6park.com



   Certain
 wild plants contain compounds and scents that discourage bugs, you just
 have to learn how to properly identify the plants and use them 
correctly. Photo by Tim MacWelch 6park.com

    
        Unless you’re an entomologist (and on the clock), you probably 
hate being surrounded by bugs, especially if they bite. While these 
creatures play important roles in the environment, they can be a real 
nuisance to humans in the outdoors, and some of these bugs do transmit 
diseases. Your favorite store-bought bug repellent can keep them away 
for awhile, but what happens when the DEET can runs dry? Worse yet, what
 about when you’re in a survival situation and the bugs won’t leave you 
alone? Thankfully, there are some natural options to beat the bugs 
without all the chemicals.
    

1. Make Your Own Repellent


  Before
 you venture into the wild, plan ahead by creating your own bug 
repellent with ingredients you can feel good about. Photo by Tim 
MacWelch 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        While it’s not the strongest option in the world, you can make 
your own bug repellent from essential oils and other household products.
 Make a trip to a health food store or similar shop for the essential 
oils (or order them online). Then you’ll be ready to blend and bottle 
your own bug repellent. You’ll need:
    

A one-quart spray bottle1 pint distilled white vinegar1 pint water25 drops of tea tree oil25 drops of lavender essential oil

    
        Add the ingredients into a clean spray bottle and shake well. 
Spray your boots, clothing and skin with a generous coating before 
heading outside. Reapply every two to four hours for best results.
    

2. Check Often for Ticks

    
        Ticks are more than a nuisance for our dogs. These troublesome 
arachnids are found in every habitat in the U.S., and we host more than 
90 of the world’s 900 tick species. Many of these species pose a 
significant threat to outdoor enthusiasts, transmitting diseases such as
 Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan disease, Rocky 
Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, STARI (Southern 
tick-associated rash illness), tularemia and other diseases. Spot them 
by wearing light colored clothing and doing frequent “tick checks” 
throughout the day. Remove embedded ticks quickly to limit your risk of 
contracting a tick-borne disease. Use tweezers or a tick removal tool to
 grab the tick by the mouth, pinching your own skin if necessary, then 
pull it straight out.
    

3. Watch Where You Put Your Gear


  Many
 of us put our stinking boots outside of our tents at night, but there’s
 a risk when leaving your gear out in the open. Photo by Tim MacWelch 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        Scorpions, spiders, centipedes and other venomous creatures may 
consider your unattended boots, gloves, or other garments as a fine new 
home, especially if they have been undisturbed for a few hours. Then 
guess what happens when you suddenly pick these items up and put them 
on? The animal gets pressed against your skin and it bites or stings 
you. The venom can range from mild to intense, depending on the creature
 that you’ve disturbed and its size. Take scorpions as an example. With 
more than a thousand known scorpion species in the world, there are 
plenty we’ll encounter in our travels. Mercifully, there are only 25 
known to carry venom that would kill a human. From that group, there’s 
just one that lives in the continental U.S. It’s the Arizona bark 
scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) and its venom is on the low 
end of the spectrum (fatalities are very rare, usually occurring in 
small children and those with health problems). So how do we avoid the 
sting or bite? Don’t leave your clothing, gloves or footwear on the 
ground or outside overnight. Don’t hang your jacket on a tree. Don’t 
give them a chance to crawl into your open backpack. Gear that’s not 
being worn should be put away, closed up or otherwise moved out of the 
creature’s reach. Yes, it’s a pain, but it’s less painful than getting 
bitten or stung.
    

4. Use Wild Plants as Repellents


  Certain
 wild plants contain compounds and scents that discourage bugs, you just
 have to learn how to properly identify the plants and use them 
correctly. Photo by Tim MacWelch 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        Depending on your environment, there may be many wild plants 
which contain bug repelling compounds. Some of these may be native 
species and others may have been brought to this continent for various 
purposes. Either way, it could be very helpful to learn about the plant 
species that can ward off pests in the outdoors. Before you start 
scrubbing wild plants all over yourself, use a wild plant field guide to
 make 100 percent positive identification of any plant or plant part.
    

Paw Paw (Asimina triloba): This
 native tree species is commonly found along rivers and waterways 
throughout the eastern U.S. It bears large tropical-looking fruits 
(edible to people) that ripen in late summer. The trees also bear large 
ovate leaves which can be crushed and wiped on your skin as a useful 
insect repellent. The leaves are at their best in the spring and early 
summer, when their strong scent can remind us of fresh asphalt.
    

Catnip (Nepeta cataria): This 
common mint family member is a non-native species, brought to these 
shores for more than just driving your cat insane. A tea from the leaves
 can have a calming effect in humans and the plant can repel mosquitoes 
and other flying insects. The easiest way to use the plant is to crush 
the fresh leaves and stems onto your skin and clothing.
    

Pineapple weed (Matricaria matricarioides):
 Another non-native species, this unusual little wildflower doesn’t look
 like a pineapple but the leaves smell like it. Often found on roadsides
 and other disturbed ground, the feathery leaves and tender stems can be
 crushed and applied to skin and clothing to repel insects, especially 
mosquitoes.
    

