Bug Out: def. 1) to flee in a panic 2) to loose one's mind
Some readers may recall that I estimate the White Mountains to have 10 seasons. The 6th season commences in the middle of May, Black Fly Season. But a colder than usual May this year has meant that flying insects stayed dormant for an extra week or so. If it were named accurately this season would be Black Fly/Mosquito/Gnat/& Tick season since all of these pests emerge about the same time. When delayed by a few weeks the ravenous insects seem to explode from the forest floor like a Biblical plague.
Indeed this Black Fly season has been close to an Old Testament smiting. The mosquitoes are like a zombie horror movie; kill one and three more pop up to feast on your blood. The black flies have been just as hungry and almost as numerous. But the ticks are truly legion. Ticks also carry the most dreaded diseases. Friends of mine came home from an afternoon of trail work with a dozen ticks on their person. Almost every day we've been out the past few weeks someone finds a tick during their shower. Of the many ways to lose a nights sleep finding a tick crawling on my body after I've tucked in to bed is in my top 3. I had the misfortune to reaffirm this last Sunday.
So what is an intrepid mountain traveler to do? We could wait for the first hard frost, but that is a good 4 months away. Although swarms of blood thirsty insects do make me wistful for snow & ice, hiking in sunshine & shorts is too pleasant to pass up. At some point we must confront these swarms. This is a reminder of methods to keep the bugs from making you bug out.
1) Out run them. Black Flies and Mosquitoes are actually slow but persistent creatures, again much like zombies. When moving faster than 10 mph they cannot touch you. Even at 3-4 mph an hour they have a hard time keeping up. I've heard some folks joke they sprint up to treeline where they can then enjoy a leisurely hike. But not all of us can run that fast over rooted muddy trails, and most of us need to stop sometime. When stopped, even for a few seconds, the bugs will start biting.
2) Pick your Days. Biting insects are sensitive to the weather. Cold and rainy days are not mosquitoes favorite. If the winds are high black flies cannot fly. Ticks begin to die off if the weather is hot & dry for a stretch. But not all of us prefer to hike when it's rainy and windy just to avoid the blood suckers.
3) Dress for Success. Those grey haired old time hikers wearing long sleeves, long pants, and big brimmed hats in June; they know something about keeping the bugs away. The standard advice for keeping ticks & biting insects off when I was a Boy Scout included tucking your pant legs into your socks and buttoning down your sleeve cuffs. That old advice still works. Add a head net to the ensemble and the bugs can't close enough to bite. Philip Werner wrote a great article on dressing for bugs this week. I have and cherish an Original Bug Shirt from my guiding days. Just a head net and a loose long sleeve shirt can be enough insect deterrent on many days.
Not everyone wants to keep the shorts in the drawer until August. A US company has engineered insect repellent clothing. Supposedly these garments are coated with a secret sauce that keeps ticks and other nasty critters away. I have not tried any of the Insect Shield items from Ex Officio or Outdoor Research. But some folks swear by them.
4) Practice Good Scents. The other old time technique is to apply scents that bugs find offensive. Several companies make herbal insect repellent. Most are combination of citronella oil, cedar, peppermint, and/or Geranium oil. Recently I read about a study that Lemon Eucalyptus oil is as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes. Some folks still swear by Avon Skin So Soft, but I have never had much luck with that lotion. The other effective scent I've heard of recently is putting Bounce dryer sheets under one's shirt collar. But again this is a technique I've not tried. My personal choice has been White Mountain Insect Repellent, usually available at the local Tractor Supply store. But I may give something with a high Lemon Eucalyptus Oil concentration a try soon.
5) If you can't beat them, Nuke them. If all else fails most folks grab the heavy weaponry, chemical warfare. DEET works, but it is toxic and absorbs through skin. Permethrin treated clothing also works. But the reason it is used only on clothing, not directly on skin, is that it may be more toxic than DEET. Personally I will try everything else before resorting to DEET. If you do use DEET consider spraying it on clothing, not on skin. I only consider using Permethrin when I'm going to be moving slowly in tall grass areas like on trail work days, i.e maximum tick risk days.
