The previous Great NEWS post touched on Travel Tensions, Troubles and Toxins and today we discuss how to create a Biting Bugs Offense. Have you ever been bitten by a black fly, chigger, fleas, gnat, horse fly, mosquito, no see ums, sand flea, sand fly or tick ? At a minimum it is an annoyance and for many it can become a source of infection and even life threatening challenge. This post will share some simple suggestions learned from over 50 years of dealing with biting bugs and how to build your Biting Bugs Offense and Defense.

Summer is a time when many people want to spend more time in nature and outdoors. Many people like to enjoy more time beaching, biking, camping, fishing, golfing, hiking, picnicking, playing, swimming, traveling and walking. Unfortunately this is also a time that biting bugs are on the prowl to take advantage of you as a tasty meal. This simple bite can be a minor irritation or a major source of agony, pain and suffering.

Bugs bites allow the bug to access your body for food to nourish them. It also creates the opportunity for bacteria, pathogens, parasites and virus to be introduced into your body. This simple action of being bitten could be a simply irritation or the start of a disease or infection. This can result in a mild infection or sickness or turn into a killing disease.

Bug

Bugs bites allow the bug to access your body for food to nourish them. It also creates the opportunity for bacteria, pathogens, parasites and virus to be introduced into your body.

Are you ready to learn some simple strategies and suggestions to avoid biting bugs? Great, because this post is dedicated to helping you be better educated and prepared with a biting bugs defense plan to minimize and prevent the potential risks. Read on to learn more about how to prepare before your next activity outdoors. One idea could mean the difference between fantastic fun or frustrating failure outdoors.

Like the previous post on travel risks many people underestimate the risks from biting bugs. Bug bites can result in a wide range of problems from death to amputation, disability, disease, dis-figuration, financial loss, health risks, hospitalization, illness, infections, medical bills, mental problems, parasites and terrible troubles.

Even the incorrect prevention strategy such as using toxic insect repellents or insecticides can result in permanent damage. While they may avoid bug bites they also could cause even more serious problems now and in the future. Dealing with biting bugs is a Catch 22 situation. The goal is develop effective, non toxic and safe systems to avoid and deter the biting bugs from making you a host and potential victim.

After more than fifty years of dealing with biting bugs in many countries of the world you learn what doesn’t work and what does work best. Needless to say many bits of misguided information led to many life lessons learned the hard way. This blog is dedicated to helping you learn from my hard knocks to be better at planning and preparing for biting bugs to enjoy more fun with a biting bug defense system.

Dumb Bug Tactics:

There is a long list of things that don’t work well and many are even more harmful than the bug bites.

Going into biting bug country with bare skin exposed or without extra protection is down right foolish. This is like wearing a sandwich sign which says “Bite Me for Free Meal”. This is what most people do while outdoors in biting bug country.

Spray Cans

Using toxic insecticides and pesticides to treat farms, fields and foods in order to kill biting bugs is also very dumb.

Using toxic insecticides and pesticides to treat farms, fields and foods in order to kill biting bugs is also very dumb. This tactic does result in some bugs being killed yet the toxic treatments have severe side effects and end up killing the predators that feed on the bugs.  It may even end up killing the animals eating the foods.

Many helpful bats, birds, fish, frogs, lizards and toads that eat the biting bugs are killed which allows more bugs to survive. DDT and similar insecticides while banned in the US are still used around much of the world harming the animals, environment and people.

Using synthetic toxic insecticides and pesticides to treat your apartment, condo or home on a regular basis is crazy.  Does it occur to people that killing bugs fast may also be a slow suicide recipe for the family?

Another dumb tactic is to use harmful bug repellents applied to your clothing or skin. Many of them contain DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) which is a very harmful neuro-toxin that poses harmful consequences to humans. Fatigue, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, shortness of breath and tremors can occur. DEET bug repellent ruined a good nylon sleep shirt when it melted the fabric.

Many people unintentionally breed biting insects and do other things that cause their numbers to increase. Eliminating natural bug predators and their habitat as mentioned above causes more bugs. Stagnant water in cans, containers, ditches, ponds, pools, pots, tires, water fountains and yards provides a breeding place for mosquitoes and other biting bugs.

Destruction of natural ecosystems also causes more biting bugs to multiply as the natural enemies are displaced. In Hawaii the import of hogs led to hog wallows which help mosquitoes breed. Destruction of flowing bayous, creeks and rivers also affects biting bug populations. In First Colony, Sugar Land the spraying of insecticides has killed off the tree frogs which eat mosquitoes.  Besides being a natural pest control the tree frogs also stuck to our windows and made a delightful and unique croaking sounds.

