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Post by waarp8nt on Apr 1, 2019 19:36:13 GMT -7
I plan to do some camping / trekking this year. Just curious what folks here on the forum are doing for insect control while out camping / scouting / trekking?
I understand some areas simply are not as problematic as others with insects. However, my residence is in the middle of Illinois in the country fields, with fairly good rainfall and fairly high humidity. We deal with Chiggers, House Flies, Horse Flies, Ticks, Deer Ticks, Turkey Mites, Mosquitoes, and other pest that thrive in hot / humid climates.
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on Apr 1, 2019 19:41:53 GMT -7
In the Territory I would drink rum & light a fire made from buffalo dung. These days I live in New England & I only camp out in winter when there are no insects or nasty venomous creepy crawlies. Keith.
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Post by waarp8nt on Apr 2, 2019 18:04:37 GMT -7
In the Territory I would drink rum & light a fire made from buffalo dung. These days I live in New England & I only camp out in winter when there are no insects or nasty venomous creepy crawlies. Keith. Interesting point, how cold is too cold for you to camp out in the winter?
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on Apr 3, 2019 14:05:44 GMT -7
In the Territory I would drink rum & light a fire made from buffalo dung. These days I live in New England & I only camp out in winter when there are no insects or nasty venomous creepy crawlies. Keith. Interesting point, how cold is too cold for you to camp out in the winter? I don't know, I have never payed much attention to the actual temperature. Certainly not as cold here as in Canada, well not as yet anyway. Keith.
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Post by Black Hand on Apr 4, 2019 14:52:42 GMT -7
Crushed Yarrow rubbed on exposed skin works. It also works well to counter the pain and irritation of mosquito bites & bee stings. I collect the "fronds" and crush/grind them into a rough paste - rub on the skin to repel or apply directly to the bites/sting and allow some time to have an effect (can be bound with a piece of cloth to hold the paste in place). Pennyroyal (a relative of mint) has been touted to repel biting insects.
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Post by waarp8nt on Apr 5, 2019 18:55:09 GMT -7
Crushed Yarrow rubbed on exposed skin works. It also works well to counter the pain and irritation of mosquito bites & bee stings. I collect the "fronds" and crush/grind them into a rough paste - rub on the skin to repel or apply directly to the bites/sting and allow some time to have an effect (can be bound with a piece of cloth to hold the paste in place). Pennyroyal (a relative of mint) has been touted to repel biting insects. I have read about Yarrow, but never tried it. Good to know it works, Thank You! I have previously used a product that contained sulfur. While it worked well enough, the smell was awful and difficult to wash off. Funny how somethings bother some folks more than others. It seems insects eat me alive, but poison oak and poison ivy don't bother me.
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Post by Black Hand on Apr 8, 2019 10:24:00 GMT -7
Yarrow also makes a nice tea, will stop bleeding (hemostatic) and also decreases pain (has a local anesthetic effect).
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Post by brokennock on Apr 9, 2019 19:44:51 GMT -7
I've made yarrow tincture bug dope before, it works okay. However, I live in ground zero for lyme disease epidemic, the hospital I work in is 34 miles from the town of Lyme/Old Lyme, and we see some really bad lyme disease issues. Period or not, all my hunting and scouting/tracking clothes, and some of my gear, get a thorough dowsing in permethrin. The ticks still climb aboard, but seems to be less of them and they don't live long enough to imbed in the skin.
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Post by Black Hand on Apr 9, 2019 19:50:33 GMT -7
Not worth messing with natural insect repellent when you are dealing with one of the nasty ones. Lyme disease is not a joking matter...
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Post by hawkeyes on Apr 10, 2019 11:32:13 GMT -7
I plan to do some camping / trekking this year. Just curious what folks here on the forum are doing for insect control while out camping / scouting / trekking? I understand some areas simply are not as problematic as others with insects. However, my residence is in the middle of Illinois in the country fields, with fairly good rainfall and fairly high humidity. We deal with Chiggers, House Flies, Horse Flies, Ticks, Deer Ticks, Turkey Mites, Mosquitoes, and other pest that thrive in hot / humid climates. Glad to see you are here my friend, Insect control has always been a top priority for me and I've personally tried many methods but for me I'm fond of several methods that are very simple. While there is a time and place for modern repellents, I try my best to be as natural (within reason). What I have found in the Eastern Woodlands that works wonders is natural cedar. Ticks, mosquitoes and other critters hate the natural cedar oils. For a topical treatment I'll locate a cedar and gently remove a few leaves and essentially extract the natural oils by vigorously rubbing my hands together and applying the oils were needed. Very effective and a simple technique used by numerous Eastern tribes. Another "camp" technique I've used while making camp or bedding down is to collect a few green winterbloom or witch hazel leaves and throw them on a bed of coals to smolder. This works excellent to fight off the mosquitoes and something I'll periodically do throughout the night. In short I'm a fan of natural oils, like cedar birch is another good insect repellent. Many natural repellents are among us, some better than others. I'm a firm believer mother nature supplies everything we need. All we as stewards must do is be mindful and appreciative and she will provide!
