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The Hot Spring:
Bog Hot Spring is a collection of several hot springs into a man made ditch that leads to the irrigation pond at Bog Hot Springs Ranch. Hot water emerges at around 122 degrees F from several springs that all collect in the man made ditch. Where the water in the ditch/creek is around 105 degrees F several dams have been built forming soaking ponds. The temperature varies depending on ambient air conditions but you can always find your desired temperature by moving up or down the river. The ponds are sand bottomed and sand sided which is nice and comfortable on the feet.
The Bog seems to be very well known, where every soaker that knows Nevada or Oregon loves this place and thinks its a special gem. The hot creek with good flow in a high dessert is rare and unique and offers a really good soak. Despite how well known Bot Hot is generally you can have it all to yourself. One exception is that it is popular on Memorial Day weekend, with over five groups of campers and even a couple airplanes. In some places five groups is considered a small amount of people, but up in the high dessert of Northern Nevada that is a large amount of people.
Mites, they are in some of
Mites, they are in some of the hotsprings.
Those are "Harvest bugs" or
Those are "Harvest bugs" or "duck mites" and they are a member of the chigger family. Yes they are pervasive at springs in natural grass settings (And the bog has a lot more mud than sand. You were just where I or others clean the scum out regularly and maintain the dams so it does not build up or wash out the dams build on the mud. They are in most springs around here unless the water chemistry is wrong. That is a big reason for the tubs and pools instead of ponds. You can see them when they are bad like a bright red film of millions on the edges. They are attracted to light at night or a finger anytime to test. They can't navigate fast water. When you are bit up and don't like itching for weeks don't go back to that infested springs. THAT is why bog hot is not over populated, and horse flies from hell due to the ranch there.
They are red mites (something
They are red mites (something we will add more info about at some point). They are little (almost microscopic) and red, and run across the top of the water to bite you right around the water line. They look like tiny red dots. Sometimes they are bad and sometimes they are not depending on outside conditions and time of year (I think). One thing we have noticed is they the mites like springs that have natural grass on an edge of the pool. Bog Hot is natural like that, so it makes sense they could be a problem.
Yes, I used to live in Denio
Yes, I used to live in Denio & I seem to recall the exact thing you are describing. No harm ever came from it other than a mild nuisance...
I don't know exactly what they are but I remember they were tiny, red & what I thought was a mite at the time, but again, can't say for sure.
We just enjoyed Bog Hot
We just enjoyed Bog Hot Springs - December 2011 - but were attacked by biting somethings in the water and are still itching under our arms. The bites (at least 50) were small to begin with, but have grown larger on me, with lots of scratching.
Does anyone know what these bugs are? Have you experienced this?
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