Ticks and bugs and things that crawl in the night!!!

[RikJohnson]

I posted this on another place but cannot find it... so am starting a new thread.

BACKGROUND:
In the old westerns the hero occasionally woke up with a rattlesnake in his bedroll. It was a plot device.
In the Air Force, I'd share a shelter half with someone else but the lack of floor or net always encouraged visitors and not the ones we wanted.
My daughter and I camped at lake Havasu before she left for Africa with the peace Corps. It was 140-on-the-water and her kayak melted. It was too hot for the tents so she slept on a table, I on the ground but all the beetles crawling over kept me awake all night.
Last year I went kayak camping with some friends and after climbing a 10' rise to the only flat area, I set my tent on some flat slate, using rocks to hold my tent in place. Maria set hers in the dirt and Charles in the soft grass. An hour later, Charles was going through is bag and tent, removing ticks! maria was screaming about the ant-nest neaer her tent.
And i've slept in enough foxholes and trees while overseas to become well known to the local indiginous and unwelcome wildlife. DEET does not really work. Or you are allergic to it.

THIS is why I like a tent with a floor and screen!
I bought an OD pup-tent that would pass for a shelter-half if I put it under a tree or bush away from the rest of the line. Today I have a selection.

QUESTION:
So, for those who camp-out Ranger-style, on the ground, in a blanket, in the open...
How do you deal with ticks, chiggers, scorpions, lice, etc????
How do you keep them away?

My preferred method is to eat a LOT of garlic immediatly before and during my trips which helps but isn't perfect.
Save a floor and net, I have no solution.

[Eledhwen]

I eat a healthy diet, keep my clothing on and skin covered, and otherwise just use good outdoor sense. I don't really bother trying to keep them away since that is essentially futile..although lavender and other herbs can help with this and I often have a sachet or three about.

In the wilderness, the good comes with the bad. Fortunately ticks and mosquitoes do not seem to like me much...chiggers on the other hand, will go a long, long, long way to eat at my place. Scratch raw, rub in salt. The chiggers don't stick around so it is really a matter of cleaning out their spit, drat them.

I have had snakes share a bedroll with me, a raccoon once shared a tent, shook spiders and scorpions from boots, shook off tarantulas and centipedes, pulled off leeches, etc. Just...a different kind of comfort is needed, really. They don't bother me much really, and I do use DEET in the Summer due to deer ticks and gnats (sand fleas). It doesn't keep things away, but it reduces the biting anyway.

FWIW

Eledhwen

[brownl_91]

Living in Wisconsin we get horrible mosquitoes and ticks, in many areas over 80% of the ticks carry Lyme's disease. I often don't use deet because of how harsh it is on equipment and clothing. Its all about strategy. I look for places to camp that have a breeze, i keep my skin covered with loose fabric and at night i cover my face. I also do periodic tick checks throughout the day and i have a prescription medicine that, if you take it when you get bit, reduces that chance of lyme's disease. It can be unpleasant at times thought, but thats one of the challenges I enjoy.

[Ringulf]

The title of this thread has me wondering which show-tune it reminds me of more,

...Tics and bugs and fleas better scurry....

...Tics gotta jump and fleas gotta bite...

I could go on!

[Jon]

Here in the UK ticks are the only real threat. Sure there are other insects and stuff but all they do is crawl around.

Also for bedding making a bed of ferns is often the only option. While comfy it is also where ticks like to hide the most it seems, so a pair of tweezers (the special ones for ticks) and staying covered are the best options. For some reason they dont seem to like hands or faces.

[Addreonynn]

Here in the UK ticks are the only real threat. Sure there are other insects and stuff but all they do is crawl around.

Also for bedding making a bed of ferns is often the only option. While comfy it is also where ticks like to hide the most it seems, so a pair of tweezers (the special ones for ticks) and staying covered are the best options. For some reason they dont seem to like hands or faces.

They try to get to places that most animals can't reach. Chest back legs behind ears etc

[Cinead]

Sometimes....you just have to deal with it.

I tend to "smudge" any chance I get.

I let the fire die down then add green growth and let it get smoky....then wrap up in my blanket and "trap the smoke"....

Also is effective camo when hunting....