Recreation

So Long, Suckers: what to do about wisco bugs

V1 Staff |

Getting outside for exercise or recreation this time of year can put you in touch with Mother Nature’s most bountiful gifts to Wisconsin: Bright summer sunshine. Lush forest pathways. Enormous bloodthirsty mosquitoes. Notice we said “bountiful gifts,” not pleasant ones. All too often, getting in touch with nature during a Wisconsin summer means getting in touch with malevolent creatures hell-bent on ruining your good time – and we’re talking about invertebrates, not Illinois tourists. Here’s a rundown on the Badger State’s most notorious insects, the ailments they can carry, and how you can keep them at bay.

MOSQUITOES

Not-so-fun facts: Over 50 kinds of mosquitoes live in Wisconsin, and all of them want to suck your blood. (Well, at least the females do.) According to a handy (if frightening) UW-Extension booklet, Outdoor Hazards in Wisconsin, “up to 100 mosquitoes can emerge per square foot of water surface per day in good breeding habitat” and “more than 60 percent of these adults will migrate approximately 10 to 20 miles from their breeding site in search of a blood meal.”

Minor annoyances: We don’t need to tell you that mosquito bites itch. Rubbing alcohol and mild ammonia can help, as may over-the-counter treatments like calamine lotion.

Bigger problems: Mosquitoes can carry lots of diseases, especially in other parts of the world, but the two main ones you have to worry about in our neck of the woods are West Nile virus and La Crosse encephalitis. (Bet you didn’t know there was a disease named after La Crosse!)

How to avoid them: Common-sense steps fall into two categories: eliminating mosquito breeding sites and keeping bugs from biting you. Mosquitoes hatch in standing water (old tires, gutters, birdbaths, you name it), so beware of those. And to protect your precious skin from their pointy proboscises, avoid going outside at dawn and dusk; wear long clothing; and apply insect repellents (such as those with DEET) when you go outdoors. Mosquitoes are also attracted to dark colors, movement, and body odor, so wear white, stay still, and try not to sweat. (Good luck with that last one.)

West Nile Virus was first identified in Africa and reached Wisconsin in 2002. Since then, the number of identified cases in the state has fluctuated annually (there were 21 last year). While 80 percent of those who contract West Nile don’t get sick, according to the Wisconsin Division of Public Health the other 20 percent may show symptoms including “fever, headache, eye pain, muscle aches, joint pain, a rash on the trunk, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, and vomiting.” Fewer than 1 percent face the worst symptoms – “extreme muscle weakness, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), paralysis, and coma” – which in rare cases can be fatal. Symptoms appear three to 14 days after you’re bitten by an infected bug, so beware of symptoms even after your bites stop itching.

La Crosse Encephalitis, which was first identified in La Crosse in 1963, is a (fortunately) rare mosquito-borne virus that most often exhibits itself in children. As with West Nile, many of those who contract the virus don’t become ill, but others do, showing symptoms including “fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness” and – in extreme cases – encephalitis, seizures, and coma. If this sounds like you, get to a doctor.

TICKS

Not-so-fun facts: Ticks are patient – really patient. They can hang out on the underside of a leaf for months waiting for a moving meal (that’s you). And unlike fast-acting mosquitoes, ticks can hitch a ride on your body and remain feeding there for days. There are 15 kinds of ticks in Wisconsin, but only two usually bite humans: the dog tick (a.k.a. the wood tick) and the tinier deer tick (a.k.a. the blacklegged tick, which may carry Lyme disease).

Minor annoyances: If one of these creepy crawlies bites you, the best way to remove it is with a tweezers by gripping it as close as possible to where it’s attached and pulling firmly. Don’t use a match, nail polish, or other home remedy. Just yank the sucker out, then disinfect the bite.

Bigger problems: Luckily, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a deer tick must be attached for 36-48 hours before it can transmit the bacteria that carry Lyme disease. That means if you remove the tick quickly, you’re in the clear, so thoroughly inspect your body’s nooks and crannies after a hike. If you have contracted Lyme disease, early signs usually appear in three to 30 days, and can include flu-like symptoms (fatigue, aches, chills, fever, etc.) and a bull’s-eye-shaped rash around the bite site. If this happens, see a doctor; Lyme disease is usually treatable with antibiotics.

How to avoid them: Take precautions when walking in tick-y areas – that’s pretty much anywhere with long grass or brush – especially during the May-July period. Make a fashion statement by wearing long sleeves and pants and tucking your pant legs into your socks. Repellants with DEET or permetrin also can keep ticks at bay.