Bugs bugs bugs bugs bugs

[BoyScoutGirl]

BeyondIndigo, I just wanted to chime in and say bravo to you for deciding to come while your boyfriend is still on the fence about the whole idea. My boyfriend had to back out on his decision to attend (money is tight), but I've been putting it off too long. This year is the year!

Camping isn't for everyone, but if bugs are your biggest worry given that you've investigated BM so far, this might be a great way for you to be introduced to "roughing it."

[BeyondIndigo]

Well, I flew to NY on my own, twice. To stay with a crazy person I had only met on the internet. So I figure I can do this, you know? Well we'll see.

In a way (don't tell him) I feel like it might be better if he's NOT there. No, not for THAT reason LOL. Just because...if I get to go to BM, I feel like I want to be as far away as possible from other people's experiences and expectations of me. Me in daily life. It's not neccessarily that I think I'm gonna get there and suddenly go completely wild. But I just feel like I want to be...context-free. And see what emerges.

I am sure you guys will know what I mean.

[FIGJAM]

You flew to NY to be with a crazy person, soooooooooooooo now your going to fly to Navada to be with 50,000 crazy people?

BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BoyScoutGirl]

In a way (don't tell him) I feel like it might be better if he's NOT there...if I get to go to BM, I feel like I want to be as far away as possible from other people's experiences and expectations of me. Me in daily life. It's not neccessarily that I think I'm gonna get there and suddenly go completely wild. But I just feel like I want to be...context-free. And see what emerges.

I am sure you guys will know what I mean.

I know what you mean and it's nice to see someone express a lot of the same feelings I have.

Except for the solifugids. Those buggers are awesome. Wicked creepy, but awesome.

[5280MeV]

Except for the solifugids. Those buggers are awesome. Wicked creepy, but awesome.

NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.

[BeyondIndigo]

Except for the solifugids. Those buggers are awesome. Wicked creepy, but awesome.

NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.

^ what this person said.

[Saguache]

...so I just discovered there are 23 species of scorpion in Nevada.

I come from England, we don't HAVE any insects that can kill you. That's one of the reasons I like living here. So I'm pretty terrified now.

Does anyone have any advice to prevent getting bitten and stung? I mean obviously not going barefoot is pretty important. But I'm particularly worried about the idea of one of the little blighters getting into my tent and hanging out until I get back and then biting the shit out of me.

You're going to be more that lucky if you find and thing other than burners in your sleeping bag. These are easily detected and removed. The playa is basically a very large zone of lifelessness. Thus, the reason we get to use a tiny part f it for a week every summer.

[mazatta]

Except for the solifugids. Those buggers are awesome. Wicked creepy, but awesome.

NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.

^ what this person said.

Camel spiders. Not even once.

[Ugly Dougly]

Nothing succeeds like excess.

[The_brave_M]

this turned creepy in a hurry.

[Ugly Dougly]

At least we're not talking about tickets.

[darcitananda]

(please forgive my on-topic reply, but I saw a number of beetles last year.)

[Ugly Dougly]

They won't eat much.

[knowmad]

(please forgive my on-topic reply, but I saw a number of beetles last year.)

Ringo was a jerk, But I thought Paul was rather nice.

[Savannah]

this turned creepy in a hurry.

Hey there, welcome to ePlaya.

[illy dilly]

Except for the solifugids. Those buggers are awesome. Wicked creepy, but awesome.

NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.NOPE.

So after this post, last week, I spent probably 2 hours reading all about Solifugids.
I found some pretty interesting web sites

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2011/07/13/sun-spider-7/
http://www.spiderzrule.com/sunspider.htm

But the one that I really liked was some book (.pdf), all about different insects. It was more like field journal for different insects by species and genius with a description of each.

[FIGJAM]

Nothing lives on the playa exept burners, and they will crawl up your leg!

[Ugly Dougly]

There are tiny bugs that live in your eyelashes and eyebrows and in more intimate locales, if truth be told.

[illy dilly]

live in your more intimate locales, if truth be told.

[BoyScoutGirl]

So after this post, last week, I spent probably 2 hours reading all about Solifugids.
I found some pretty interesting web sites...

illy,

I wish half - no, I'd settle for even one third - of my students had your inquisitiveness.

[Herring]

... insects that can kill you...

I wanted to address this sentiment. While most scorpions do have a poisonous sting, that does not make them deadly. The bark scorpion is the only lethal scorpion in North America, but usually only for young children or older adults with chronic illnesses. The way a scorpion sting becomes deadly is when your airway becomes compromised, either due to swelling or increase in fluids (mucus, saliva, vomit) creating a blockage.

If you get stung, remove jewelry and gently wash the area if you can. Keep the affected limb below heart level and head to an ESD station for monitoring. A number of scorpion deaths of yesteryear can be attributed to ill-suited opium treatments, so don't try to self-medicate the pain and be sure to tell emergency service burners anything you've taken before or after the sting.

[StevenGoodman]

The only scorpion I have seen on the playa had wheels. Or was human-ish...

Martini Steve

[Bob]

Friend of mine was bit by what we assume were spider mites at one of the hot springs in '97. Turned into a human balloon and freaked out. Brought her into camp and antihistamines apparently did the trick over a couple hours.

[waynerd]

Thank you guys, I feel reassured. If I even SAW a scorpion, or any kind of freaky desert spider (solifugae *shudders*) I'd scream so loud that my mother back in England would hear.

I'm not great with bugs in general, including the ones that pose no actual threat to me.

My boyfriend also just said "Get a tent with a built in groundsheet" so I'm going to look at doing that too. He has slightly more camping experience than I do.

(Ahahahahaha "more camping experience than I do." My "camping experience" consists of three days in a field when I was seventeen. My learning curve at BM is gonna be steeeeep. Don't worry though, I'm not an idiot, I fully realise that the environment demands my respect and I'm researching desert survival in my other browser right now. Getting dehydrated or suffering heat stroke are NOT things I want on my to-do list at BM.)

I met this guy http://www.flickr.com/photos/waynerd/5314643490/ in Nevada (outside a little town called Nelson) a couple years back, he was on his way to BM. He hopes to see you there.

[BoyScoutGirl]

I met this guy http://www.flickr.com/photos/waynerd/5314643490/ in Nevada (outside a little town called Nelson) a couple years back, he was on his way to BM. He hopes to see you there.

Great use of fisheye, waynerd.

[waynerd]

I met this guy http://www.flickr.com/photos/waynerd/5314643490/ in Nevada (outside a little town called Nelson) a couple years back, he was on his way to BM. He hopes to see you there.

Great use of fisheye, waynerd.

Haha thanks. I thought so too while I was laying on my belly in the road snapping away, that is until I lifted my camera away from my face and found that big hairy beast 2 inches from my face! (Mental note: objects in the fisheye are closer than they appear!)

[Fife]

A quarter-sized scorpion ran under my tent camping on the playa this year. He was a real cutie pie.

[Homiesinheaven]

this is the only bug i've ever seen out there:



i wouldnt worry too much.

[aknod]

I killed a roach in 2010 near our camp. I think it came from the dirty hippies next door.