Ontario Geocaching Association

Many people have asked what things can be dangerous and should be avoided while out caching. Many do not know how to identify these perils. Things such as Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettles Mosquitoes and Ticks should be avoided, but in order to avoid it you have to know what to look for first. Hopefully, by reading this section you will be able to identify the perils of caching and save yourself a few nasty surprises.

Poison Ivy is one of the most likely perils you will encounter but very few people know how to identify it. An old saying which will help you avoid poison ivy is, Leaves of three let it be!

Poison Ivy is a trailing or climbing vine, leaflets in clusters of three. Leaflets can be shiny, dull, toothless or saw toothed as above. Berries arrive later in the summer are white and in clusters also shown above.

Contary to popular belief, the rash caused by Poison Ivy is not transferrable from person to person by direct contact. In the event of contact, wash immediately with cool water. The rash will usually not develop until 2-6 hours after contact and can last up to 10 days depending on your sensitivity. By the way Poison Oak does not grow in Eastern Canada but it also has three leaves which are oak shaped.

Stinging nettle is another widely spread plant throughout Ontario. Both the leaves and the stems are covered with brittle, hollow, silky hairs that contain three chemicals that when combined can cause mild to severe skin irritation. Brushing against the brittle hairs with bare skin will cause the hairs to break and release its chemical cocktail on you.

You won't have any trouble recognizing when you have just walked through Nettles, you will begin to sting and itch like crazy. Don't touch the exposed area. As soon as you can find water, wash the exposed area and the discomfort should vanish almost immediately. The effects of stinging nettle are very short term. On the positive side, the fresh green leaves may be cooked and eaten like spinach, or made into soup or tea. (The sting is not present in the cooked or dried plant form.) In spring, a tea made from the leaves is a powerful tonic that provides many important vitamins and minerals. The vitamin C content works to help the iron be absorbed by the body. There are many folk and homeopathic medicinal uses for nettles.

Whether you are worried about the risk of West Nile Virus or just want to avoid the itchy sting of their bites. mosquitoes are everywhere. With the rising occurrence of West Nile Virus it has become even more important to avoid mosquitoes. There have been over 100 reported cases of West Nile Virus in Ontario last year and the number appears to be rising.

So how do we Fight the Bite? The best way is to cover any exposed skin, wear long sleeved shirts , mosquito netting whenever possible. Bright colours appear to help prevent mosquitoes from tracking you as a target. The use of a DEET containing product (maximum 10%) will also help keep the mosquitoes at bay. There are a number of non-DEET products available but there effectiveness has been tested to be around 10% of products which use DEET and have a much shorter useful life.

Ticks can be found throughout Ontario. The most common Ticks which attack humans are the American Dog Ticks. American dog ticks are known to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and tick paralysis. A less common variety of Tick in Ontario is the Blacklegged Tick also known as the Deer Tick. The blacklegged tick, has established populations in Long Point on Lake Erie and in Point Pelee National Park. Deer ticks are smaller than the Dog Ticks. Below is a picture of both to help you identify them.

The blacklegged tick is a carrier of Lymes disease. Lyme disease is an infection caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms of Lyme disease usually occur within one to two weeks, but can occur as soon as three days or as long as a month, after a tick bite. If you develop these symptoms : fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, fatigue and a skin rash, especially one that looks like a red bull's eye (called erythema migrans), seek medical advice. It is important to tell your doctor when and where you were bitten by a tick.

• Wear light-coloured clothing. It makes ticks easier to spot.
• Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt.
• Wear closed footwear and socks, never sandals. Tuck your pants into your socks.
• Use a tick repellant that has "DEET" (following the manufacturer's directions). Apply it to your skin and outer clothing. Avoid your eyes and mouth, as well as cuts and scrapes.
• Put a tick and flea collar on your pet and check for ticks periodically.
• If in an area where you might get a tick bite, search your body well for ticks. It's important to do this each day. Pay special attention to areas such as groin, scalp and armpits. Use a mirror to check the back of your body or have someone else check it.

Using thin tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, as shown in the above diagram and pull gently and slowly away from the skin. Do not twist, jerk, or pull hard on the tick or you risk leaving the mouthparts in the skin. After tick removal, disinfect the bite wound. If you find yourself scratching the bite consider covering it with a bandage to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. It is a good idea to save the tick in case it is necessary for later identification. Place the tick in a vial. Label the container with a date and note the attachment site of the tick. If you experience a rash, headaches, fever and flu-like symptoms after a recent tick bite consult your physician.

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