She said she felt like death almost everyday and it was horrible.
Head above water is her song about the experience.
I read a study that found lemon eucalyptus oil is as effective as other repellents for 4 hours. So re-apply. I'm all about some DEET and permethrin, but like skipping the gear-melting chemicals from time to time. Used the lemon euc the other day in a pretty green swampy area and no bites. Hurrah! One note about EPI pens, if you are called upon to use one and have no medical background, when you stick the needle in (or push the button that sticks the needle in the skin) you have to LEAVE IT IN FOR 3 SECONDS. Don't just yank it out!I bought the REPEL brand lemon euc at Academy for about 5$, and you can find it at Target and Walmart as well. Dixie, I'm super curious, how many TICKS did you find on you during the whole of your triple crown? Which had the most? Hike on! Another great video!
Arachnids are neat little critters. Wasps are just flying buttheads.
For stings from wasps and such I just find a smoker. I've used cigarette tobacco to draw out the stinger. Just soak the tobacco and put it on the area and it draws it out. Also helps with the swelling and such. Dont ask me how it works but it does. Have used it a few times. Has yet to fail me. I keep a cigarette in my first aid pack just for this reason.
Love the video series.
The Hiking Dovahkiin: I wonder if chewing tobacco works as well??!
@@miketaylor6700 Idk. Never tried it.
"Wasps are just flying buttheads." Ha ha ha. I think I will use this. Thanks :)
These videos couldn't have come at a better time for me...thanks so much, Dixie!
For mosquito bites, applying a clean cotton swab with some 70% rubbing alcohol on it as soon as possible and holding it pressed to the bite on the bod,y on and off, for about 30-60 seconds, or a bit longer, until I feel it is itching less, usually helps me to stop the itch. Also it makes the bite mark disappear pretty quickly. When I still feel itchiness after I have applied the cotton swab with alcohol, I do it again in a moment. Often the next day there is no bite mark remaining at all, or it is very small and not itching anymore, at least for me.
In my experience, Picaridin is only marginally better than essential oils or other natural repellents. In the Sierras, we get about 1-2 hours of effective use out of them vs most of the day with DEET. I'm pretty sure only European Honeybees are the only ones with barbed stingers so wasp & native bee stings are pretty mild by comparison since you only get a small dose of venom. It helps to recognize their warnings if you're getting close to the nest: Strike 1 -- being buzzed, especially near your face. Strike 2 -- head butting (ramming themselves into you). Strike 3 is the sting. It also helps to pay attention to buzzing of bees near the ground -- possibly indicating a ground nest or downed tree nest. Bears eat the hives (they like the brood) and once disturbed, the hive can be very defensive for many days after. Finally, carpenter ants -- if you cowboy camp or take a break, keep an eye out for their entrance holes. They'll crawl on you for a little while without much of a problem and then start biting. And it hurts! Sometimes, I'll zip up the bug bivy just for the ants.
vitamin B tablets repel mosquitoes and benedryl helps with the itching
A natural tick repellent if you don’t want to use toxic chemicals, is rose geranium essential oil. Works great on the trail!
Thanks Shelly - can you expand on the application? Just a bit on your wrists or?
Lindsay Swain I’ve used the oil straight out of bottle dabbing it on my arms & legs. I also use a great product called Buzz Away Extreme. I transfer it to a travel size spray bottle to save on weight while backpacking. I also add a few more drops of the rose geranium oil to it for good measure.
Shelly D. Thank you I really appreciate the response will definitely look into that as I’m terrified of ticks and Lyme disease
Cool! Thank you for sharing! I fear ticks more than bears.
Unfortunately, Rose Geranium oil will attract a number of other unwanted insects to you too.
🤓 I think horse flies might just be bigger jerks than wasps.
Yea, those are just plain mean, but I discovered something even worse, biting black flies in NYC! I have been around flies all my life and they land on everything and lay their little maggots but never have I been more miserable than walking through NYC (in the Bronx) enjoying a nice park and getting bitten by about 50 of them over a 3 day project. They didn’t itch too badly (less than a mosquito) at first.....but about 3-5 days after I was a miserable itchy mess! They are apparently only out in force for a month or so, I was there in July (and they were supposed to be gone by then...but alas, not!!!)
