What's with the BUGS!!!!!

deschutestrout · Post by **deschutestrout** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:59 pm

Okay, I consider myself a pretty hardcore and seasoned camper. But, this was the FIRST time I've ever set up camp, spent an hour, then bailed. Took my boys camping for my B-day (yup, 47 years young) and for our last campout before school starts. Went to Bonney Crossing (was where Zane, my 8 year old suggested). Beautiful spot, right on the creek...no one was there...we had paradise to ourselves. Hopped out and noticed a few bees flying around. I can handle a few bees. Set up camp while the boys played by the creek. Bees buzzing. Not a big deal...we can handle this. Lunch time. HOLY SHIT! Bees, bees, bees, bees. Eli got stung...that pissed him (and his dad) off. Kids stashed their lunches in the cooler and ran to the creek. I immedietly considered packin' up and heading to another spot...suspicious that the other spots on my list would have the same issue. Zane said "what are we gonna do???" "can we go to another campsite????" I packed up all our freshly unpacked stuff, we shooooed all the bees out of the bus, and drove to Barlow Creek. Got a prime site, hopped out of the bus and ...no bees!. Had two wonderful nights with my boys...sorry to see summer already drawing to a close. Back to my question. What is UP with all the bugs this year? If it isn't biting flies it's mosquitos. If it isn't mosquitos it's bees. Or, it's a combination of the three. I've never seen it this bad. Cold, long, wet winter, semi-wet spring, hot summer...but, nothing too unusual. As a fly fishing guide, I love bugs...but this is getting ridiculous! Just thought I'd vent.

Hippie · Post by **Hippie** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:24 pm

We could ask the same question in the midwest I guess...but what's up is they're gone. Hardly any skeeters this year. Weird.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:43 pm

What was the weather like this year in your part of Oregon? Been very cool in the Midwest, although I got bit to shit by skeeters in Iowa last week. Even when I sprayed myself, and I hate to do that, they would wait until it wore off and I was asleep and they would come in for the kill.

deschutestrout · Post by **deschutestrout** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:07 pm

chitwnvw wrote:What was the weather like this year in your part of Oregon? Been very cool in the Midwest, although I got bit to shit by skeeters in Iowa last week. Even when I sprayed myself, and I hate to do that, they would wait until it wore off and I was asleep and they would come in for the kill.

Well, you shouldn't have fallen asleep! Nothing unusual weather-wise. Hotter than crap for a few weeks....usually get that...no rain(and.bugs like water) ....I can't explain what tropical ingredients made for the bug-fest we had this year. All I know is that every campy trip I took...bugs of some sort were an issue.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:12 pm

They weren't much of an issue on our trip in March, but I guess the snow usually is a buzz killer for the bugs.

deschutestrout · Post by **deschutestrout** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:06 pm

chitwnvw wrote:They weren't much of an issue on our trip in March, but I guess the snow usually is a buzz killer for the bugs.

I don't recall any bugs in March...but...every trip since...wowza. Hammy's just glad they aren't spiders! (so am I).

bretski · Post by **bretski** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:27 am

We had an explosion of 'skeeters in late July/august. More than I've ever experienced here (near record rainfall in June). Mercifully, they've started to die down. Felt like I was living in Alaska for a while...

Cindy · Post by **Cindy** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:32 am

Mosquitos have been terrible here, especially around our yard. We go out to talk to the neighbors and it's awful.

Cindy

flyawaydesigns · Post by **flyawaydesigns** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:40 am

Mark, the skeeters were out in droves when we stayed at your place during the meteor shower. Wow, they were thick. On the way home I counted 23 bites on my head and neck alone....

We have a small pond behind our house and typically this time of year we have skeeters.......but this year we have 2 kinds.....some are maller and lighter color.....they bite, but the bites are really small. Then we have this other type of skeeter that's twice the size of the others with very dark bodies and when they bite, you almost get dizzy from the drop in blood pressure as they suck you dry.....and the bite swells a lump up that's the size of a golf ball and the lump feels inflamed and HOT and is hard as hell. They take several days to go away.

Maybe it's the skeeters that have migrated from the midwest to here......

Rick

zblair · Post by **zblair** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:40 pm

I've been bitten horribly in the past by biting flies and mosquitoes and to make it worse the bites swell up on me. What I have been using that works PERFECTLY is a product offered by OFF! that is a blue plastic device with a small fan that you insert a tab with mosquito pheremone in it and turn it on so that the fan blows it out into the air around you. It's kind of large for a kid but it has a clip on it to attach to pants. It has worked wonders for me! I LOVE that I don't have to spray nasty stuff on my body anymore!

http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

It's a little spendy, but if you're like me it is worth every penny! You can get the pheremone pack refills at the grocery store too.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:42 pm

zblair wrote:I've been bitten horribly in the past by biting flies and mosquitoes and to make it worse the bites swell up on me. What I have been using that works PERFECTLY is a product offered by OFF! that is a blue plastic device with a small fan that you insert a tab with mosquito pheremone in it and turn it on so that the fan blows it out into the air around you. It's kind of large for a kid but it has a clip on it to attach to pants. It has worked wonders for me! I LOVE that I don't have to spray nasty stuff on my body anymore!

http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

It's a little spendy, but if you're like me it is worth every penny! You can get the pheremone pack refills at the grocery store too.

I saw those at the store and wondered if it really worked. Now I know. Thanks, Z.

static · Post by **static** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:54 pm

Cindy wrote: We go out to talk to the neighbors and it's awful.

Maybe they'll move soon.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:07 pm

Every camp this year has been this way.
Just got back today after a couple days at Cottonwood Meadows, yep insane mosquitos and beez. Worth it though, my brain is blown.
But it's 12 seconds from fall out there. They'll be dead soon.

Westy78 · Post by **Westy78** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:33 pm

I think it must have something to do with the late snow pack this year. More water, later into the year for the perfect hatching habitat.

Snow level's supposed to drop to 6000ft this weekend. Should knock a bunch of them down.

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:52 pm

You guys need to toughen up. First you are crying about a little snow last winter, now a couple of bugs and the panties are in a bunch. Like I tell my kids, it is called 'out'side for a reason. If you can't hack it stay 'in'side.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

What's with the BUGS!!!!!

What's with the BUGS!!!!!