DON'T GET BIT!

Bug bites a real summer hazard for climbers and hikers

By Lou Dawson, with a little help from Tender

Most adult climbers and hikers are well aware that summer activities in the Colorado high country can expose you to bothersome bugs. But few realize that their children will be attacked more often by bugs than they will be. Because plants harbor insects and a child's smaller size puts them physically closer, children are easier targets.

Adult or child, experts agree that you must take bugs seriously.

Bee, wasp and hornet stings can ruin your day, and in rare cases may cause life-threatening allergic reactions. Just a few mosquito bites can make you mighty uncomfortable. What's more, mosquito bits can get infected, and mosquitoes can spread meningitis.

Of all the biter bugs you'll encounter, ticks are the worst. Tick bites can give you Lyme's Disease and different types of tick fever -- all debilitating or fatal. Indeed, your policy with ticks should be "zero tolerance." In other words, just one tick bite is too many. What do ticks look like? Click here to find out.

Precautions to reduce the risk of bug bites

Avoid use of scented soaps, lotions and shampoos, because they attract bugs.

During tick season (early summer through early fall, depending on elevation) or in a heavy mosquito infestation, cover your skin with clothing and apply DEET repellent to cloth around all cuffs, waist, and collar (see below for more information about repellents).

Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and tuck your pants into your socks. Even color choice is important. Mosquitoes are attracted to blue, so khaki or neutral colors offer better protection (yes, wearing khaki is not just an outdoor style police issue). When it comes to gender, bugs are not egalitarian -- males are favored targets for mosquitoes, so men and boys should take extra precautions.

During tick season, check your whole body twice a day for the pesky buggers. Ticks take a while to dig in, so with frequent checks you'll find them while they search for a dining spot. Avoid brushing against brush and branches, and avoid sitting directly on the ground (sit on your pack, and check your pack for ticks when you pick it up.)

If you do discover a tick feasting on your blood, there is only one way it should be removed. Forget burning, smothering with Vaseline, etc., as all these methods can cause the tick to regurgitate it's disease laden stomach contents into your bloodstream. Instead, grip the tick's mouthparts with bent-nose tweezers, and gently pull out of your skin. After you remove the tick It's not a bad idea to consult a physician, especially in the case of children. Don't delay removal, as there is a grace period after the tick digs in, when it injects very little bacteria into your blood. Make sure all the tick's mouthparts are removed from your skin, swab with alcohol, and dress the wound with an antibacterial salve and bandaid.

Choose a good combination of bug repellents, and use them wisely. Over the years, different chemical repellents have had their heyday. The first insect repellent was the fly swatter, a technological improvement on the flailing hand. Next came smoke, man's first chemical repellent. But smoke proved more offensive to the repellers than the repellees.

Finding substances that repel insects is not hard. But finding long-lasting, non-toxic, cosmetically acceptable repellents is a challenge. The most effective repellents are those containing the chemical DEET (don't ask what that stands for). While DEET really works, you should keep it off your skin. Instead, apply DEET to your collar, pant cuffs, waist band, sock tops, hat, and perhaps a bandanna. Use a small disposable swab, such as a wad of tissue, to apply the chemical. Wash your hands after you use DEET.

Because the active ingredient in DEET is a plastic solvent, it can wreak havoc on many synthetics. It can dissolve eyeglass lenses, wood finishes and many synthetic clothing fibers. If in doubt, apply a small test smear.

For use on your face and hands, try products offering "natural" protection. Although not as effective as DEET, these do work. Most natural bug repellents use citronella, which can still irritate sensitive skin. So try a small test patch before you slather it, especially on kids. Be aware that natural repellents are of limited use against ticks -- so use DEET as well if you expect ticks.

Perhaps the best natural bug protection other than clothing, especially for infants, is mosquito netting (and frequent visual tick checks). Adults can buy nets that attach to a hat brim, and a few yards of netting can be draped over an infant's crib or bassinet.

Store repellent in your car, backpack and other strategic places. It's easy to forget that small bottle.

For more information about bugs and how to keep them away, see the Tender website and this FDA information.