Your story reminds me of a camping trip to Lake Bemidji State Park in Minnesota. There we encountered Paul Bunyan-esque mosquitoes. It was one of the few times we slept in the van rather than the tent.
Oh wow... that's a lot of bites! I only started to understand how troublesome mosquitoes can be when I got into camping in Scandinavia. They can really ruin your day. I wonder what people did before there were sprays & nets - cover themselves in a thick layer of mud? Maybe that's the way to go...
Interesting question! In my very cursory search, it seems that some plants, like Sweetgrass, have a smell that repels mosquitos and would be worn or burned as a bug repellent. I guess it's the same idea as a citronella candle, but with a plant native to that region.
Yes, I guess people must have tried out different plants until they found some that worked... I knew that people used fire, but I was never sure what they did when they were out and about.
Way to go, Alice! This stirred memories of a North Country Trail hike in late May to the south of Rousseau where the buzz of the mosquitoes were so thick and the black flies so relentless, we thought (even with head nets) that we were going to go crazy! Did I mention ticks? Yeah, they were plentiful as well. Curiously enough, our only relief would come in an area where a beaver dam had broken and we were able to enjoy bright sunshine! We were actually able to eat our lunches without head nets. It gives me the creeps to write about it! Thanks for sharing! 😬
Flashbacks to every summer day of my feral childhood growing up in Minnesota 😉 my sister never got bit. Six decades later, I still have scars from summer bites. And good lord, don’t get me started on wood ticks 😬😬
But gosh, what a lovely hike - thanks for the photos!
We usually don't have any need for head nets while hiking or camping here in Arizona. But I planned an early summer camping trip in the White Mountains and learned that we need them in our camp box. The worst is seeing them land on your face while you're cooking and don't have a free hand! Turns out "experience is the best teacher" works on adults as well as children--we learned a lot about why that beautiful campground had so much availability in June!
You've just unearthed a memory I have of trying to eat my dinner without removing my head net! Turns out that those long-handled spoons that backpackers love don't fit so well under the mesh. That was also a June trip!
Your story reminds me of a camping trip to Lake Bemidji State Park in Minnesota. There we encountered Paul Bunyan-esque mosquitoes. It was one of the few times we slept in the van rather than the tent.
Anything for a bit of relief from the buzzing and the biting!
Oh wow... that's a lot of bites! I only started to understand how troublesome mosquitoes can be when I got into camping in Scandinavia. They can really ruin your day. I wonder what people did before there were sprays & nets - cover themselves in a thick layer of mud? Maybe that's the way to go...
Interesting question! In my very cursory search, it seems that some plants, like Sweetgrass, have a smell that repels mosquitos and would be worn or burned as a bug repellent. I guess it's the same idea as a citronella candle, but with a plant native to that region.
Yes, I guess people must have tried out different plants until they found some that worked... I knew that people used fire, but I was never sure what they did when they were out and about.
Way to go, Alice! This stirred memories of a North Country Trail hike in late May to the south of Rousseau where the buzz of the mosquitoes were so thick and the black flies so relentless, we thought (even with head nets) that we were going to go crazy! Did I mention ticks? Yeah, they were plentiful as well. Curiously enough, our only relief would come in an area where a beaver dam had broken and we were able to enjoy bright sunshine! We were actually able to eat our lunches without head nets. It gives me the creeps to write about it! Thanks for sharing! 😬
That endless hum of mosquitos is a sound of summer that I could happily do without!
Flashbacks to every summer day of my feral childhood growing up in Minnesota 😉 my sister never got bit. Six decades later, I still have scars from summer bites. And good lord, don’t get me started on wood ticks 😬😬
But gosh, what a lovely hike - thanks for the photos!
It's always an added indignity when I get new mosquito bites practically on top of the scars of the ones from years past!
We usually don't have any need for head nets while hiking or camping here in Arizona. But I planned an early summer camping trip in the White Mountains and learned that we need them in our camp box. The worst is seeing them land on your face while you're cooking and don't have a free hand! Turns out "experience is the best teacher" works on adults as well as children--we learned a lot about why that beautiful campground had so much availability in June!
You've just unearthed a memory I have of trying to eat my dinner without removing my head net! Turns out that those long-handled spoons that backpackers love don't fit so well under the mesh. That was also a June trip!