When Do the Bugs Come Out to Play?

[hammock engineer]

I am starting March 18ish. With my cold weather hammock setup I do not have any bug netting. I do use a hammock sock that would work, but does not offer any ventilation.

So when do the bugs come out and when should I have my bug netting shipped to me? I know every year is a little different and weather is a huge variable. But an educated guess or past experience will be very helpful.

Thanks.

[Blue Jay]

It's not when, it's where. One year they started in Maryland and another they started in Penn. Of course you have to take my opinion with a grain of salt as I am used to the buggiest part of the trail. To me the south has no bugs at all.

[Pokey2006]

I agree that bugs won't really be a problem until summertime, most likely when you reach Maryland or Pennsylvania. You'll get gnats down south, but they're not as bothersome (at least to me) as mosquitoes. There was only a short window of time when protection was needed at night to get away from the bugs, and you'll have plenty of time before you get to that point.

[Jim Adams]

it will be fewer times than you think. i use DEET instead of netting and on both of my thru hikes, i used DEET 5 times or less on each thru.
geek

[maxNcathy]

On the DVD Appalachian Impressions, the hiker in Va in May, 2003 makes the following observation as he slogs through the mud," it rains 2 days then we have one day without rain and the bugs come back out...I prefer the rain because it keeps the bugs away."

I did read in a journal where a hiker said he was covered in bug bites in the Smokies. Some folks react more to bugs of course.
I have a very light bug net that I will bring. But hopefully the snow,wind and rain will freeze them or drown them and blow them away.

[maxNcathy]

it will be fewer times than you think. i use DEET instead of netting and on both of my thru hikes, i used DEET 5 times or less on each thru.
geek

One thruhiker gave this tip: "put deet on the under side of your cap to keep knats away from your face."
Worth a try for me.

[MOWGLI]

In 2000, just before Memorial Day weekend, I hit gnats. I entered Rockfish Gap with a gnat or two stuck under each of my eyelids. By the time I hit PA the mosquitoes were out in force.

Like others have said, insect activity varies based upon the weather. A mild winter could result in greater insect activity - earlier in the year. A wet spell followed by a warm snap could bring them on too.

Someone gave me some Bounce dryer sheets to ward off insects. I tied themto my shoulder straps, but they didn't seem to have any effect.

[ed bell]

Gnats are very annoying, even though there is no biting involved. As Mowgli pointed out, they love to dive bomb the eyeballs. I seem to remember spending a birthday weekend in Hot Springs NC (April 25th) and the buggers were out in force. I've been told they are drawn by the co2 in a person's exhale. For some reason, they go to the highest point on your body, so if you raise your hands above your head they will swarm around your hands. Unfortunatly, nobody can keep that up.:) Oh, and deet means nothing to them.:mad:

[terrapin_too]

Geek is a lucky individual. Being resistant to bugs is worth a lot. Those gnats dive-bombing my eyes and ears are the worst. In the summer they're the only real reason to have a tent (vs. a tarp.) I'm a goner without my DEET. Tried eucalyptus-based repellent... not worth much.

[PJ 2005]

yeah, the only repellent that will help you is 30+ concentration deet. forget the other stuff. i started march 1st and was fine until massachusetts... at which point i was eaten alive by mosquitoes. I lived in maine for 14 years, and i'd NEVER seen mosquitoes like they have 3 miles prior to the shay's rebellion monument.

[Tipi Walter]

I just got back from a snowy winter trip and I saw a spider crawling across the snow. I wanted to take a close up photo of it and call it "Robert Scott's Last Walk" To the spider the great expanse of snow was an Arctic world . . .

All this talk of gnats and bugs makes me love winter backpacking and there's no rattlesnakes . . .

How about the noseeums? They can be a real pest sometimes. But I never use DEET and instead mix up a homebrew of different concoctions. I'm not so sure DEET is meant for long term use, like 30 years of almost daily summer application? Not for me. Anyway, I think somewhere it says to avoid contact with nylon, duh, say what?

[jlb2012]

Gnats are very annoying, even though there is no biting involved. As Mowgli pointed out, they love to dive bomb the eyeballs. I seem to remember spending a birthday weekend in Hot Springs NC (April 25th) and the buggers were out in force. I've been told they are drawn by the co2 in a person's exhale. For some reason, they go to the highest point on your body, so if you raise your hands above your head they will swarm around your hands. Unfortunatly, nobody can keep that up.:) Oh, and deet means nothing to them.:mad:


One trick I heard of is to take a piece of stiff wire and rig it so that it holds a dryer sheet or white cloth above one's head - looks weird but the gnats go for the highest point as noted above. Myself I have never tried this trick - I wear a white brim hat (western style straw hat) - the gnats go for the rim of the hat. I also wear glasses - really cuts down on the eyebugs.

[sparky2000]

The question was when, not if. The answer, of course, is yes. To be more exact - yes, yes. In the sunny spots the bugs and flys are at their most active. I'm of the crowd that swears by skin-so-soft. Spray on the hat brim, upper back, and arms.