Yup
Definitely
I have had horsefly bites through jeans...theyre nasty
In addition to taking a Benadryl pill to help with stings, you can also apply it directly to the sting. They make Benadryl cream. If you don't have that but have a tablet or gelcap, you can take a tablet and also crunch one up and put the paste on the sting or squeeze the gel from a gel cap directly onto the sting. It helps while you're waiting for the tablet dose to kick in.
I grew up with mosquitos, used to have dozens of bites across my body at a time. every year.
I went camping and experienced a tick as a kid, I have no idea what it was at the time. I know now it was a tick.
Wasps are more of a nuisance than a danger. Even the bad ones. They're contained in their area and wander wasps are very tame.
My wife is terribly allergic to mosquitoes and swells up quite painfully where bitten. This had limited our outdoor activities a bunch. Shes used benadyl and ice for decades with poor results. just found out Zyrtec is amazing for and prescribed for mosquitoes allergies. Enjoy all. Thanks Dixie:)
I used to be a hardcore DEET user whenever I went outdoors, but I wanted an alternative to use for casual occasions. I've used Coleman's Botanicals mosquito repellent with excellent results in several environments. It lasts a long time and it smells refreshing.
Fun photos and video clips, Dixie! For mosquitoes, have you ever tried garlic and/or onions? Just raw, a good amount so your pores excrete a garlic/onion smell. The complex molecules are a deterrent, I think. And if not, it at least helps my mindset. Also, I appreciate what you said about bees and spiders, etc. ‘cause they have their place in it all.
I would suggest using an EPA registered repellant. Deet seems terrible to me and gives me headaches and can ruin gear. A little bit of permethrin on your shoes, gators/socks, and pants goes a really long way in preventing bites (especially if you tuck your shirt into your pants).
It's natural to want to use essential oils etc. but they don't work against ticks. I've had Lyme and it's really nothing to mess around with.
I've also found Picaridin to work pretty well. It's synthetic but has a much lower toxicity profile compared to Deet or permethrin based on my research. At least it's not a neurotoxin.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck everyone in choosing your strategy.
My youngest daughter got ravaged by mosquitoes one year camping, so after that I decided to make my own soap what's citrus in it and found some shampoo with natural citrus in it. Neither one of us has ever had a problem since then. Will use this type of soap and shampoo anytime we go camping or in the outdoors during the bug seasons.
I really enjoyed your video and your tips on bugs and insect repellents ...Thanks Dixie...Be safe out there.
One part tea tree oil and two parts water, shake well and put on gear, boots and/or clothing. Helps quite well against a lot of insects like ticks and musquitos.
Well done. Keep up the good work Dixie.
Repel lemon eucalyptus spray is my favorite choice for a natural bug repellent that actually works! And since it doesn't have deet, no worries about swimming and killing the wildlife or polluting the water. Also it smells amazing!
I think there was a comment by a beekeeper who said that lemon attracts bees.
Anything that smells fruity or flowery attracts bees
I guess I've never had an issue with bees while backpacking, just mosquitos and flies. So it works well for me.
I'm about to go out for my first solo & overnight backpacking trip, and I really consider taking lavender essential oil. This is amazing at treating bug bites, and even quite a few plants. I use it fairly often at home for wasp stung etc.
Incredible advice and guidance 💞 Thank you for sharing 🦋
Using a pattern of black and white (think zebra) confuses many bugs - flying and non-flying. I've heard wearing nylons works against ticks - not for the nymphs as they're just so small. Ticks only crawl upwards so - pants in socks or boots and blouse them over and the same for your tucked in shirt. Just remember there could be ticks hiding underneath the fold when removing clothes - do it away from where you are resting or setting camp or they'll just climb back on. Anyone heard Absorbine Jr or Vicks vapourrub as an insect repellent around the ears and wrists, ankles? Just read that on a forum. The responses seemed positive.
Good video Dixie...I’m happy to hear that you mentioned essential oils as an option for bug repellent. There is several recipes out there for people to make up their own...they really work you just need to reapply more often, and in my opinion the safest way to go. Happy trails everyone.
