When do you go without a bugnet?

**Chesapeake** · 11-02-2016, 06:03

This is my first fall and winter in a hammock and I can't wait to go netless. I still get small webs on my suspension in the morning but I don't hear many insects at night anymore and all the flying nasties are pretty much gone as well. The thought of a spider sleeping with me creeps me out still though and I found an Assassin bug on my net yesterday morning. When does everyone else go netless?

**UnderDoug** · 11-02-2016, 06:11

I never go without a bugnet. I am a mosquito magnet and need all the protection I can get.

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**johnspenn** · 11-02-2016, 06:21

So far my wife and I haven't hammocked overnight with a bugnet yet. I've found that by the time we go to bed, the mosquitoes (where we've been anyway) just haven't been a problem. We usually get up early to start our day as well.

We use some spray around camp when necessary, but not a net. We have been forced to hike with a head net from time to time. I stopped packing one for our hammocks, although I do try to keep in mind that where we are has an impact on that.

**Billy Goat** · 11-02-2016, 06:55

I don't use a net. Treat my clothes and hammock with permethrin and have been bug free since. Spiders are a little different story, I suppose, but I haven't noticed enough of them to be an issue for me.

Cheers,
the Goat

**bobbycobbler** · 11-02-2016, 07:08

If night temps are in the low 50's, I'm not carrying my net.

**wa4chq** · 11-02-2016, 07:14

I guess it depends on what type of net you have....because if it is like a Fronkey style net, you could still take it if you are worried about bugs and if you mod it like I did, still have the option to slide it off to one side but it's there if needed. Agree with the others about Permetherin but I still haven't got brave enough to put it on my hammock. For what it's worth, I took my net off last week.

**OneClick** · 11-02-2016, 07:15

After a while you can just read the weather and know from experience depending on the area. For me, it's usually anytime after mid-september. Sometimes closer to October. But when in doubt, I take the netted hammock.

Last September 26-ish I started a trip in the UP of Michigan; man was I glad I had my WBBB (bug net)! The mosquitoes weren't too bad (swatting/killing 5 or less per day) but there were two outside my hammock ALL NIGHT. Anytime I woke up, I immediately heard the annoying "zzzzzzzzzz" 3" away from my ear. They wanted in BAD! It was in the 70s during the day, but other years it could have been snowing at that time so you just never know.

It's really just mosquitoes that bother me. The less-hungry bugs don't worry me so much. This past January I was hiking in about 6" of snow and the temps got up to 35 during the day. The previous week was cold; teens for lows. But as I was sitting in my hammock, some sort of fly was buzzing around me. That was new to me. I figured all bugs were completely gone by then.

Then on a March 31-April 3 this year I was swarmed by little gnats or something in the evening...only about 3pm-6pm, then they were gone. So definitely not a problem without the bug net.

**olddog** · 11-02-2016, 08:23

Never. Here in Florida you just never know. We've done weekenders where Friday night the mossies are working you over and the next night it's down to freezing. The netting is treated w/ permethrin so don't have much trouble with them buzzing me too much. I have laid in the hammock in Maine and watched them just fall off after a short time. We have more mosquitoes than any other state and now have zika. Better safe than sorry.
http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/Mosquitoes_of_Florida.htm

**Us5Camp** · 11-02-2016, 08:34

Originally Posted by bobbycobbler

If night temps are in the low 50's, I'm not carrying my net.

+1 Haven't used it here in MN from around Sept 20th thru now... there have been warmer days, I just didn't happen to hang on those days.

I like the colder nights anyway!