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Are there less bugs now?


Rytynmom

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Just wanted to find out from others who’ve been geocaching for a while if they have found that there are less trackable bugs to be found in geocaches. My kids and I started geocaching in 2012 and I went away from it for a few years but now when I noticed there aren’t any bugs in any of the geocaches around me it makes me wonder where they have all gone? When my kids and I first started geocaching we were constantly moving bugs from one geocache to another within 100 mile radius for the most part otherwise we were taking them off to different areas of the country.

Although I’m looking forward to getting into it again, the bugs made it fun along with finding the cache.

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7 minutes ago, Rytynmom said:

Just wanted to find out from others who’ve been geocaching for a while if they have found that there are less trackable bugs to be found in geocaches. My kids and I started geocaching in 2012 and I went away from it for a few years but now when I noticed there aren’t any bugs in any of the geocaches around me it makes me wonder where they have all gone? When my kids and I first started geocaching we were constantly moving bugs from one geocache to another within 100 mile radius for the most part otherwise we were taking them off to different areas of the country.

Although I’m looking forward to getting into it again, the bugs made it fun along with finding the cache.

They get stolen so fast these days so I don't release as many as I used to. Finding one in a cache that isn't a TB Hotel is very rare in my experience.

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17 minutes ago, Rytynmom said:

Can you tell me where to find TB hotels? They are safer there correct. 

Safe is a relative term.

They are safer, in my opinion. There's a TB Hotel in my city that's at a Visitor's Center. You have to ask the staff for the cache, and then go thru it in the lobby. I would never ever leave a TB in there again after seeing how many of them go missing or get stolen.

There are lots of bookmark lists for TB Hotels, but this will get you started: Click on the map icon to get a visual of the locations. Again, this is just one source to help you out.

 

Let's see if I copy these links correctly:

https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BM1YG3P?sort=name&sortOrder=asc&skip=0&take=20

 

https://www.geocaching.com/plan/lists/BM60KN2?sort=name&sortOrder=asc&skip=0&take=20

Edited by Max and 99
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1 hour ago, Rytynmom said:

That way we could attach the code to items that maybe aren’t so shiny.

One of the bits of advice I got about TB tags was to attach them to something interesting enough to encourage geocachers to take photos of them along their journey, but not so desirable (either to children or to adults) that they get stolen.

 

Also, be sure to attach a laminated card with the trackable's goal, so people know where to take it without needing to be online.

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2 hours ago, Rytynmom said:

Just wanted to find out from others who’ve been geocaching for a while if they have found that there are less trackable bugs to be found in geocaches. My kids and I started geocaching in 2012 and I went away from it for a few years but now when I noticed there aren’t any bugs in any of the geocaches around me it makes me wonder where they have all gone? When my kids and I first started geocaching we were constantly moving bugs from one geocache to another within 100 mile radius for the most part otherwise we were taking them off to different areas of the country.

Although I’m looking forward to getting into it again, the bugs made it fun along with finding the cache.

 

For some time people were swiping trackables outta caches, never logging what happened to them.

 - New members mostly, maybe that trackable was the "souvenir" of their one weekend in this hobby...

We haven't heard of hoarders like years ago, but now that some are holding on to, and  "visiting" (took it to...) other's property for months/years at-a-clip,  they're close.

Add in that a faceboook  group posted hundreds of codes of trackables that were never even sent out by their owners.

Many micros, and "small" is now a pill bottle for some odd reason, with regular/large few.  

Still curious ?  ;)

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Rytynmom said:

Can you tell me where to find TB hotels? They are safer there correct. 

 

I feel it depends on the area.  Some last a long time, and have everyone working together.     :)

Others, if not "prisons" for other's property, might as well have a "come steal me"  sign on the container.

 Many we've seen, have the most people "watching".

 - Could be why trackables are turning up "missing" from them regularly...

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Thanks for the info and updates. Being stealth is something that is seemingly more difficult and I tend to leave trackables in caches that are off the beaten path so whomever finds them does so intentionally. 
Still glad to pick up a hobby (and a few ticks) that I had left for awhile. I will do my part and get some bugs out there, and maybe send out a few new caches too.

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1 hour ago, Rytynmom said:

Thanks for the info and updates.

Being stealth is something that is seemingly more difficult and I tend to leave trackables in caches that are off the beaten path so whomever finds them does so intentionally. 
Still glad to pick up a hobby (and a few ticks) that I had left for awhile.

I will do my part and get some bugs out there, and maybe send out a few new caches too.

 

We never worried about stealth, especially off that beaten path.   :)

We have found that trackables in a few areas we've been seem to last longer when the caches are 2T and above.

In the beginning we thought it had to do with new basic members and the app, now we understand few want to walk anymore.  :D

Rather than just lose 'em all, I'm leaving unactivated geocoins as swag in a (to me) nice cache.  Might get folks to walk a bit too...

A lot of friends use the code from their trackables, and put it on something else (pack, lucky hat, hiking stick...) to allow Discover logs with people they meet on the trail and events.

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It's because Geocaching is mistakenly touted as a global treasure hunt, which causes newbies to think that the "treasure" inside of them in theirs for the taking.  If it were more accurately described as a global hide-and-seek game, maybe people wouldn't focus so much on the "treasure" part of it.  TBs look official, with their tags and numbers.  A perfect souvenir from your "treasure hunt."  And yeah, probably some people are just stealing them.  On my one and only TB, I wrote in the description that if the finder liked the glass pendant attached to it, to please let me know and I would send them a duplicate, so that the pendant itself could continue its journey.  But it was likely taken by someone who had no idea what a TB is and that they are supposed to find it on the site.  I even narrowed the thief down to three possible culprits (thanks to the RESPONSIBLE geocachers before and after them who communicated that is was there and not there), and wrote to each one individually.  No responses.  So I assume they just liked the pendant and chose to keep it. 

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Possible reasons for this:

 

1-Geocaches are too small to hold Travel Bugs. 

2-Containers that degrade too easily to safely hold Travel Bugs (kitchen food storage containers do not hold up to the elements) so geocachers are wary of releasing a Travel Bug. 

3-A Travel Bug that is too cute gets kept by a geocacher.

4-A Travel Bug that is not too cute gets left behind and if a geocache is muggled then.............bub'bye.

5-People who use the phone app vs. the GPS tend to "travel lightly" and have no desire to drop swag, collect swag or move Travel Bugs. I mean look how they log a find. 

(I would not say that is bad overall but its changed the activity somewhat)

6-And anything else. 

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It might just be me, but I continue to send out travel bugs.  I have sent out 189 so far, and have about 20 more tags to activate soon.  I've noticed that travel bugs survive much better outside of the US.  I have many in Europe and they seldom disappear, plus many pictures from around the World, places I will never go to.  I buy my tags from the Clearance - Items On Sail section at geocaching.com.

https://shop.geocaching.com/default/last-chance/last-chance-items

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I've recently bought my first four and waiting on delivery.

 

At the moment, I plan to send them out as proxies with a hitchhiker. I've set myself up to etch aluminium, so I'll make a little tag with the code and instructions on one side, and the goal on the other. Plus a cheap toy as the hitchhiker. From what I've read, that seems to be the best way to try and give the bug a long life - though nothing is guaranteed of course. The right mentality is to treat TB's like kids - you give them as much of a chance as you can, then you send them out into the world to hopefully make it on their own. 

Edited by Unit473L
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