Planning to paddle the www route in EC, what bug protection besides deet is effective? I'll plan to treat my nylon pants and hat with permethrin and wear a Lt jacket. Do most bring a head net?
Bug protection recs for glades www...
(14 posts) (12 voices)-
danceswithmullet
MemberWith the wettest January in history along wth a warm winter the bugs are bad. The spray plane ran us of the porch the other night of our shanty in the mangroves. They don't spray like that unless the bug count is really high. Mrs Mullet and I spent new years in everglades city and the mosquitos were thick so pack heavy on bug protection this year. DWM
Posted 6 years ago # -
SavannahDan
MemberOur list has this covered: head net, light long-sleeved shirt and pants, and deet. I often also bring a light, oversized anorak (pull-over), with a hood. The hood and the zip up neck help a lot. That is quite comfortable and light . I also have an "Elite Addition Bug Shirt." See:
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If you get one of those and protect your legs and feet nothing can get through to you.
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A pair of cheap light "gardening" goves are good, too.
</wbr></wbr>Posted 6 years ago # -
I like SavannahDan's idea of cheap light gardening gloves.
After my 2014 & 2015 early March visits to the Everglades I had enough mosquito bites to drive somebody insane. I guess some people just get more bites. I think I am one of them.
I learned a few things. #1 if somebody wants to stand around and talk as the mosquitos are biting, forget being polite, run. #2 never let your guard down. #3 when I went for a swim in the keys with my shirt off it quickly took care of about 80% of the irritation. I am not sure if was the sun or the salt water or both, but it was a god send. I spent about $50 buying anti itch products at a Key Largo pharmacy. They helped a little but not much. #4 when they are thick, no matter how hard you try, you cannot keep them out of the tent. If 10 mosquitos are on your body as you dive into your tent, they are going to be with you. I found the best way to kill them inside the tent is to use a Thermarest seat. With my Thermarest seat, most times I kill the targeted bastard on my first try. #5 no-see-ums just may be a worse problem than mosquitos.
I would love to take some high power insecticide and kill everything around my tent. I guess that would be against park rules, and may be unhealthy.
As an optimist, I will look at my mosquito problem and paranoia as an advantage. I will set up and tear down my site as fast as ever during the EC.
Somebody said this year will be a bad year for mosquitos. It is hard to imagine it being worse than the last 2 years. I am ready with a new attitude, a bug shirt, bug pants, socks, permethrin, and the lovely deet.
Enjoy the Everglades.
Posted 6 years ago # -
StumblingThunder
MemberI have the following from years of living in the country in FL:
https://shannonoutdoors.com/bugtamer/
It works well and I do not have to put on repellant. The large scale netting holds the bug proof netting away from the skin. I still get a few bites if I am pressing the netting in by holding something, but the rest of the time it works really well.
Now if there was a way to drown out the annoying whine of the thousands of them hanging around you.
Stumblingthunder
Posted 6 years ago # -
SandyBottom
MemberBesides deet and other bug sprays and head net, I spray all my clothes, my tent fly, and the netting of my tent with permethrin. I also find putting my light breathable paddling jacket and pants on right away when really bad is impervious to mosquitos and noseeums. The jury is still out whether those thermacells work http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031ESIVK/ref=s9_al_bw_g468_i1, but I use them, throw it outside my tent in the vestibule before I go in or leave my tent, and wear it on a pocket when moving around outside. I think it works for me.
DawnPosted 6 years ago # -
Like SandyBottom, I use permethrin spray. I tried both the liquid spray and the aeresol spray and like the aeresol version much better. It works on tents, bug nets, trousers, shirts, middle layers, outer layers, socks, boots. It's always a good idea to carry a head net. The one I have is very small when packed. I spray it with permethrin too.
I might give the thermacell idea a try too.
Posted 6 years ago # -
BeastOarman
MemberStrange, I don't even remember Mosquitos being a problem in 2013 & 2014, except coming in to Hog Key in '14 one night (we turned back). Maybe I was fortunate to have an "attractor" with me who was more desirable. Maybe my anemic blood during an EC is of no value to them. Or maybe, like childbirth, I don't even remember the pain so I will do it again and again.
But I DO remember no-seeums.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I have put a description of things that I have tried for mosquitos and sand knats below. If anyone can fill in the blanks on health concerns with these methods, please do. The health information will be appreciated.
DEET: It works, but I only use DEET when the situation is bad. It works on mosquitos better than it works on sand knats, but is effective on both. Have to re-apply every few hours. The acute effect of DEET is it irritates my skin with a burning sensation. I do not know about the long term health effects. There is probably data on long term health effects. I have not looked it up.
Avon Skin So Soft (SSS): It works like a champ on sand knats. SSS does not work great on mosquitos (it does have limited effectiveness in repelling mosquitos and is better than nothing). It might be less toxic than DEET and doesn't cause the burning skin sensation that I get from DEET. I am uncertain about long term health effects, but I suspect this has been tested because the product is a cosmetic.
Thermacell: They work best when the air is completely still and the person is not moving. Under still air conditions the Thermacell works extremely well on the species of mosquito that is common in SC. I will see mosquitos fly towards me, hit the fumes from the thermacell and turn around. The device protects a small area and the user must stand over the device to remain in the chemical plume. Breathing the fumes from a thermacell is a concern. I have not observed acute effects other than the smell and taste of the chemical in the mouth. I do not know about chronic or long term health issues.
Pyrethrin: I have not had noticable success with pyrethrin or permethrin treated clothing and camping gear as a mosquito repellant. It has been tested extensively in dogs and claims are made that it repells mosquitos. There are no reported long term or acute health effects in dogs. Key words are reported and not human subjects. We live a long time compared to dogs. There is more time for chronic health problems to develop in humans. If anyone has data on this, please share.
Protective Clothing: It works, but can be a nuisance in hot weather and while doing something active. Mosquitos do bite through it when it gets close to skin, so it is not 100%. I am not concerned about long term health consequences.
Citronella: I have not had any success with citronella on the species of mosquito that lives in SC.
Posted 6 years ago # -
BeaV
MemberI do not speak from much experience in Florida but last year's paddle to Key Largo, the worst mosquitos and no-see-ums that I encountered were before the Everglades.
I don't bother with repellents, just cover exposed skin with clothing. Really gets annoying to the paddler who has no available hands for self defense when the mosquitos take advantage of the situation. I was surprised by how "friendly" Florida's bugs could be. So this year I'm adding a bug headnet, gloves, and rigging up a mosquito net canoe cover so I can sleep in my boat without any "friends".
Posted 6 years ago # -
BustedRudder
MemberKnotSynced, you need to try Picaridin. In my opinion it is as effective as DEET but does not attack plastic or smell so bad. Sawyer sells it. Get the lotion not the spray.
REI weighed in:
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/insect-repellents.html
I never use any bug stuff unless I'm trying to enjoy myself. Typically an EC is not for enjoyment. Either in the boat where there are no bugs or in a tent. I can deal with 20 minutes of bugs. Dont get out of the boat until a few hours after sunset.
Posted 6 years ago #
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