DEALING WITH MOSQUITOES AT NORTHERN TIER
During our last trip to Sommers almost no one in our crew used any mosquito/bug repellent.
When you arrive you will notice the mosquitoes more than when you leave. We asked our guide how he could tolerate them and he said you'll get used to 'em. He was right. By the end of our trip they were no big deal. I believe your body builds up a tolerance.
We found the mosquitoes were never a real nuisance until about dusk (at the end of July that meant exactly 9:20pm for us). Prior to 9:20pm the mosquitoes were not a problem.
We planned our activities so that we were headed to bed around 9-9:10pm. By this time everyone is exhausted and ready to sleep.
At bedtime we took all of the clothing we needed in the morning into the tent with us. We would come out of our tents covered from head to toe. That meant wearing camp shoes, socks, long pants, long sleeve shirt with collar, lightweight polypropylene gloves (not for warmth - just for the mosquitoes), and mosquito headnet. No exposed flesh!
After breaking camp and hitting the water we would then start shedding some of our covering. While paddling, I always wore a wide-brimmed hat, lightweight synthetic long sleeve shirt with collar, zip-off long pants, jungle boots, and paddling gloves. This was not for the bugs, but rather to keep the sun off me.
By following this regimen I never used or needed bug repellent or sun screen.
During the day while paddling we found mosquitoes and flies were not a problem - they generally stay over land where food sources are more likely. Also, the larger and breezier the body of water, the less likely bugs were to bother us.
Fortunately we were not bothered much by the biting black flies, except at Ima Lake. But again, by covering your body they have less opportunity to lunch on you. They will be more of a problem if you are going to Northern Tier in June.
Hope this helps those of you asking about mosquitoes!
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I just spent about a month at the Sommers Base (of the Northern Tier) last June and July of last year. The trenchfoot issue is particularly important to the Interpreters (as I was). I made a practice to change into dry sox and my dry camp shoes soon after arriving at the campsite. Foot powder helps keeps the feet dry once the dry sox and shoes can be used.
I used a long sleeved shirt and long pants (both of quick dry material) to protect from sun and mosquitoes. They seemed to work well. I was rarely hot. I also used a mesh mosquito netting jacket. I'm not sure how much it helped. Sometimes (in the tent) I used a mosquito netting head cover (when we couldn't find the last few in the tent). We were usually able to kill most all the mosquitoes in the tent before going to sleep.
Deet based bug repellant seemed to do a good job. We usually were able to find campsites that had good breezes. Campsites on points or on the north side of the lakes seemed to work the best. I understand that the prevailing winds (in the Boundary Waters) are from the southwest. There were a few times that the mosquitoes drove us into our tents by 8:30 or 9 PM. I view them as a modest annoyance even at the peak period.
I did a little searching on the internet and found the following that I condensed and reassembled to explain more about mosquito issues.
Men are more likely to be bitten than women. Larger persons attract more mosquitoes, perhaps because of their greater relative heat or carbon dioxide output. At long range, mosquitoes use sight and smell to find a victim with smell being the most important. Carbon dioxide, given off when you breathe, can be detected by mosquitoes up to a hundred feet away. Lactic acid, given off by muscle activity, is another important mosquito attractant. So if you can stop breathing and all movement, mosquitoes may not notice you!
At close range mosquitoes use body heat and electrical stimuli given off by living things to locate their target. This may be why mosquitoes prefer biting the head and neck, ankles and feet, as the blood vessels are close to the surface in those areas and give off more body heat
Mosquitoes are attracted to things that remind them of nectar or mammal flesh. When outdoors, wear light clothing that covers most of the body, keeping as much of the skin and hair covered as practical. Avoid bright, floral colors. Khaki, beige, and olive have no particular attraction for mosquitoes. They are also attracted by some body odors, and for this reason they choose some individuals over others in a crowd. Avoid fragrances in soaps, shampoos, and lotions. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck the pant legs into your socks and tuck all shirts in completely. Cover up with a hat.
If traveling abroad, use mosquito nets treated with Permethrin around your bed. Permethrin treated clothing can kill mosquitoes which come into contact with it for up to two weeks. Do not spray Permethrin on your skin.
Outdoors, use a Deet Insect Repellent on your skin, and Permethrin Insecticide on your clothing. This combination has been proven to be almost 100% effective in preventing mosquito bites. Also, avoid applying repellent to portions of the hands that are likely to come in contact with the eyes and mouth. Don't apply it under clothes, or too much of the toxic substance may be absorbed. Pediatric insect repellents with only 6-10% DEET are available. Deet is the most effective mosquito repellent. It works by masking the telltale odors of carbon dioxide and lactic acid given off by the body, and by confusing the homing insect at close range. When spread evenly on the skin surface, Deet does not need to be present in large amounts to be effective.
With repeated mosquito bites, some people begin to become insensitive again, much as if they had allergy shots. Some older children and adults get no reaction to mosquito bites (unless they go for a long time without being bitten.
Some studies suggest that taking thiamine (vitamin B1) 25mg to 50 mg three times per day is effective in reducing mosquito bites. This safe vitamin apparently produces a skin odor that is not detectable by humans, but is disagreeable to pregnant mosquitoes (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 16:191, 1969). It seems to be especially effective for those people with large allergic reactions. Thiamine takes about 2 weeks before the odor fully saturates the skin. Garlic may work in the same way (except, of course, the odor is detectable by humans), there may be no scientific studies supporting this.
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>>We were usually able to kill most all the mosquitoes in the tent before going to sleep.
We shined a flashlight on the light color of the tent roof and attracted them to the light . We then had no problem completely eliminating them from the inside of our tent.
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No problem until someone needs to make the 1AM call of nature. We never did solve this one. A relief bottle in a tent full of Scouts is an accident waiting to happen. Holding is not an option for some. Get in and out quick was the best we came up with, but you always let some in.
One night I counted over 100 mosquitoes on the door of the tent. Kind of like the shoppers standing at the meat counter.
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I can offer an after-the-fact bug bite suggestion I learned from a Florida friend:
Household clear ammonia - just dab it on bites with a swab, preferably as soon as you know there's a bite there. At least for me, it really does take the sting out and keep the itch away which is what makes the bites so irritating. Apparently it only works with mosquito bites - some chemical thing.
"Cactus Juice" - My friend from Minnesota suggested using a product called "Cactus Juice" as a non-deet alternative. She says she has much success with this on her 4 y.o. daughter. More about this at Cactus Juice. I'm planning to try it.
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My solution is Tiger Balm. You find it at health food stores and it is used for sore muscles. Doesn't work on my muscles but does a fairly good job of killing the itch of bites. Although I will try ammonia next. I am actually allergic to mosquitoes. I will even scratch bites in my sleep.
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As for the mosquito thing I do remember that taking vitamin B-6 was recommended. Start a few days before you go and the mosquitos don't like your "smell" and they stay away. I've not tried it out - since I'm not allergic to mosquito bites, I don't know if they bite me or not.
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If all else fails use the tried and true combination of bear grease and skunk oil. Smear it liberally over your entire body. Not only will the mosquitoes not bother you, neither will any other living creature! :)
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