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Post by straekat on Apr 14, 2019 5:11:38 GMT -7
There's a lot to be said for Keith's method of drinking rum. If you self-medicate enough, you may not feel a thing.
Depending on the species, insects detect humans and animals through CO2 and other chemical signatures in exhaled breath, body temperatures, sweat, etc. Their ability to detect can be masked, jammed, or diverted away from an individual by being tricked into going after a hotter, sweatier heat source they will go after instead of someone less tempting. Anything that helps reduce their ability to find us by washing up at the end of the day, staying cool, etc, will all help before applying natural compounds.
Military training frequently teaches the idea of not walking on trails, and not bunching up. That thinking can also be applied to being outdoors. Animals moving across game trails are a form of transportation for ticks, chiggers, and other parasites they encounter along trails. I suspect parasites have higher population densities along trails where they can find "food" and locate others of their species, than there is in dense brush where animals don't often live in/around/near or cross over. If that might be true, staying off game trails might mean heavier going through brush and rougher natural terrain, but possibly less troublesome in regards to the numbers of blood suckers....on the trails.
Not bunching up in military terms means the chances of being wounded or killed because people are close together translates into people not being close enough together that insects detect several "targets" that are relatively close together than a single one with a much smaller detection profile.
Personally, I'm more concerned about ticks and the possibility of Lyme's Disease. Whenever I'm in long grass, in the woods, etc, I always do a personal inspection to locate and remove any ticks I find. Deer populations in and around suburban housing areas in the eastern US means ticks hitching rides on deer are increasingly being found in backyards, and I routinely check pets these days. No one wants Lyme Disease, or for that matter the risk of a single pregnant tick laying eggs inside their house and a possible infestation....
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Post by waarp8nt on Apr 14, 2019 14:03:48 GMT -7
Glad to see you are here my friend I'm glad to be here! Thank you for your advice!!! There's a lot to be said for Keith's method of drinking rum. If you self-medicate enough, you may not feel a thing.
I like Rum too! Like you fellows, Ticks are a primary concern. Once, a few years back, I removed 13 ticks after a days romping in the woods. Actually found one this weekend after tending to yard work. I have been an insect magnet my whole life...my Mother, Son and Daughter also attract various critters. My Dad didn't really have an issue with insects, but let him be downwind of any of the various poisons and he was sure to get it. I used to make jewelweed ice cubes to keep for the following years mushroom season, dad always got poison while hunting mushrooms. He swore the jewelweed worked better than anything OTC or that the DR provided. Like you gentlemen, I'm after something natural and effective. I will resort to other methods if need be, but want to give nature a chance to provide an effective solution! In short I'm a fan of natural oils, like cedar birch is another good insect repellent. Many natural repellents are among us, some better than others. I'm a firm believer mother nature supplies everything we need. All we as stewards must do is be mindful and appreciative and she will provide!
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Post by Richard on Jun 3, 2019 22:19:11 GMT -7
Pennsylvania has more ticks and more Lyme disease than elsewhere. I had Lyme, caught it very early, and was treated with doxycycline...wiped it out. I was lucky. Wife and I check each other after every outing, but I think I got bitten mowing the lawn. Never saw the tick (and you won't feel a thing.) Didn't get the bullseye rash either. For me, it's permethrin on my clothes. Ticks etc. get on, walk a short distance, wobble around and fall off...dead! Leaves me smiling!
Tried natural stuff. Wife has asthma, couldn't hardly breathe. Doesn't mind the permethrin at all. Sometimes, for health and safety, compromise is necessary. But I truly like hawkeyes' suggestions, might try them on exposed skin.
Richard/Grumpa
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Keith
City-dweller
Bushfire close but safe now. Getting some good rain.
Posts: 990
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Post by Keith on Jun 3, 2019 23:39:47 GMT -7
I have never had any trouble with ticks here in New England. Last time myself & one of my sons got ticks we were at Rendezvous in Queensland. Never went back there again! Keith.
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Post by Black Hand on Jun 4, 2019 4:49:29 GMT -7
Pennsylvania has more ticks and more Lyme disease than elsewhere. I had Lyme, caught it very early, and was treated with doxycycline...wiped it out. I was lucky. Wife and I check each other after every outing, but I think I got bitten mowing the lawn. Never saw the tick (and you won't feel a thing.) Didn't get the bullseye rash either. For me, it's permethrin on my clothes. Ticks etc. get on, walk a short distance, wobble around and fall off...dead! Leaves me smiling! Tried natural stuff. Wife has asthma, couldn't hardly breathe. Doesn't mind the permethrin at all. Sometimes, for health and safety, compromise is necessary. But I truly like hawkeyes' suggestions, might try them on exposed skin. Richard/Grumpa A friend of mine had Tick paralysis - nearly killed him until his Lady found the tick and it was removed...
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