Mosquitos, ticks, spiders, snakes, etc.

Tagged: , ,

  • Activations group

    Mosquitos, ticks, spiders, snakes, etc.

    Posted by Jim on 2026-07-17 at 09:00

    Field operating puts us in the same terrain that wildlife calls home, and our radio gear is rarely the thing that draws blood. Anyone who has spent a season chasing POTA and SOTA activations has a story about a tick check that ran long, a mosquito cloud that showed up right as the pileup started, or a snake that had opinions about which rock made a good antenna mount.

    The risks vary a lot by region and season. Tick-borne illness is probably the most persistent threat for anyone operating in wooded or brushy parks, since ticks are small, patient, and easy to miss until hours later. Mosquitos are more of an immediate nuisance than a long-term hazard in most of North America, though that changes in areas with active mosquito-borne disease. Spiders and snakes tend to be more about the startle factor and the occasional bite than a daily concern, but anyone operating in the desert Southwest or the Gulf states will have a different risk profile than someone in New England.

    What’s less talked about is how much this shapes where and how we set up. A perfect looking clearing with good takeoff angle can turn out to be tall grass loaded with ticks, or a rock pile that’s clearly already occupied. Some of it you learn by reading the terrain, some of it you learn the hard way.

    A few questions for the group:

    Have you had a close encounter in the field, something that made you rethink a setup site or cut an activation short? Bites, stings, an unwelcome visitor at the operating table, all of it counts.

    What do you actually do to prevent problems before they start? Repellent choices, clothing, gaiters, tick checks, timing your activation around the worst hours for biting insects, anything that’s become part of your standard kit or routine.

    Has your approach changed over time, either because of a bad experience or because you found something that just works better?

    This seems like the kind of thing where the collective experience of people who actually operate outdoors regularly is worth a lot more than a generic packing list. Curious what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what everyone wishes they’d known before their first season of activations.

    Jim replied 1 minute ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
  • 0 Replies

Sorry, there were no replies found.

Log in to reply.

Start of Discussion
0 of 0 replies June 2018
Now

Report

Contains abusive or derogatory content
Bias is a tendency to favor or lean towards one perspective, person, or group, often at the expense of another. Bias can be conscious or unconscious (implicit) and can influence judgment, decision-making, and behavior. Unlike prejudice, which is explicitly about preconceived notions, biases can be more subtle and can even occur without the individual being fully aware of them. Bias is broader and can be positive or negative, affecting various aspects of life like decision-making in work, preferences in social settings, etc. Bias is basically a difference of opinion and that must be respected. Prejudice, however, refers to negative, preconceived opinions or attitudes held by an individual or group towards another group or individual, often without factual basis or experience. Prejudices are usually harmful, leading to unfair treatment or discrimination. They are often based on stereotypes and can be about race, gender, religion, nationality, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Prejudice is more about feelings and attitudes. Ham Community does not tolerate prejudice. We are all different, that's fine. Remember, duty and honor are built on respect. Use this reporting category sparingly and only if you are quite certain that the member is being openly and hurtfully prejudiced.
This member displays harrassing or bullying behavior
Contains mature or sensitive content
Member is aggressive or insulting to others
Member believes this content possibly contains misleading or false information
Member is not inappropriate or ill-meaning but consistently provides poor or misleading advice.
This content seems to advertise or promote products or services without explicitly saying so or seemingly having obtained permission from site administrators.
Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

  • See blocked member's posts
  • Mention this member in posts
  • Invite this member to groups
  • Message this member
  • Add this member as a connection

Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Report

You have already reported this .