Northern Minnesota camping and bugs

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by wamer27

Went camping on Friday in Beaver Bay, I found a tick crawling on me.

scientists are saying that they are beginning to notice some wood ticks may be developing the ability to fly

[Qazulight]

Originally Posted by sierranevada1

Having a van for sleeping in it starting to make a lot more sense realizing how many ticks are there...

Another question I have is: I was thinking of getting several acres of land and doing some small hobby farming -- does one normally need to use bug spray doing farming activities? Like being in vegetable garden, being around goats....

And does cutting the grass really help to keep the ticks away or locals rather spray the territory?

I was thinking to look in areas relatively free from Lyme so far, very North of Minnesota close to Canadian border, there're 2 parts of the state that 2016 Lyme map shows to be almost disease-free, and surprised that one has to use protection anywhere in Northern Minnesota--I had ticks on me before but never bothered as places where I got them were almost Lyme-free (though Lyme probably will move into all of Northern MN too in a couple of years judging by how it was advancing since 2001)

I work outside in Iowa. Spend time walking through tall grass and woods. I have gotten a couple of ticks. They don't really like me. I find them when they tickle me crawling around under my shirt. I just find them and toss them in the toilet. No problem.

Here in Sioux City we have a lot of deer and turkey. The biggest problem is keeping them from raiding your garden, not lime disease.

I lived in Fargo along the Red River of the north. Fargo is flat and when the snow melts there is standing water everywhere. Being from the Texas Gulf Coast I kept waiting for the bugs to get bad. I am still waiting. Five years later. However, I understand that there are some week in Northern Minnesota where the mosquitos are so bad that you need mosquito netting over your hat to walk outside. I have never experienced that.

Industrial farming operations bring bugs in a bad way. Natural farming can mitigate the problems.

I have found the upper Midwest to be a delightful place. There are two months out of the year where Mother Nature will make a concerted effort to kill you, but by March when you start getting an occasional high above freezing you know you are going to make it and you and everyone else starts celebrating life.

While you will find taxes to be high, they are worth it. Considering the weather, the roads are in good shape, they are kept clear of snow, the parks are excellent, and everything else I have seen is well taken care of.

The Boundary Waters are superb for canoeing and camping, Brainard and Baxter are in the middle of the lakes area, and Detroit Lakes isn't bad either. International Falls can be very cold, but Lake of the Woods is large deep and beautiful.

Good luck, I am jealous.

Cheers from Iowa

Qazulight

[wamer27]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

scientists are saying that they are beginning to notice some wood ticks may be developing the ability to fly

It’ll defy physics and fly as fast as it walks

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by Qazulight

I work outside in Iowa. Spend time walking through tall grass and woods. I have gotten a couple of ticks. They don't really like me. I find them when they tickle me crawling around under my shirt. I just find them and toss them in the toilet. No problem.

Here in Sioux City we have a lot of deer and turkey. The biggest problem is keeping them from raiding your garden, not lime disease.

I lived in Fargo along the Red River of the north. Fargo is flat and when the snow melts there is standing water everywhere. Being from the Texas Gulf Coast I kept waiting for the bugs to get bad. I am still waiting. Five years later. However, I understand that there are some week in Northern Minnesota where the mosquitos are so bad that you need mosquito netting over your hat to walk outside. I have never experienced that.

Industrial farming operations bring bugs in a bad way. Natural farming can mitigate the problems.

I have found the upper Midwest to be a delightful place. There are two months out of the year where Mother Nature will make a concerted effort to kill you, but by March when you start getting an occasional high above freezing you know you are going to make it and you and everyone else starts celebrating life.

While you will find taxes to be high, they are worth it. Considering the weather, the roads are in good shape, they are kept clear of snow, the parks are excellent, and everything else I have seen is well taken care of.

The Boundary Waters are superb for canoeing and camping, Brainard and Baxter are in the middle of the lakes area, and Detroit Lakes isn't bad either. International Falls can be very cold, but Lake of the Woods is large deep and beautiful.

Good luck, I am jealous.

Cheers from Iowa

Qazulight

Yes, not too many ticks in Iowa....and no Lyme really, that's a very good part.
Just in case, I carry mosquito net for the head in my car, though never had to use it so far.
Much look forward to being in Boundary Waters and Voyaugeurs National Park for the first time (and visiting Bear sanctuary). Thanks for good wishes!

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

scientists are saying that they are beginning to notice some wood ticks may be developing the ability to fly

There also some new asian self-cloning tick breed in the US now, so far found in New Jersey.

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by sierranevada1

There also some new asian self-cloning tick breed in the US now, so far found in New Jersey.

it's probably because of all those smokestacks and chemical plants

[earslikeacat]

I find small jumping spiders that I have wondered if they were ticks. Live in far west metro near many lakes,channels and bays.

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by Ghengis

it's probably because of all those smokestacks and chemical plants

It's not only self-cloning (so can reproduce a lot faster than regular ticks), this one can also survive harsh winters in the ground, not on animals. It burrows in and survives like this. It also survived the farm being sprayed with permerthrin. Apparently, it's not just in NJ anymore..."The tick has been spotted in Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas and recently in New York."
https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-w...ick-new-jersey