Every backpacker encounters mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and other annoying biters. These tiny critters cause reactions from itching to Lyme disease to full-blown, life-threatening allergy. Avoidance and the proper use of repellents are extremely important.How to avoid insect bites.

1. Wear proper clothing. Light-colored, loose fitting clothing made with tightly woven fabric, along with a T-shirt underlayer, makes for reasonable upper body protection.
• Light colored clothing is less attractive than dark clothing to biting insects and makes it easier to spot mosquitoes, ticks, and flies.
• Nylon (particularly double layered) and sailcloth are more difficult for insects to hang onto or penetrate than cotton or cloth with a loose weave.
• Cover the head and neck with a full-brimmed hat (with or without netting) and scarf (temperature permitting).
• Shield the ankles and wrists. Tuck pant cuffs into socks.
2. Check clothing regularly and brush free of insects.
3. Deploy portable insect screens and bed nets when necessary.
• Bednet: Tuck in edges. Make sure it is free of holes. Use a net woven to a tightness of 18 threads per inch (6 to 7 per cm). Tighter mesh may hinder ventilation and create an uncomfortable environment. A net that has been dipped in an insecticide, usually permethrin, is more effective.
• Protective netting and a lot of swatting may be your only defenses against fleas, horseflies, blackflies, sand flies, deerflies, chiggers and gnats. Chemical repellent may not deter them.
• A headnet may be invaluable during times of high mosquito infestation.
4. Avoid artificial light use, which draws insects.
5. Use chemical insect repellents when traveling through mosquito, sand fly, or tick territory.
• The best repellents contain the chemicals DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), Indalone (butyl 3, 4-dihydro-s, s-dimethyl-4-oxo-2H-pyran-6-carboxylate), Rutgers 612 (2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol), and DMP (dimethyl phthalate).
• Di-n-propyl isocinchomeronate (R-326) has been promoted as useful against biting flies.
6. Citronella and Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil or skin stick are far less effective (1 hour protection versus 7 hours with 25% DEET). There is some evidence that p-methane-3,8-diol isolated from eucalyptus oil may be an effective repellent.
7. Ingesting vitamin B1 has not been proven to deter biting insects. It may decrease the skin irritation that follows an insect bite, but this would not diminish the transmission of infectious disease(s) via the bite.

How to apply insect repellent.

1. Apply to the skin (liquid) and clothing (spray).
• Reapply after you swim, bathe, or perspire excessively.
• In windy conditions, repellents evaporate quickly and may need to be reapplied.
2. Children under 2 years of age should not have insect repellent applied to the skin more than once in 24 hours (it is more effective to apply it to the clothing, anyhow).
• With DEET-containing products, do not use repeated applications or concentrations greater than 15% in children under the age of 6.
3. Wait 30 minutes after applying sunscreen (so that it can be absorbed) to apply insect repellent.
4. To avoid toxicity:
• Apply repellent sparingly only to exposed skin or clothing. Keep it out of the eyes.
• Avoid high-concentration products on the skin, particularly with children.
• Do not inhale or ingest repellents.
• Use long-sleeved clothing and apply repellent to fabric rather than to skin.
• Don't use repellent on children's hands that may be rubbed in the eyes or placed in the mouth.
• Do not reapply repellent in normal weather conditions.
• Wash repellent off the skin after the insect bite risk has ended.

Animals & Plants: Poison Oak, Ivy, and Sumac

Animals & Plants: Snake Bites

Animals & Plants: Tick Bites & Tick Removal