5. Don’t Forget The Net


  Bug
 netting may be your best non-chemical defense for flying insects, 
especially in areas where the bugs are relentless. Photo by Pixabay 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        They don’t have to be expensive and they won’t be pretty. They 
might just save your sanity though, and block the transmission of 
disease. Mesh bug suits and netted headwear can block the bugs when they
 come on strong. This is much more effective than wearing multiple 
layers of clothing, as some people do, or by applying buckets of bug 
repellent. Make sure your exposed skin is covered and eliminate all gaps
 in your mesh suit and headwear. The only thing worse than having 
multiple bugs flying around inside your head net is not having a head 
net in the first place. Consider a sleeping net too, as these save lives
 in parts of the world. Mosquitos are more than just bothersome, they 
can transmit the malaria parasite (plasmodium, which kills over 1 
million people per year globally), and many different viruses that cause
 encephalitis and dangerous fevers (like chikungunya, dengue, yellow 
fever, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus and Zika).
    

6. Smoke the Bugs Away


  From
 foul cigars to smoldering rotten wood or cattail heads, there are 
plenty of ways to produce smoke and most of these are effective at 
repelling insects and other pests. Photo by Tim MacWelch 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        Some savvy fishermen know how to beat biting flies and other 
pests around the water. They smoke cheap (or very good) cigars when the 
air gets buggy. For non-smokers (and those who’ve run out of cigars), 
there are plenty of other options – ones that won’t get you hooked on 
nicotine. It turns out that any smoke can act like a natural bug 
repellent, though some are much better than others. Remember grandma’s 
cedar chest full of blankets? Cedar has long been known as a natural bug
 repellent and cedar bark is famous for smoldering (rather than bursting
 into flame). So a bundle of smoldering cedar bark can help to keep the 
bugs at bay, and it’s also a fine way to transport a fire in the form of
 embers (for example, if you were leaving one camp and moving to 
another).
    


    
        Another option for smoke uses a plant that normally grows by the
 water, like cattails. The dead brown seed heads can be found atop the 
tall grass-like plants. Grab one of these “burnt corn dogs” and apply an
 open flame to one end of it. Once smoldering, smoke will begin to drift
 out of it. Place the seed head upwind from you with the glowing end 
into the wind, and sit where the smoke can bathe you. Similarly, a 
fireproof container of crumbly rotten wood (aka punk wood) can also be 
lit to provide smoke. This is especially useful for “smudging” primitive
 survival shelters. Place the container of burning punk wood on the bare
 dirt floor of your shelter and allow the smoke to fill the structure. 
This will drive out insects, spiders and other unwelcomed guests. Repeat
 every few days in warmer weather, weekly or as needed in cooler 
weather.
    

7. Cover Up With Mud


  It’s disgusting, but more effective at preventing bug bites than you can imagine. Photo by Pixabay 6park.com
 6park.com

    
        You’re really serious if you go to this is extreme, but certain 
bug-infested environments may require this drastic solution. When smoke 
and wild plant scents aren’t strong enough to keep the bugs off your 
tender skin, you can create a physical barrier by coating your skin (and
 any thin clothing) with a layer of mud. Not only is this an effective 
camouflage against humans (remember the movie Rambo?), the mud suit is 
also effective when hiding from bugs. With the mud fresh and wet (and 
after it dries into a crusty shell), you’ll be wearing a surprisingly 
effective barrier that most bugs will not try to penetrate. It’s also 
useful for hiding your scent, which could come in handy while hunting.
    

8. Avoid Chigger Habitats


  Worse that poison ivy, chiggers can create itchy bumps that last up to two weeks. Photo by Wiki Commons  6park.com
 6park.com

    
        Sometimes, avoidance is the best way to win a fight. Chiggers 
(red bugs and harvest mites) are tiny biting arachnids that are found 
globally. Here in the U.S., there are only two species that impact us as
 outdoor enthusiasts. Eutrombicula alfreddugèsi is the main 
culprit, and the recently hatched larvae are the troublemakers. Too 
small to see with the naked eye, these hatchlings are hungry for any 
blood they can find (human or animal). Though they don’t transmit 
diseases, the intense itching of their bites can last for weeks. This 
has led to the popular (and incorrect) belief that these creatures 
burrow under your skin. In actuality, the larvae inject an enzyme into 
your skin, dissolving some skin cells (for them to drink) and hardening 
other skin cells (to make a “drinking straw” known as a stylostome). 
It’s this transformed tissue that causes such a severe itch, not a bug 
under your skin.
    


    
        The best defense is to avoid likely breeding grounds where the 
larvae would be plentiful. Since they dry out easily, damp grassy areas,
 swampy spots, low lying and riverine environments are hot spots. Avoid 
these in late spring and early summer. If you do suspect you’ve wandered
 through their domain (due to a sensation of tiny prickly bites under 
your clothes), change your clothing immediately. They can crawl around 
in your clothes for hours, biting you in many different places. If you 
only had one set of clothes (say, in a survival setting), take the 
clothing off and hang them to dry for 30 minutes by a hot fire (socks 
and underwear too). This dry heat will kill the larvae.