Questions tagged [insects]

For questions about or protection against foreign bugs, insects and mosquitoes.

For questions about or protection against foreign bugs, insects and mosquitoes.

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27 questions
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4 answers

If I have to put up with bed bugs can I prevent bites or stop the itch?

Sometimes you find out too late that your room or bed has bed bugs. Now I'm not afraid of bed bugs. They don't carry disease so they're far safer than mosquitoes. But I find the itching from the bites so severe that I can't get back to sleep. Do any…
hippietrail
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1 answer

Mosquito season in Swedish Lapland

This summer I want to hike along the Kungsleden, a trail in Swedish Lapland. The trail cross wet forests and swamps and I have read that in these places mosquitos and other insects are a nightmare due to their countless number. Which is the best…
k4ppa
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17
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7 answers

What type of mosquito repellent is most effective?

There are many different kinds of insect repellents and bug sprays on the market: sprays and lotions, chemical and natural, huge percentages of DEET and lower percentages, etc. What type of mosquito repellent is most effective (for travelers to…
jrdioko
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How to avoid bringing paper silverfish home from a vacation place?

I'm currently on the last full day of a week's stay at a vacation bungalow in the Netherlands. Tomorrow I will be going home, also in the Netherlands. This morning, I went to grab something from a bag and I saw several paper silverfish running…
Tinkeringbell
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15
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2 answers

Will I be stopped at customs if I bring the shell of a cicada through US customs?

So apparently people love cicada casings. In the US. I am in Japan, and have been asked to bring one back to the US. Will I be picked up at customs or have to declare cicada casings (the empty shell of a non-live insect)?
jmac
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14
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2 answers

What countries allow the export of butterflies?

I have a strange question regarding moving butterflies from one country to another (kind of a lame explanation, but please bear with me). I am collecting butterflies (basically doing something like this) and in order to expand my collection I am…
14
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2 answers

Where to eat Suzumebachi (Giant Sparrow Bee) in Japan?

Today I've read a lot about the craziest insect in Japan, the Suzumebachi. It's a kind of giant bee and, apparently, it's the most dangerous animal in Japan: Being stung is extremely painful and requires hospital treatment. On average 40 people die…
Geeo
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14
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4 answers

Should I bring sufficient anti-mosquito lotion to China?

We're going to travel around China, visiting mainly major cities. We'll be taking a river cruise in the south and probably visit some rice fields, so I expect we do need some protection. We wondering whether we should bring sufficient anti-mosquito…
Ivo Flipse
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13
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3 answers

What it the best method to protect from midges in Scotland?

I will be visiting Scotland next month, and I have been told over and over again to be particularly watchful for midges. They're annoying and they bite a lot! Can anyone recommend any good repellents or other methods/remedies to avoid being attacked…
Penumbra84
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12
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4 answers

How to find what are the dominant safety concerns a tourist should have in a country?

Safety concerns for tourists vary in type in countries. Some have insect concerns, eg. types of spider bites to avoid. Other countries have diseases which people should take vaccines for prior to departure. Some countries have crime levels which may…
Vass
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2 answers

What should I wear in the tropics during the rainy season?

Am going to Panama during the rainy season with my kids. What should we wear/take to be comfortable in the humidity? What kind of shoes? umbrellas? How do we avoid mosquito and chigger bites?
jenmarqt
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3 answers

Will mosquitoes bite through a mosquito net if skin is pressed against it?

Usually it's hard to put up travel mosquito nets so they give you enough space to turn in bed. I wonder if mosquitoes will bite through a mosquito net if skin is pressed against it, like when a foot is touching it. Does anyone either have experience…
10
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3 answers

Is Sweden full of mosquitoes during the summer?

Recently, I booked a vacation to Sweden (the south). Because I was so happy to go there, I bought a few books about it. Then, I noticed that there is a chance that you can be bitten by mosquitoes and another bug (which I don't know the name of) that…
AutoDemolisher
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Is a mosquito net strictly necessary when traveling through India in low cost accommodation?

I've been in other countries where malaria prevention is a must like Senegal or Kenya and almost all low cost accommodations include a mosquito net (sometimes broken, but in general in good condition). My doubts about that specifically for travel in…
Ivan
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Can I take an ant on a plane from Albania to a EU country?

This might be a weird question, but as an antkeeper I'm curious about any rules regarding bringing ants on a plane. In this particular case: on a flight from Albania to Belgium, but any broader answer is also very helpful. I tried checking all the…
Opifex
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