Much of Scouting occurs in the outdoors, where we are the visitors and the animals and insects are perfectly at home. A squirrel, raccoon or other creature might be completely comfortable and healthy hanging out in the same area as bugs and other critters.
Humans? Not so much.
And, sometimes, it’s not just a matter of inconvenience. Mosquitoes, ticks, mammals and other creatures can spread disease to people. And we’ve all seen enough scary movies to know what a spider or snake can do to someone who isn’t paying attention.
What’s the solution? To hold all of your Scout outings indoors?
Nope.
The answer, as always, is to Be Prepared.
Know the area you will be visiting. Is it wooded? Near a swamp? Known to have a high population of deer, raccoons or bats? Has it been populated with mice or rats that might have left behind a virus or bacteria in fleas or feces?
Read about staying safe around bugs and animals in the Guide to Safe Scouting and the Centers for Disease Control links listed within it, then come back and take our quiz.
Anyone who takes this quiz below will be entered to win a $100 scoutshop.org gift card. (Contest ends April 30, 2020, but you can still take the quiz afterwards). Best used with the most updated version of your web browser.
Find answers to other frequently asked health and safety questions at go.scoutingmagazine.org/safetyfaq
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Which of the following is not an effective way of protecting yourself and your family from getting sick or injured from animals?
They said correct answer is “Approach only small animals in the wild.”
But the questions says “…is NOT an effective way…”
So I say “Wash your hands often, especially before preparing and eating food.” is correct.