Bugs, snakes, and other pests
It is more than likely that you will run into your fair share of unusual and possibly dangerous critters and crawlers. From snakes to pestering mosquitoes, you’ll be swatting away and jumping from many different bugs and insects so its important that you keep an eye on them while you travel through Asheville’s gorgeous mountain scape. Its a beautiful place indeed, but it is nature, and other living beings live here, this is there home and you’ve stepped right in the middle of it. Make sure to keep this in mind, because the trees and dirt you march through, is their habitat.
In most wooded areas of the forest you will end up encountering mosquitoes. Red bumps will appear on your body and you probably wont really even know how or why. Make sure to bring your ointments and creams along with you on long hikes, as well as long socks that you can use to protect yourself. You’ll also come across grasshoppers, who wont harm you, but will certainly pose stiff for a picture if they feel shocked or threatened. They’re fast though, so if you arent careful they’ll hop away qucikly.
Another annoying pest you’ll find are ticks. I’ve unfortunately met the wrath of these small bugs when I was younger and about 3 of them decided to latch on to my back. I was wearing a very thin shirt while sifting through some bushes and ended up finding them latched on to me in the shower. The forest is littered with these little parasites so keep an eye out.
Snakes are a great fear of many mountain travelers, and indeed the serpents do line the dirt in the most secret and invisible of places. However, not all snakes are as deadly or venomous. Garden snakes are non-venomous and much less dangerous than most snakes. You’ll see plenty of them along your hikes and there is no need to crush or hurt them as they will not bother you. Usually the best thing to do is to spot the stripes lined on the snake. If the pattern is unrecognizable then its better to steer clear. The same applies to multi-colored or bright colored frogs which are most often venomous and not to be messed with.
Arachnophobes beware, spiders are no stranger to the tall oak and spruce trees that line to forest, and will spin their webs from branch to branch. The best option in many cases is to stay away from the underside of trees as you might run into and get caught in the webs. Make sure to shake yourself off well if you find yourself in this situation.
There many crawling bugs and slithering reptiles out there in the wild, so make sure you keep an eye out for them to make sure you and your fellow travelers are safe.