Frankly I go with a combination of strategies during Black Fly season. If it is a windy day on the ridge, I'll sometimes race up the trail trying to outrun the blood suckers. This time of year I usually keep a head net in my front pocket until needed. If I'm in a tick prone area I will wear long pants and gaiters. I carry my Bug Shirt in my pack until August just in case. I often use my favorite herbal bug dope on my neck and face. But if the mosquitoes or ticks are very bad, I'm not above spraying my pants legs with DEET.
Regardless of the combination, we do not need to be thwarted by the insect hordes. Dress right or slather on your favorite lotions or just race up above the trees, but find your peace one way or the other in the mountains.
2) Pick your Days. Biting insects are sensitive to the weather. Cold and rainy days are not mosquitoes favorite. If the winds are high black flies cannot fly. Ticks begin to die off if the weather is hot & dry for a stretch. But not all of us prefer to hike when it's rainy and windy just to avoid the blood suckers.
 |
| a head net can make all the difference |
3) Dress for Success. Those grey haired old time hikers wearing long sleeves, long pants, and big brimmed hats in June; they know something about keeping the bugs away. The standard advice for keeping ticks & biting insects off when I was a Boy Scout included tucking your pant legs into your socks and buttoning down your sleeve cuffs. That old advice still works. Add a head net to the ensemble and the bugs can't close enough to bite. Philip Werner wrote a great article on dressing for bugs this week. I have and cherish an Original Bug Shirt from my guiding days. Just a head net and a loose long sleeve shirt can be enough insect deterrent on many days.
 |
| gaiters work for ticks as well as mud and snow |
Not everyone wants to keep the shorts in the drawer until August. A US company has engineered insect repellent clothing. Supposedly these garments are coated with a secret sauce that keeps ticks and other nasty critters away. I have not tried any of the Insect Shield items from Ex Officio or Outdoor Research. But some folks swear by them.
4) Practice Good Scents. The other old time technique is to apply scents that bugs find offensive. Several companies make herbal insect repellent. Most are combination of citronella oil, cedar, peppermint, and/or Geranium oil. Recently I read about a study that Lemon Eucalyptus oil is as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes. Some folks still swear by Avon Skin So Soft, but I have never had much luck with that lotion. The other effective scent I've heard of recently is putting Bounce dryer sheets under one's shirt collar. But again this is a technique I've not tried. My personal choice has been White Mountain Insect Repellent, usually available at the local Tractor Supply store. But I may give something with a high Lemon Eucalyptus Oil concentration a try soon.
5) If you can't beat them, Nuke them. If all else fails most folks grab the heavy weaponry, chemical warfare. DEET works, but it is toxic and absorbs through skin. Permethrin treated clothing also works. But the reason it is used only on clothing, not directly on skin, is that it may be more toxic than DEET. Personally I will try everything else before resorting to DEET. If you do use DEET consider spraying it on clothing, not on skin. I only consider using Permethrin when I'm going to be moving slowly in tall grass areas like on trail work days, i.e maximum tick risk days.
Frankly I go with a combination of strategies during Black Fly season. If it is a windy day on the ridge, I'll sometimes race up the trail trying to outrun the blood suckers. This time of year I usually keep a head net in my front pocket until needed. If I'm in a tick prone area I will wear long pants and gaiters. I carry my Bug Shirt in my pack until August just in case. I often use my favorite herbal bug dope on my neck and face. But if the mosquitoes or ticks are very bad, I'm not above spraying my pants legs with DEET.
Regardless of the combination, we do not need to be thwarted by the insect hordes. Dress right or slather on your favorite lotions or just race up above the trees, but find your peace one way or the other in the mountains.
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