Summer is a great time to hike - so many gorgeous waterfowl, baby animals, amazing blues and greens. However, there are also hoards of mosquitoes, ticks, and biting flies.
I saw two interesting articles on that subject this week. One was from a Smithsonian blog, about why some people are mosquito magnets. Alas, I am a type O secreter who exercises hard enough to sweat. Thankfully, I am not pregnant and don't drink beer before my dawn hikes.
A friend also sent me an article about ticks and lyme disease, and how people don't take proper precautions. Although it's talking about the New England area, we also have a high incidence here of lyme disease.
I have to admit that I don't wear long pants and tuck them in my socks, or wear long sleeves when I'm hiking on a hot July morning. I do wear a scarf over my hair to keep ticks and biting flies from burrowing there (I have thick curly hair). I also use repellant with Deet (recommended for combating all these pesky creatures) and I use one of the Off fans on a fanny pack just below my back. That seems to help keep mosquitoes from biting my back through my t-shirt. I also check myself for ticks after each hike, and usually shower and wash my hair soon after a hike.
I've tried things like Skin So Soft by Avon, and a natural repellant I got from my chiropractor. They might work OK in my back yard, but for me (one who mosquitoes flock to) I have to use something with Deet when I'm off trail in heavily wooded areas.
I used to let the bugs deter me. I wouldn't hike in July. There are days when my desire to see wildlife only slightly outweighs my frustration with mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies. However, one great photo makes it all worthwhile.