Grace Iovine I use essential oils. I’ve done small day hikes. My concerns about essential oils. Is when you are doing a thru hike.Will it attract more mice , chipmunks and bears in the process of getting rid of the bugs. Essential oil have a strong aroma.
Bugs are genuinely my number one concern when I'm in any stretch of nature - I'm borderline phobic (clinically so, as in my psychiatric team has noted this, not in the hyperbolic sense), and I can get really freaked out by them. Like, I have a hard time killing mosquitoes if it means I have to touch them.
It tends to improve quite a lot after I've had time to adjust, though, but the first couple of days (or weeks 😬) can be really difficult for me - basically, the longer it's been since I was last exposed, the harder it is for me to reach a point of normal, rational reaction to them. I do really want to get out into the woods more, though, and hopefully going out regularly will help me build up a bit of longer term tolerance 😅
I’m currently in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, flip-flopping between the two parks while shooting wildlife photography for the entire summer/fall season and after hiking a 10 miler I found a tick latched onto my belly button! I freaked the Buck Out!!! It hadn’t been there that long so I was able to pull it off in one piece thank guad!!! So from now on I cover up my belly button with a bandaid before I go out hiking lol..... Love your show!!!! Gunner
Love your video. They also help me fall asleep at night lol (not that they are boring) Thanks for making great videos all the time
i hate mosquitos. whilst working at asummer camp in NH i had a inflateable hammer which i used to eliminate all the ones in my cabin room that had got in...only then could i sleep.
I don't have much of a problem with mosquitoes but black flies consider me candy. It may sound strange but Avon Skin So Soft works for me. Thanks for all the great info.
I have heard coconut butter lotion also repels mosquitoes and that’s another big reason they use it a lot in the tropics. Someone I know used it the entire time where mosquitoes are prevalent and did not get bit. It was something she noticed but is not advertised. Might want to test that.
“Mosquito Massacre” 😂 I do this too. Picked it up when I lived in Alaska. Love the videos, Keep it up!
If you tense your muscles in the area or squeeze the skin around the area being bitten, the misquito cannot extract, nor can she stop the blood flow, and she will eventually burst. Now you know.
I've watched a few of your videos now and just subscribed 🙂 Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Ontario Canada
I use a product called Kids afterbite it works very well as this Florida granny is allergic to mosquitoes the bite area swells but the afterbite along with so antihistamine keeps me going.
OK I don't know if you get this in the US but the go to treatment for ticks in Australia is a product call WARTOFF available from a pharmacy generally for wart removal. By holding the tube down on the tick for a few seconds the tick is frozen and it will fall off within about 15 seconds. It is otherwise useful for cool relief for mozzies bite as well. Freeze don't squeeze.
I have found that REPEL insect repellent works good for keeping mosquitos away (it is made with Eucalyptus oil). It also is DEET free.
I would love for you to go back to the A.T. for another thru hike with your experience , not only hiking , but also photograph . Coming to you all the way from Oxford, Al. Thanks for the share homey !
In regards to ticks, when I was hiking/backpacking on Cumberland Island, we used clear nail polish to kill/remove the tick from the skin. Worked like a charm.
great video. I put Witch Hazel lavender scent on my skin and the mosquitoes don't bother me. Hope this helps somebody
I’ve never heard of picaridin. I gotta try that next time I have to deal with biting flies. Deet didn’t work at all for them!
Actually, I too hate mosquitos. On a recent trip to wilderness Alaska I used deet as usual but also a thermacell device. It does work. With the combo of deet and the thermacell I got no bites and also the mosquitos did not swarm around me. That being said, thermacell is too heavy for a long trip. Also it uses a propane cartridge and a little pad of repellant that lasts about 3 hours. I its a weekend trip device only. I do treat my clothing with permetherine, though my results with it alone have not been great. Forget about the electronic repellers. Have fun and be safe out there.
Not many different manufacturers of EpiPen one of the reasons it can be so expensive. My bee allergy is one thing that keeps me from back country backpacking. 20% of people need a second injection, and you can still have a second reaction up to 72 hours after the first requiring another injection. Without insurance it can cost between 300$-630$ for a two pack. CVS offers a generic two pack for 100$