Bothersome Bugs

Depending on the season, time of day, and weather, your hike may be spectacular or burdened with thousands of obnoxious insects bothering you the entire time. From late fall to early spring, insects are less of a concern, and that is when I really enjoy hiking more. As the summer progresses, I head to higher and higher country to stay away from the droves of blood-sucking little critters. Then, when cool weather returns, I head back down.

General Insect Protection

I've gathered some tips for dealing with hiking pests in general:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Very light-weight, light-colored clothes can be very cool and they keep most of your skin protected. I have a Buzz-Off shirt and pants that I've been using for two summers. I haven't gotten ticks or mosquito bites while wearing them, so I am very happy with the product.
• Wear light-colored clothes. Lighter colors make it easier to see insects while they are still on the outside of your clothes.
• Tuck pants into socks. This keeps ticks and other crawlies from getting inside your pants legs.
• Wear a hat for both sun protection and keeping insects out of your hair.
• Wear an insect screen hat, jacket, or full body suit. These look kinda dorky, but they really keep the mosquitoes and everything else away from your body.
• After your hike, take a shower and check all over your body for ticks.

Ticks

Ticks seam to appear magically while hiking. They can't really fly, but sometimes I wonder how one could have gotten on me without some means of air travel. I hate ticks. I think they are about the most disgusting looking insect around, especially when they're puffed up with blood. Yuch!
Ticks are mostly just a nuisance. They silently and painlessly bite their way into your skin where they suck up your blood. Usually, you find them before they start eating because it takes them awhile to find a good spot and then work their fangs into you.

Preventing Ticks

- The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid ticks. Stay indoors and watch TV. But, if you're serious about being a hiking dude, that just won't cut it. So, follow these tips to make your hikes a bit less tick-ful:

• Avoid brushy areas and tall grass. Try to walk in the middle of the trail and avoid hanging branches.
• Sunny, dry areas can still have ticks, but fewer than shady, damp areas.
• Wear Permethrin treated clothes or spray it on your clothes. It kills the ticks rather than repelling them and lasts through many washings of your clothes.
• Use DEET-based insect repellents on exposed skin. A 25%-30% solution works super from my experience. I mix 2 ounces of 100% DEET with 6 ounces of 4.7% DEET "OFF! Skintastic" pump spray repellent for a 28% solution that works great.
• Check each other for ticks when you stop for breaks.

Removing Ticks

- There are many home-grown ways to remove ticks, from burning to covering in fingernail polish - all of them are bad ideas. The best way to remove a tick is:

• Wipe the wound area with an alcohol wipe.
• Grasp the tick with a sharp pointed tweezers right down where it is entering your skin.
• Pull it straight away from your skin with a slow, steady pressure. Don't yank it; don't twist it; don't rock it back and forth.
• Even removing the tick as efficiently as possible may leave some of its mouthparts in your skin. If this happens, pinch up a fold of skin that contains the bite area and carefully scrape the skin containing the mouth parts with a scalpel or razor blade. Or, use a sterilized needle to break the skin and remove the mouth.
• It's very important to thoroughly clean the wound with antiseptic.
• If you're concerned with the possibility of Lyme Disease, keep the tick in a film canister or between a piece of folded tape and take it to a public health lab for inspection.

Mosquitos

The big deal at the time of creating this page is West Nile Virus. It has spread across the country from the southeast and there are now cases reported in virtually all states. It is still a very tiny risk, but that may change as it progresses. Even without the West Nile virus, mosquitos suck! They buzz around your face, constantly bothering you. Then, when they do bite, it itches like the dickens.

Preventing Mosquitos

- Fortunately, it is possible to practically eliminate mosquito bites with a few preventive measures:

• Use DEET-based insect repellent in a 20% solution. Spray it on exposed skin to stop mosquitos from landing. Be sure to wash it off in the shower as soon as you get home.
• Wear Permethrin treated clothes. Either buy pre-treated shirts and pants like "Buzz Off" or treat yourself with permethrin sprays.
• Hike during the morning and early afternoon. Be off the trail before sunset to avoid the peak mosquito hours.
• Hike on open, sunny trails rather than in shady, protected forest. The views are better, the wind will blow mosquitos away, and the drier air is harder on bugs.
• Burning citronella candles can help keep mosquitos away from an area, but wind will blow the smell away easily.

