Biting Insects in Germany
 

I'm leaving for Germany in a couple of weeks and plan to camp in the woods until mid-June.

Are there any biting insects in Germany and if so is DEET effective against them?

Don't worry about it. The woods in Germany are fine for sleeping in. I usually just sleep in a sleeping bag on a tarp. June is early for mosquitos in northern europe, but any old mosquito repellant is worth having with you ("Autan" is the most often found repellant in germany

A very few times ants have crawled into my ears... This makes a loud scratching noise. Pour water into the ear to flush 'em out. No big deal :)

Hope this helps

edit: oh and maybe check your body for ticks now and again... but no big worry there either

I've never had an earwig crawl into my ear (and eat my brain)... this is a myth according to entomologists.

*share the woods with our little friends* :)

Mosquitos, horse flies and ticks exist here.
Deet is highly effective against all of them.

True, but in comparison to North America, Germany is practically free of them. Of course it varies by region, time of year, and time of day... but you can see more mosquitoes in one hour on Long Island than in a whole summer in Germany.

Mid June it starts. Problems occur only near water, like the Lake Constance or slow running rivers. DEET works but I think you can't buy it here. But it's not a big problem at all.

Thomas

"Biting insects in Germany" I think it would be fine to do, I would suggest having with sauerkraut and mustard so as not to offend the native folk.

I had heard that ticks are a big problem in Southern Germany and Austria and that many carry 'tick borne encephalitis'? I have seen reccomendations that if camping a lot in the area during the summer tick season it is a good idea to be vaccinated against it. Very interested to hear JohnyW's thoughts on that. I saw a good map on line showing the areas where the risk is highest but annoyingly I can't find it now.

I work for County Vector Control (Mosquito abatement-health) here in So. Cal and travel often to Europe/Eastern Europe in my summers.
Mosquitoes in wooded areas are at times quite heavy-they will feed both day and night hours. Mosquitoes rest during the day under the leaves of plants and are attracted to carbon dioxide given off by mammals. On hikes in Ukraine my son and I would pass through a damp shaded area and start to run through (laughing of course) because of the number of mosquitoes that lighted on us in an area. Ticks-as mentioned-'tick borne encephalitis' indeed has been a concern. Black Flies are the worst-they cause a large red bump at times and a real good itch.
I'd still go in a heartbeat! Bring a mosquito net for sleeping.

There you have a map, showing hightened tick levels in southern Germany:
http://www.zecken.de/typo3temp/pics/...51b45fb7a1.jpg

I have been living all my life in south-western Germany where ticks are very common. However i got bitten only 3 times and all of them when i was below the age of 10.
You should really not be worried about them if you wear long trousers whilst walking through high grass. I would also recommend to check yourself for ticks after walks in the grass.

Ticks will cling to the blade end of grasses and branches along trails sides and "hook-on" to passing mammals. But adult and larve instar feed. Early instars are quite small.
I wouldn't be overly concerned. It's nothing like the chigger bites gotten hiking in New Mexico or last Spring in Belize, doing some building in tall grass. Three times working away, unknowingly standing on Fire ant mounds in sandles and shorts.-By the end of the trip I had hundreds of bites on both feet.

Hi,

I don't have a vaccination for - but I recommend this. It's an increasing problem. But there are nearly no problems if you stay on paths and camp on campgrounds.

Thomas

Around by us (Berlin and Brandenberg) the woods are hoaching with wild boar, which come out around sunset, just at prime camping time! Not sure if I prefer a few midgy bites or being woken up by a bunch of inquisitive boar!