Got bugs?

[Idaho45guy]

Saw in a thread that someone was bemoaning the fact that in their area, certain bugs will be coming out soon that make life outdoors miserable.

Couple of years ago I was out fishing on a local lake and a man from Wisconsin paddled by and remarked how wonderful it was out here due to the lack of mosquitos. He said you can't go in the woods out there without a ton of bug spray and protection.

However, a couple of Summers ago, we had an incredibly high yellow-jacket population and I got stung a couple of times while in the woods. It was crazy; there was just a constant humming sound in the woods from all of the little wasps...

Attachment 218480

Growing up in this area, yellow jackets were about the most annoying thing and they typically aren't aggressive. We have mosquitos, but they're not too bad. We have ticks, but again, not too bad. We have bugs, but not to the extent that they make things unbearable in the woods.

I remember when I lived in Iowa that the ticks and chiggers were awful; couldn't go in the "woods" without excessive chemical applications.

Just wondering if your area has a certain insect that you have to prepare for when going into the outdoors.

[chambers]

Here in Wisconsin the mosquitos can just about carry you away( plenty of repellent), horse flies can be awful and must where a hat in the woods as they bite like hell and the buzzing sound is loud. The first good frost is what we look for anybody who loves the outdoors but that is short lived by the cold snowy winters.

[Idaho45guy]

Here in Wisconsin the mosquitos can just about carry you away( plenty of repellent), horse flies can be awful and must where a hat in the woods as they bite like hell and the buzzing sound is loud. The first good frost is what we look for anybody who loves the outdoors but that is short lived by the cold snowy winters.

My grandpa moved out here with my grandma from Peshtigo, WI in the 1940's. He was a boat builder and fur trapper. He had some amazing stories of winters out there.

[Minerat]

Horse flys in the mountains. About take yer hide off sometimes and spiders. I hate spiders worst part about summer.

[xs11jack]

Born and raised in Wi.. In 1971 built a house on 2 1/2 ac., the west fence line was at a farmers woods. The fence line was thick with black raspberries but when the berries were ripe you risked your life going out there to pick them. The mosquitoes would rise up in a giant cloud and head for you at warp speed. You wore long pants and long sleeve shirts and sprayed repellent everywhere. This caused you to sweat like crazy and the repellent to wash off. So you cut your loses and ran for the house. When I lived in the LA area in the 80's there did't seem to be many bugs on the windshield, but now living in Mo. the bugs are back.
Ole Jack

[texasnative46]

To All,

When we were stationed at "Camp Swampy", AKA: Ft Polk, LA it was said that the saltwater skeeters received ATC instructions from the NOLA & Baton Rouge APs.
(Several times, I thought that they would carry my EX & I away for a "late night snack".)

yours, tex

[marlin39a]

About the only things I can think of are moths on nights here when I open the doors by a light. No mosquitos. Gee, I guess I'm lucky.

[Goatwhiskers]

Tex, 'round here we skin those big 'uns for the hide and the tallow. GW

[texasnative46]

Goatwhiskers,

RotflmRao.

yours, tex

[MaryB]

Mosquitoes, black flies, dry falls noseeum hatches(those little suckers HURT when they bite). Lately black flies have been super bad... Find out in 2 months when it is finally warm out...

[richhodg66]

I hate ticks worst of all. Had two bad tick years in a row because of mild Winters. We recently had a couple of spells where it got warm enough for them to be out and then had cold snaps where it froze hard. I hope that killed off a lot of them. Seems like they aren't as bad yet as this time last year.

[GhostHawk]

Long time Minnesota joke about 2 skeeters that got into a resort cabin one night.
One asks the other if they should take them outside or just suck them dry there?

Other skeeter smacks the first one. Take them outside? If we do the big skeeters will take them away from us!Dufus!

Back in the 1800's when this country was being settled some farmers lost cows and horses. Drained dry in a night or 2. Everything had to be locked in the barn and probably a smudge kept going in a bucket.

I've seen em bad, but you can learn to deal with them.

I used to go fishing and you'd have a half a barn load of em on you, in your ears, up your nose. Kick a bare spot, light a little fire of twigs the size of a ball cap. Put some green stuff on it. Sit down and have a smoke. In 5 min they be gone. Then it was time to get lines baited and rod holder sticks located. But don't go far, and don't disturb the long grass. Bare ground is best.

Now days those thermocells are awesome, fire it up and 15 min later you can turn it off.

Those skeeters just plain don't like that stuff. We have 3 I think and I need to get another refill kit or 2 again.

[Beagle333]

We have skeeters ( at least 3 varieties), deer flies, chiggers and lots of deer ticks (carrying Lyme disease).
You have to practically be the Toxic Avenger when you go outside here. I carry a sidearm in one holster and a can of DEEP WOODS OFF in the other.

[brassrat]

I remember fishing nights on the CT. River. I had my Coleman, Two Mantle, gas lantern and the No-See-Ums or whatever loved going in and getting roasted. Every pump- up I held my breath and got away quick. The bodies would be haif inch stacked or so inside.

[lightman]

We get mosquitoes in the late spring that are pretty bad. In the spring and summer, your going to be going it the house about 8:00. I have a commercial quality "air curtain" over my back door. Right now the mosquitoes are not out yet but the Buffalo Knats are thick in places. So bad that they are killing deer! Anytime You drive at night you get a coating of bugs on the car. Not too many ticks and chiggers.

[Three44s]

I was kidding with my aunt from Norway a number of years ago.

I told her that it was said that mosquitos in Alaska had been known to pack off small children , she told that in Norway they had two motors!

Three44s

[varmintpopper]

Mosquitoes are Alaska's State Bird.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Up by Chicken, Alaska (Sorta near Tok) the "white footed assassins" are a royal pain - little white footed gnats, bites swell up like a half garbanzo and they are legion. Plus quite enough skeeters. Some up there mass bug bomb around camp in hope of staying sane...

Here in WA the mosquitoes can be a pain, but they don't drive you near as nuts as those evil things.

[starmac]

We do not have a single mosquito in Alaska/
Well not unless someone has killed ones mate. lol
They can be BAD, but a drop or two on each wrist and on your neck takes care of them. I do not go anywhere without it, and since my first summer here, do not wait till skeeters are buzzin to buy it either.

[MrWolf]

We do not have a single mosquito in Alaska/
Well not unless someone has killed ones mate. lol
They can be BAD, but a drop or two on each wrist and on your neck takes care of them. I do not go anywhere without it, and since my first summer here, do not wait till skeeters are buzzin to buy it either.

A drop or two of what or am I missing something?