Treating Mosquito Bites

- There's not much to do after you've been bitten. The first indication is an intense itching feeling, so here's what you do when you notice a bite:

• Don't itch it! That just causes more damage and possible infection.
• Wash the bite area with soap and water.
• Apply an anti-itch medicine such as Calamine lotion. There are anti-itch sticks that you daub on the bite and they work good for me.

Spiders

You may not know it, but all spiders are poisonous. Cool, huh? It's just that there are very few that have poison powerful enough to bother humans. But, those that are dangerous are bad - black widows, brown recluse, tarantula, sac spider, and funnel-web spider. Spider bites are actually very rare and a victim may not realize he's been bitten for hours afterwards.

Preventing Spider Problems

- Spiders are not highly mobile like flying insects and are not laying in wait to attack you like ticks. With some common sense and keeping your eyes open, you should never be bitten by a spider:

• Never reach someplace that you can not see - under rocks, into holes, around branches.
• Shake out clothes, gloves, boots before putting them on.
• When hiking through trees, being tall, I often get spider webs in my face that shorter people have walked under. In those places, I hike slower, point the end of my hiking stick out ahead of me and move it in a circle to catch the webs 4 or 5 feet before I reach them.
• Look before you sit down or lean against a tree to rest.
• Wear gloves when doing any outdoor work.

Treating Spider Bites

- Spider bites usually have one or two puncture spots, but are often so tiny they can not be seen. Different spiders cause different reactions, but in general spider bites should be treated by:

• Wash the bite area with soap and water.
• Place ice pack or cold water towel on bite area.
• Elevate and rest the wounded spot to reduce swelling.
• Watch for symptoms and record them.
• Call or visit a doctor as soon as you can.
• Try to identify the spider. If it is available, take the spider's live or dead body with you to the doctor.

Bees and Such

Bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, ... they are everywhere and they are beneficial to our environment, but they can sure be a pain. As a kid, I used to put honey on my finger and let bumblebees climb on and lick it up - never got stung. My mom said I was stupid and lucky. Stings from these critters hurt a lot and, for about 1% of humans, they can be deadly. If you've been stung and you know its not a big deal, don't take stings lightly when they happen to someone else.
Honey bees have a barbed stinger and it gets stuck in your skin so they can only sting once. But, yellow jackets and hornets have no barbs and can sting repeatedly.

Preventing Stinging Problems

- Since bees fly around looking for flowers, it's very difficult to avoid them while you're outdoors. Their stinger is a defensive device and you get stung when you become a threat. So, the best guidelines are to stay clear of the insects as much as possible:

• Avoid wearing bright or flowery patterned clothes. You may attract a bee looking for flowers. Wearing light-colored clothes, like tan or white, is good.
• Avoid perfume and scented lotions.
• Avoid wearing shiny jewelry.
• Avoid strongly odored food that may be attractive.
• Don't drink from cans - a bug may have gotten inside trying to get to the sweet liquid. Look in your cup before you drink from it.
• Keep your food and garbage sealed in plastic bags.
• If a bee or wasp is bothering you, slowly move away down the trail. Swatting at it or rapid movement can provoke an attack.

Treating Stings

- Most stings are just painful but do no real damage. If you are attacked by a large number of insects or are allergic to stings then there is danger. If you are stung:

• Stay Calm. Getting excited will just speed up the blood flow and spread of venom.
• If the insect is still attacking you, brush it off and leave the area quickly.
• If the stinger is still stuck in you, remove it by scraping it off with a credit card or pulling it off with a tweezer. It has been recommended that using a tweezer can force more venom into the wound, but more recent studies say that removing the stinger as quickly as possible is more important. So, use what you can to get it out.
• Apply ice or cold water to the sting area.
• Control itching and swelling with over-the-counter antihistamines.
• Don't itch or rub the sting spot.
• If allergic reaction symptoms appear or the victim is known to be allergic, get medical help immediately. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of tongue, mouth, or throat, and hives.

There are other bugs that can bother you while hiking. Chiggers, flies, and other crawling, creeping, swarming things that are all just part of the wild. Be aware of the kinds of insects to be found in the areas you hike and be ready in case of an encounter with them. Having a wilderness first aid booklet along is always a good idea, too.

 

Bothersome Boos: Tips To Combat Your Significant Other’s Annoying Habits 

Remember in grade school when your elders said that boys who bothered you really liked you? Well, they never really warned us of how annoying a boyfriend could be once we grew up. After the introduction and honeymoon phase, it’s normal for both sides to let their personal habits seep through. But when it comes to the fellas, we find that we put up with a lot more than we let them endure.

It gets to the point where their extreme comfort becomes aggravating, but we must deal with because we love them. Well have no despair, Vixens! Here are tips to combat against your boo’s most bothersome tendencies.

Video games – The consoles come with every relationship package, but unfortunately, the women rarely have the power to turn them off. Ever find yourself trying to get some beauty rest when all you hear is your man on his Xbox blowing buildings up and shooting at enemies ’til the wee hours of the morning? Our best advice is to either make a separate game room outside the bedquarters or stash eye masks and ear plugs on the nightstand. However, the best alternative could be to try your hand at his favorite pastimes, too. Maybe then he’ll respond more quickly to your ‘call of duty.’

Gas – Any type of bodily emission from a man is never a good thing. While passing gas is normal for every human being, it seems more common for guys. Once a man is truly at ease around you, he has no problem ‘letting go’ whenever he feels the need. Make sure you equip your bed and baths with air fresheners that kill the stink on contact. And if you find that your beau frequently belches after a hearty meal, hold your breath until the worst has passed.

Household Duties – Unless his momma taught him how to clean up after himself, a man will most likely let his laundry pile up and his apartment turn upside down before he’s given an important reason to do otherwise. Never offer to do it for him. You’re his lady, not his maid. Instead, provide some incentive for his hard work. For every good deed, he gets a treat of his choosing after. Who said cleaning had to be such a humdrum task?

Procrastination – Even the most hardworking people get attacked with the feeling every once in a while but delaying on the daily is not a good look. If you’ve been pushing and shoving your man to apply for a new job or plan a vacation with you, understand that men are creatures of routine. How they approach one thing (household duties), they will probably treat others the same (except video games). As his chick, be as supportive as you would want him to take initiative. Should he need help revision with his resume, sit down and help him through it. If his organization techniques lack, guide him through the planning process. When you help your man reach success, you’ll often find that he’s your number one cheerleader too.

How To Deal With Bothersome People – It’s An Art!

It is a perfectly understand phenomenon; we tend to be perplexed by how to deal with people who have the knack to irate us. It is difficult to alter the ability of others to get the best of our emotions, however, with a little bit of practice, one can most certainly alter how they feel about bothersome people. Here is a set of tips to help you cope with individuals who manage to truly inconvenience you.

Dealing With Bothersome People Tip # 1 – Let Them ‘Win’

When in an argument with that someone who knows just how to push your buttons the wrong way; just take a deep breath and drown the urge to give him a smart reply. Rather than prolonging the argument, give them the impression that they have ‘won’ the argument. Save your opinions for those who matter.

Dealing With Bothersome People Tip # 2 – Don’t Fight Fire with Fire

Most bothersome people are usually looking for opportunities to get in to an argument and proving themselves to be superior. While they are busy doing that, you should learn to stay quiet and ignore. Arguing with a bothersome person will get you nowhere and you would end up wasting your time on a pointless argument. So learn to control the situation, just ignore whatever comes out of the person’s mouth and think of something more productive. Or better yet, just try and change the topic.

Dealing With Bothersome People Tip # 3 – Set Clear Boundaries

Don’t forget, you are your own boss! This means you get to control your own life and decide who stays in it and who isn’t. So if you find yourself really upset with a bothersome person, just set a clear boundary, reminding him/her about their importance in your life and the limit to which you can bear them.  If the situation gets out of hand then rather than getting in to a heated argument, avoid them.

Dealing With Bothersome People Tip # 4– Feeling Comfortable In Your Own Skin

It is essential to remember that you feel confident about yourself.  Your confidence and self belief should be so strong that it shouldn’t even matter what the person who provokes you is doing/saying. As long as you are comfortable knowing that you are not on the same mental level of this person, and most probably never will be, you should be good to go. Just agree to disagree. You can enforce your version of reality on anyone.

Dealing With Bothersome People Tip # 5 – Speak Up!

And lastly, if all else fails and you find yourself trapped in a tough situation, then speak up! Make clear points and help others understand what you are trying to say.  Ask the person who is bothering you to simply explain their point.

Stop Bothersome Calls - Find Out Who is Harassing You!

Stop bothersome calls by using a reverse cell phone look up!

You are sound asleep on a weekend night and enjoying your first chance in days to get a good night's sleep, then the shrill ringing of the phone wakes you up in a panic.

Still shaken, you put the receiver to your ear, only to discover the call was a prank. Angrily, you flap down down the phone and try to go back to sleep while you tell yourself that you'll find a way to stop bothersome calls from harassing you again. Why didn't you use a reverse cell phone look up when you had the chance?
Bothersome calls - What's the Solution?

We have all received prank calls. In most cases, they are merely one-time annoyances. For other people, prank calls are downright torment.

A private detective may be able to help you stop the calls, but you'll end up investing hundreds of dollars just to find out the identity of the person who owns the number. You could also try doing a reverse phone look up at one of the many free sites available, but most bothersome calls don't use public lan line numbers - the only ones you can find information on through free services.
Your best option is to use a reputable reverse cell phone look up service. You'll pay just a single fee for unlimited access to hundreds of millions of records, including information on cell phone, unlisted, and land line numbers.

You'll also get advanced methods like free search assistance, access to expanded people search database records, even family member information! All you need to do is enter the area code and seven digit number, and you'll get information like the number owner's name and address - which will help you stop your prank caller once and for all!

What to Do Next
So, once you have the information, what do you do? For one, you could wait until you receive the next prank call - then call them by name - so they know that YOU know exactly who THEY are. If they don't quit, you'll have the information you need to approach the police or to file a harassment complaint.
In most cases, you won't have to resort to those drastic actions. You can usually stop bothersome calls once they realize they're no longer operating in the dark.

Just remember - If you want to stop bothersome calls, you need information.  For more information you may also review the various reverse cell phone look up services available to you.

Switch to a more natural skin product if you have stubborn acne that won’t go away. Many common skin care products contain harsh chemicals and have the potential to worsen existing skin problems. This can lead to blocked pores, making your acne problem worse. Choose products with natural antibacterial properties to help soothe your skin.

Refrain from touching your acne. Accumulated residue from your environment will inevitably find its way onto your skin, making the issue more prominent and enabling infection to set in. Try not to unconsciously touch your face too much. Acne can be spread by simple gestures, such as resting the head on the hands or scratching an itch.

There is no sure-fire way to prevent acne, but there are many things you can do to get it under control. Make sure to keep hair products from coming in contact with your face. Many hair products contain ingredients that can clog pores and trigger breakouts.

One of the most popular misconceptions about acne is that it can be cured or treated by exposure to direct sunlight. Sometimes, the sun and heat can make your skin produce excess oil, which leads to more blemishes. It may also lead to formation of wrinkles;at worst, it can cause skin cancer.

Remove teeth whitening products from your regimen. If you notice that you are breaking out around your mouth, think about any type of treatment that you might be using to whiten your teeth. Some of the whitening strips, mouth washes and whitening toothpastes can cause acne. Your lips and the surrounding skin is a sensitive area prone to breakouts.

You can control your acne better if you reduce your stress level. Stress is bad for your entire body. The hormones that stress produces can actually make acne worse. There are lots of ways to reduce stress in your life, like listening to music or meditating. Keep in mind that acne worsens when you get stressed out.
Although it is tempting to squeeze a zit, for health reasons, it is best not to. Use a treatment cream instead. Picking at acne causes scarring and infections. Discoloring scars caused by this kind of picking can take a long time to go away.

If you drink enough water each day, you may notice an improvement in your skin. When skin gets dry and dehydrated, dead skin cells lay on the surface and clog up the pores. This creates an ideal environment for acne breakouts. Not only does drinking 64 ounces of water keep your skin hydrated. but it also helps to get rid of dead skin cells.

The amazing, antioxidant powers of garlic can be used in your fight against acne. Garlic helps to purge the toxins in your body and make way for new skin to develop. Add garlic to your diet in any way that you find sensible; some ideas include adding it to foods or drinks.

If acne breakouts are common for you, wash your face more often during the day. To help cut down on breakouts, wash your face both morning and night.

Having a lot of pressure and stress in your daily life may be the driver for any acne you may have. Carve out a little time for relaxation. Doing something that you like will reduce the stress and balance your hormones, which are the actual cause of acne. Smoking and caffeine should be avoided to improve your skin.
Cell phones can actually cause acne breakouts. Constantly pressing your dirty phone to your skin can encourage acne breakouts. Clean your phone often to keep it from clogging your pores. Try not to touch your phone to your face when you use it.

Eliminate stress as much as possible. Acne is exacerbated by stress. Try to meditate and/or exercise on a daily basis. When you work out in a relaxed state of mind, you will find yourself more at peace.
Acne is a prevalent condition in our society. It is frustrating trying to find a cure for this often chronic skin condition. There are some great solutions in this article. Stick with the suggestions long enough, and you can have clear, glowing skin.