Many biting bugs are accidentally introduced into new areas where they have no natural predators to control them. Bed bugs, fire ants, fleas, lice, mosquitoes and ticks are examples of biting bugs that humans transport to new environments with easy access to free meals. Domestic animals and pets carry and cause a lot of biting bugs to have easier access to humans.

SMART Biting Bug Offense

  • Bug zappers kill biting bugs with an eclectic shock

    Bug Zapper

    Bug zappers kill biting bugs with an eclectic shock.

  • Diatomaceous earth has been found to kill many biting bugs
  • Fish can consume large quantities of bugs and help keep water from going stagnant.
  • Predator insects like dragon flies eat mosquitoes
  • Amphibians like frogs, lizards, toads and tree frogs love to eat biting bugs
  • Bats and birds eat massive volumes of biting bugs. Purple martens can eat a massive amount of mosquitoes. Putting up bat and bird houses gives these friends a home. It is hypothesized that without bats and birds the earth would be covered in insects within a few months. Bats and birds are dying at an alarming rate.
  • Avoid containers which hold stagnant water to deny access for breeding.
  • Plant plants like catnip and neem that naturally repel biting bugs
  • Creating bug traps is a great way to get them first. A one liter plastic soda bottle can be turned into an effective mosquito trap.

Strategic Biting Bug Defense

  • Protective clothing like boots, gloves, hats, jackets, long pants, long sleeve shirts, netting and tight woven fabrics help prevent biting bugs access. Babies and small children are especially at risk from biting bugs when they have exposed skin.  It is sad to see children with lots of chigger or mosquito bites.
  • Certain colors of clothing are more likely to attract or repel biting bugs. Light colors like khaki, tan and white make it easier to see bugs.
  • Avoid using fragrances such as after shave, perfume and scented soaps to avoid the attraction of bugs.
  • Learn to avoid the fields of tall grass and swampy areas that can harbor biting bugs certain times of the year.

    Tall Grass

    Learn to avoid the fields of tall grass and swampy areas that can harbor biting bugs certain times of the year.

  • Take a bath with baking soda, calcium bentonite clay, castile soap, Epson salts, essential oils or vinegar at night and check yourself for bug bites and ticks. Ticks transmit Lyme disease which can be very debilitating and even deadly. Tick fever can be very disabling and painful and having had it before was one of the worst experiences of my life. Luckily it was not Rocky Mountain spotted tick fever or Lyme disease which is even worse.

Tactical Biting Bug Defense

  • Essential oils used externally like cedar, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, lemongrass, myrrh, neem, orange, peppermint and Tea tree oil have been found to be effective bug deterrents. You can mix the essential oils with a base oil such as almond, jojoba, olive or sesame oil. Mix 10-15 drops per 1 tablespoons base oil and 1 table spoon vodka and apply liberally to skin. You can also dilute this mixture with additional alcohol to put in a small spray bottle,
  • Sulfur powder in your clothes and socks has also been found to help repel biting bugs.
  • Consumption of certain foods provides a form of internal protection and repellent from biting bugs. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cinnamon, clove, garlic and onions have been found to help repel biting bugs.

    Brussel Sprouts

    Consumption of certain foods provides a form of internal protection and repellent from biting bugs. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cinnamon, clove, garlic and onions have been found to help repel biting bugs.

  • Biting bugs are a major nuisance around the world which can impact your health, safety and well being. It is essential to understand the risks and then develop a smart system to be better prepared for avoiding and dealing with them. These tips will help train you for better awareness and insight on dealing with biting bugs where ever you happen to be.
  • Many people are clueless as they go about their normal day with regards to simple strategies, suggestions and systems to protect themselves from biting bugs. Bed bugs, fleas and lice have become major epidemics in many areas of the world.

It is only a matter of time before biting bugs will in some way cause you or someone you love pain, physical injury and problems. Your happiness and health depend on being aware of the risks from biting bugs and taking simple steps to protect your self.  The goal of this post is to help you stop your exposure to the most common biting bugs and help you start enjoying more time outdoors in nature.

This Great NEWS post offered strategies and tactics for Biting Bugs Offense. Most people are lucky and have minimal safety issues with biting bugs. For others it is only a matter of time before biting bugs cause you or someone you know major problems. Failing to follow these tips can be extremely costly while following this information may prove to be priceless. Remember biting bugs with pathogens like bacteria, parasites, spirochetes and viruses already kill millions each year. Are you willing to risk your life when prevention protocols are so simple? This post on Biting Bugs Offense is based on over five decades of painful experiences to share smart strategies and suggestion that can save a lot of grief as well as a life or limb.

What is your current Gap?

How well do you plan and prepare for activities outdoors where biting bugs may be present?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

What steps will you take to implement these biting bug defense suggestions?

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or questions do you have regarding Biting Bugs Defense?

Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:

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