There are several types of insects, snakes and plants that you need to look out for while you’re out hiking or caving. Here are some of the most common ones you need to know about:
Ticks:
Ticks are plentiful in Indiana, and they love anyone out in the woods or tall grass, especially cavers! They can also be quite tiny and it can be hard to tell if you have one attached somewhere. Please use bug spray when you are out hiking (bug spray with at least a small percentage of DEET is most effective). This is especially important since ticks carry lyme disease. Wearing a hat helps keep them out of your hair. Doing a nightly “tick check” after a day out in the woods is a good idea to ensure a tick isn’t attached to you, (especially if you have a special friend to help you look....)
Information on Ticks
Chiggers:
Probably no creature on earth can cause as much torment for its size than the tiny chigger.
Please use bug spray when you are out hiking (bug spray with at least a small percentage of DEET is most effective).
Information on Chiggers
More information on Chiggers
Mosquitoes:
Another prevalent insect. Mosquitoes down this way can carry disease, so again, use bug spray!
Information on Mosquitoes
Snakes:
There are many types of snakes in Indiana, some poisonous, other harmless. If you see a snake, please do not disturb it, avoid contact with it and each of you go your own way. Snakes are part of our ecosystem so please do not harm them. Here is a web page with photos of common Indiana snakes that you may encounter:
Information on Snakes
The poisonous snakes you need to be able to identify are timber rattlers, copperheads, and cottonmouths (water moccasins). Poisonous snakes (pit vipers) have triangular shaped heads, which helps distinguish them from non-poisonous snakes.
Itchy Plants
There are several variety of plants in Indiana that can make you have an itchy allergic reaction. The best thing to do is learn to identify these, and DON’T TOUCH! If you accidentally touch and have a bad reaction, use cortisone creme or calamine lotion to help with the itches. If you have a severe reaction, please go to a doctor’s clinic for assistance, there are prescription medicines available for severe reactions.
Poison ivy: “Leaves Three, Turn and Flee!” That’s an old saying that will help you stay away from poison ivy, since it has groupings of three leaves. Some leaves are notched, but not all. New leaves are shiny with a red tint, while older leave are dull.
http://www.poison-ivy.org
Stinging Nettle: This doesn’t make you itch, it stings! Luckily the stinging wears off in about 20 minutes, but it’s most unpleasant! If you get into stinging nettle, try not to scratch and the burning will subside faster.
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Stinging_nettle/stinnett.htm
Poison Oak: Another plant that causes a rash similar to poison ivy.
http://www.knoledge.org/oak/identify.html
