37
votes
Accepted
Overtreated a backpacking outfit with permethrin. Safe to wear?
I am almost certain that you will be safe.
Permethrin is not particularly toxic to humans, and exposures of notably higher concentrations than what you used for the clothing treatment have been found ...
- 2,400
34
votes
Accepted
"Due to the sheep in the settlement the surrounding area has no mosquitoes"
It looks like there is some truth in it. I don't think that it has to do with the sheep so much as it does with their grazing habits.
During the day, mosquitoes like to rest in tall grass or among ...
- 69.1k
28
votes
What coastal creature leaves braid-like trace that has clear landing and take off points?
This is almost exactly the opposite of what you think it is - it is actually from a burrowing animal, so instead of flying, it is actually burrowing into the sub-surface liquifaction layer of the sand ...
- 8,880
24
votes
Accepted
What is this red bug infesting some trees in southern Germany?
As per Aravona's comment, this is a firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus).
According to Wikipedia, they are not dangerous and nothing to worry about. German version has way more info about this than the ...
- 461
22
votes
Accepted
What should I do to avoid ticks other than wear particular clothing?
You will pick up ticks by spending a lot of time outdoors, but I routinely find them after walking across 10 ft of grass between my car and my front door. No matter how much prevention you practice, ...
- 4,199
22
votes
How to keep bees out of canned beverages?
You vill have to sacrifice some convenience. I suggest inverting a wide-mouthed plastic cup as a barrier over the can. Remove the cup when you want to drink, drink from the can, and then immediately ...
- 22.7k
22
votes
Accepted
Identify this insect found indoors in Ireland with a double tail and antennae
This is, I believe, a silverfish.
This is the picture from the Wikipedia article;
A silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) is a small, primitive, wingless
insect in the order Zygentoma (formerly Thysanura). ...
- 2,347
22
votes
Accepted
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
The answer is to limit and/or control ventilation. You want to make sure that there is little to no ventilation of the odours/gazes into the space (tent/hut/...) where humans are using the toilet.
...
- 12.5k
21
votes
Accepted
How to fight bugs when hiking?
I use a repellent that contains 30% Lemon Eucalypus Oil and have found it to be effective against flying insects. According to testing done by consumer reports, it is also effective against ticks (...
- 1,280
21
votes
Accepted
How to keep bees out of canned beverages?
Don't open the can far enough for a bee to get in
I have a freind who drinks from soda cans by only opening them a little bit. I find it quite weird, but having tried it it doesn't really make a lot ...
- 342
19
votes
Accepted
Is this tick or spider?
This is definitely a tick. If it were a spider it would appear that the legs all come from a central point, as spider bodies are separated into segments, whereas tick bodies are not.
There are two ...
- 8,880
18
votes
What should I do to avoid ticks other than wear particular clothing?
Probably the single most important thing I do is to tuck the bottom of my pants into the socks. Ticks like to crawl upwards. If they drop onto your feet, they will crawls upwards on your leg looking ...
- 21.3k
18
votes
Accepted
Are all Ants and Termites edible?
The practice of eating insects is called entomophagy. References using that term can include many insects. I've narrowed it down to ants and termites as best as I could, although some of the general ...
16
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
Your chief problem seems to be:
with tens of flies trying to fly into your nose, mouth, and eyes
Why not a mosquito head net? It's safe, re-usable, portable, and non-lethal!
Like the old saying goes:...
- 261
15
votes
What should I do to avoid ticks other than wear particular clothing?
Coincidentally one of the physicians of Tropical Disease at a major Toronto Hospital has recently done a write up on ticks and how to deal with them. You can find the full article here.
Here is the ...
- 468
15
votes
How to fight bugs when hiking?
Repellants containing DEET are the most effective and the only method I've been happy with. It is a harsh chemical but does NOT need to go on your skin. Spray 95%-100% DEET on the top and bottom of ...
15
votes
Using paddles to support a bug net
Using canoe paddles to rig tarp shelters seems to be a common practice (e.g. see here or here). I would rig them as in the diagram below - as for an A-frame tarp shelter. I would expect you would ...
- 2,280
15
votes
How to deal with hordes of flies in outdoor toilets?
If possible, try to make a "dry toilet" use of the facility you've to deal with.
Dry toilet means that excrement will not be leaved exposed to the air but have to be covered with some carbon-...
- 151
14
votes
Accepted
What are Miner bees, and how do they differ from other bees?
The more common term is "mining bees". As the name says, they build nests underground, usually in sandy ground. The other big difference between them and regular honey bees, is that they are so-called ...
- 5,153
14
votes
What is the best way to manage Scottish midges?
I've been battling the little buggers for half a century. Here's what I've learned.
Take them seriously!
Most of the time they're only a minor irritant, but at their worst they're very nasty. I've ...
- 11.7k
13
votes
Accepted
What is the species of this spider? Is it venomous?
That actually looks to be a Woodlouse Hunter (Dysdera crocata). They prey exclusively on woodlice. They also go by a few other names such as: woodlouse spider, sowbug hunter, sowbug killer, pillbug ...
- 246
13
votes
Is permethrin safe for cats after it dries?
It looks like the answer is yes it is safe after it drys,
Do not expose cats to wet permethrin as it affects their central nervous system. This is not true with dogs, horses, or cows. Cats can be ...
- 69.1k
13
votes
Accepted
What will this bright green caterpillar with small turquoise spots turn into?
It's the Great Peacock Moth Caterpillar.
See Wikipedia for other images, including a painting of the moth by Van Gogh.
Saturnia pyri, the giant peacock moth, also called the great peacock
moth, ...
- 22.7k
13
votes
Accepted
How dangerous is a swarm of bees?
A swarm (used in the technical sense to mean that clump you show in your question) is about the least dangerous formation in which you can encounter bees. Their bellies are full (they eat before they ...
- 11.8k
12
votes
How to keep bees out of canned beverages?
I can think of a few solutions:
Stretch a square of mosquito netting over the mouth of the can, with a rubber band to secure it in place.
Buy and use a soda can lid.
Switch to 2L bottled soda and use ...
- 221
12
votes
How to keep bees out of canned beverages?
When I was a kid, we had like plastic lids that fit over the top of pop cans, designed to keep out the yellowjackets (wasps that like your sweet beverage). You opened a hinged trap over the can's ...
- 121
11
votes
Accepted
Back country solution to itchy insect bites
First of all don't scratch. blood sucking insects inject anti-coagulant under your skin to prevent your blood from clotting and forming a scab so they don't get their mouthes stuck inside you while ...
- 53.3k
11
votes
Accepted
Tiny crab/bug in Pacific NW; makes shell out of rocks/sticks. What is it?
Most likely a Caddisfly. They make homes of twigs and stones.
CADDISFLY: The caddisfly lives only a short time as
an adult but may spend several years as a larva. Many
larvae can do something ...
- 32.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Under what wilderness conditions is becoming infested with lice a possibility and what precautions should one take to avoid it?
Lice are passed on by one of two manners. Either by direct contact or indirect contact with someone who is infected with lice.
The chances of coming in contact with lice in the wilderness is ...
- 9,579
11
votes
Accepted
What insect makes this hissing type sound, especially in the summer?
Its very hard to distinguish from that sound clip but my guess as to what you are hearing is probably cicadas depending on your location. They can sound like a buzzing or hissing noise and generally ...
- 2,644
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible