Biting and Stinging Insects to Avoid While Camping

For many people enjoying the outdoors is spoiled by their fear of biting and stinging insects.  While there are some exotic, mostly tropical species of insects that carry a deadly or extremely painful bite or sting, for the most part in North America there are very few bugs that have life-threatening venom.  Among them are the black widow spider, but that creature is almost entirely found indoors, not outside.

Of course, if you are allergic to stings and insect venom you should always carry your doctor-prescribed prophylactic with you. 

This brief list of some of the common biting and stinging insects in North America will hopefully help you to deal with camping and other situations, such as natural disasters, when you might have to be outside despite your own desires. 

Hikingware.com suggests that you always have plenty of bedding, water and food on hand and available in case there is a disaster in your area that forces you outside and away from you normal shelter, comforts and necessities.  They also recommend that you always have on hand a good first aid kit in case of a bit or sting.

·        All scorpions sting, but very few inject anything that even approaches a dose that would be lethal to a human being.  The exception is the Arizona Bark Scorpion.  It is found in dry regions of the southwestern part of the United States, including Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada.  They are a pale straw color and sometimes have 2 black bands running down their back.  They rest under litter and rubbish during the day and actively hunt at night, often climbing up tree trunks, walls and fences. 

·        Saddleback caterpillar.  This caterpillar is easy to spot; it has long feathery bristles on its back and a bright green ‘saddle’ that covers its back.  It is commonly found throughout the eastern United States.  The bristles are poisonous and produce large welts and extreme itching.  They never attack, but children may want to pick them up because of their curious appearance.  You can treat their sting as you would that of poison ivy – using calamine lotion or baking soda with water worked into a paste.

·        Mosquitos can be a major nuisance, not to mention a health hazard, during the spring, summer and even on warm fall days.  The Asian tiger mosquito is the main culprit in spreading malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, and West Nile Virus.  They also spread heartworm in dogs.  They have infested the eastern half of the United States, and are on their way to becoming acclimated to the rest of the country west of the Mississippi River.  Their most noticeable characteristic is the white and black bands on their body and legs.  Wear long sleeved shirts and pants during the hours of dawn and dusk to avoid the greatest hazard of being stung by one.  There are many commercial mosquito sprays to repel them, but if at all possible you should stay out in the open if there is any kind of a breeze, as they cannot navigate in wind of any kind.

·        Fleas, bedbugs and lice.  These nasty critters are normally thought of as being a pest indoors, but they can also cause problems outdoors if you are using any kind of bedding or clothing that has been invaded by them.  Make sure all your sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and even tents are thoroughly aired out and washed, if possible, after every camping trip.  Wool watch caps are especially attractive to all three insect types, so do not wear a cap if you do not know where it comes from.   

(Tim Torkildson lives in Provo, Utah, and writes for Deseret News Services.)

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written by Tim Torkildson