stinging critters on the playa?

samdu · Post by **samdu** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 9:06 am

ok, this may sound like a weird question, but it's important to me.

the only thing in the whole world that i'm allergic to is venom. and i don't mean like "oh, she got bitten by a rattlesnake, take her to the hospital", i mean "oh she got bitten by an ANT and her whole foot is swollen as big as a football!" (note- my feet are not normally football sized.) i've ended up in the hospital before from the bite of normally harmless spiders, with threats of surgery to reduce swelling and drain fluids. not fun.

so, am i likely to meet these kinds of critters on the playa? i know, it's a desert, but i live in vegas, where there aren't supposed to be any bugs, and have already had to go to urgent care once due to a wasp sting. should i bring an epi-pen? do i need to be concerned about something crawling in my sleeping bag with me at night? or into my shoes, or clothes, etc? i'll definitely be bringing benadryl, but am concerned about the effects of heat on an epi-pen.

is there anyone else out there who has a similar problem? if so, how do you deal with it? any advice would be greatly appreciated!

sam

SilkenTofu · Post by **SilkenTofu** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 9:31 am

Sam

I would bring it just in case, or contact someone who works in the Med Tents at the event just to see if they stock this stuff.

The playa really can't suport life, but I have seen praying mantises and moths (dust moths). Obviously flying critters can come by and whatever someone may have creeping at the bottom of their camping gear can get in. But there is no apparent vegitation out on the playa so no real reason for crawly things.

Best to be self suffient.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:20 am

The standard advice in the Survival Guide is to bring any required prescriptions/meds.

There are rare occasional black widows, wasps, bees, and biting flies -- anything that lives on the margins of the basin might get blown onto the playa.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:57 am

Likely? No. Possible? Yes. Most of the bugs I've seen have been horse flies that get blown in by the wind front the hills and moths and such that people bring in with their gear. Never gotten bit, but anything can happen. Someone can bring in fleas with their blankets, ants in their picnic basket, etc. The biggest danger is probably not that something will crawl into your tent, it's that something will already be in it before you load it in your car.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:00 pm

One two bees and a humming bird droped in for a visit one year. The spiders I think rode in with some ones luggage. There was one poor bird last year. He/she got out of a truck after a long ride. Lots of peopele offerrd food and drink. The bird moved on as the city grew.

ness · Post by **ness** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 2:32 pm

I hate to admit it but when I got to BM and opened the front window cover on my rv there was a wasp nest full of them !

samdu · Post by **samdu** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 3:00 pm

ness wrote:I hate to admit it but when I got to BM and opened the front window cover on my rv there was a wasp nest full of them !

woop? (wasps out of place?)

thanks, all, this is the info i'm looking for. will definitely bring my epi-pen, and keep it in a cooler, just in case.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 3:08 pm

woop? (wasps out of place?)

thanks, all, this is the info i'm looking for. will definitely bring my epi-pen, and keep it in a cooler, just in case.[/quote]

//
You could get a long way away from that cooler. Best wear a tag that will help the people that come to your aid. Your going to have fun. Go for it.

Ozone · Post by **Ozone** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 3:51 pm

Yeah, bring the epi-pen. It sounds like you shouldn't go too far without it anyway. Not only bring it, but show your campmates how to use it should you be unable to, and make sure you can find the med-tent in an altered (by venom or whatever) state.

I haven't seen any bugs at all, however. Some people bite, though.

amnesia · Post by **amnesia** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 5:15 pm

Sounds like you are going to bring the pen, then!

With keeping it cool & close to you a concern,
it may be possible to submerse it in a thermos/mug
of water (baggie, etc). Going to be carrying water anyways is
what I'm thinking, and it does stay cooler longer than a pocket.

Your pen may aide someone else, too.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 5:24 pm

In 02-03 some ranger stop me and asked i was carrying nito. Seem the had a 20+ man with a heart history. He had been shooting up. The down was pretty bad. They got him stabelised and vac'ed to Reno. the fuckwit. The ranger got his shit and throw in a fire.

samdu · Post by **samdu** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:23 am

Ozone wrote:haven't seen any bugs at all, however. Some people bite, though.

as long as they're not venomous, i'm safe!

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:21 pm

I've camped out on the playa maybe 50 times now - there are scorpions in the hills around andflying insects of all kinds do get blown in - the only thing that has actually bitten me were horse flies that we had (only) one time - they would bite people though teeshirts leaving blood spots on their backs - not to my knowledge veneomous - and remember you are with 30,000 other potential targets - chances are they'll go for someone else ....