Mosquitoes can get in your way of enjoying a memorable camping night. They are almost everywhere and it is practically impossible to find mosquito-free campgrounds. If you are looking for information on how to keep mosquitoes away while camping, you are among many outdoor enthusiasts dealing with the same issue.
Online searches for the best way to keep mosquitoes away while camping will provide several options, some of which are a waste of time and money. However, there are many proven ways you can keep these blood-sucking insects at bay.
Here’s a look at seven effective methods you can implement on your next camping trip.
7 Steps To Keep Mosquitoes Away While Camping
#1 Camp Away From Mosquito Breeding Site
Mosquitoes need food and water to survive, so it is natural for them to find specific breeding places. Camping grounds with lots of vegetation, swamps, and pools will have more mosquitoes than dry campgrounds.
It is recommendable to avoid setting camp at places where mosquitoes breed. The logic here is that dealing with 1000 mosquitoes is a lot easier than trying to prevent 100,000. Some of the things, to avoid that attract mosquitoes include:
- Areas near inhabited locations
Technically, these areas have more abundance of dirt, food remains, water, and other resources that mosquitoes need to breed.
- Areas with tall grass nearby
Tall grasses can hold water and provide hidden spots for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. They tend to carry more mosquitoes, especially if the area is also accessible to people and other wildlife.
- Areas with a lot of rubbish
Rubbish can provide breeding places, food, and water for mosquitoes. Campgrounds with more litter, bottles, and cans that can hold water will, therefore, attract more mosquitoes.
- Areas with storm drain
Storm drains will also trap other food sources and remain wet long after the storm has gone, providing perfect ground for mosquitoes to multiply.
- Agricultural irrigation canals
Campgrounds near irrigation canals offer the ideal spot for mosquitoes to breed as they have an abundance of water and food.
#2 Bring A Tent With A Screen Room
Screen rooms have become a popular, effective solution if you are looking for how to keep mosquitoes away while camping. Most camping screen rooms are designed to be lightweight and easy to install with no onsite modifications.
A screen room, which is the cheapest installation of protected living space, is specifically designed to separate your area from outdoors. It can protect you from a wide variety of crawling and flying bugs, including mosquitoes. Without a screen room, you are going to be swamped by all sorts of nightcrawlers and flyers around the area.
It is, therefore, recommendable to consider purchasing one that includes the essential fixture.
You do not have to spend heaps of dollars on expensive screen room tents. There are various inspirational ideas for simple DIYs you can innovate. This will only require some poles and a mesh fabric that prevents mosquitoes from passing through to the tent.
Screen rooms are also selling like crazy in online shops, so you can find a fair deal. The price will depend on the quality, design, and size of the screen room you need. With a screen room separating you from outdoors, you can implement other methods, such as spraying natural mosquito repellents around the tented area’s circumference.
#3 Bring A Mosquito Trap
There are several traps you can purchase online, and this is one of the most effective ways of dealing with mosquitoes when camping. Mosquito traps can trap thousands of insects in a single night and are installed to reduce the population of mosquitoes in different areas.
There are various types of traps designed to attract, trap, and kill mosquitoes, so you can compare your options. Primarily, these traps attract female mosquitoes using the same signals they use to find human blood. This includes CO2 (that mosquitoes respond to when you breathe out), heat, light, and fragrances.
Installing traps around your tent can help reduce the number of mosquitoes that end up attacking you during the night. However, there is the risk of attracting more mosquitoes, especially if the traps use scents that draw the insects. Simply make sure you purchase a camping mosquito trap of the right size.
A simple sticky surface should function just fine, although you can find traps that use a fan to strike the mosquitoes or an electric grid that electrocutes and kills any bugs that cross it. There are many options, including bug zappers and ultrasonic devices, to get some fantastic defenses. However, some are just fancy with no practical application in the wild.
#4 Use Natural Mosquito Repellents
Natural mosquito repellents offer another best way of keeping mosquitoes away while camping. Several natural compounds and scents carry the reputation of repelling bugs and insects, such as mosquitoes. As such, you should review all offers keenly before spending money on any mosquito repellents.
Some of the natural options recommended for general use at home or camp include lemon eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil, lavender, thyme oil, soybean oil, Greek catnip oil, tea tree oil, and citronella, among others.
However, purchasing these natural options is only useful if you have a tent, a screen room, and fewer mosquitoes to deal with.
The best time to use mosquito repellents is after sunset since this is when they emerge from their hiding places. If you set camp during the day and there seems to be no sign of mosquitoes, it is because they come out at night. You can burn essential oils, such as citronella candles, peppermint, lemongrass, lavender, and thyme.
These scents have been proven to repel mosquitoes and can be used around the screen room to keep them from entering your tents. You can also use essential oil scents on your clothes and bedding when you go to sleep.
#5 Wear Clothes That Prevent Mosquito Bites
It is essential to bring the right camping gear, including your night pajamas. The ideal clothes to wear, if you are looking to keep mosquitoes at bay, are long-sleeved shirts and pants. However, this is nowhere near comfortable, especially during a hot and eventful summer camp. Fortunately, there are a couple of options for campers.
A wearable mosquito net, for instance, can provide head to toe coverage, keeping all mosquitoes from getting a bite of your skin. These are ideal if you are camping on grounds known to have malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.
Besides a wearable net, you can use bug repellent bracelets. These are wearables that emit natural scents known to repel mosquitoes. You can find bracelets that contain some citronella oil or lavender and thyme oil to help keep mosquitoes away while you are asleep.
Bug repellent bracelets are starting to become trendy among campers and highly recommended by many. You can also spray your sleep pajamas or clothes using natural mosquito repellents.
#6 Make A Campfire
Campfires are almost inseparable from camping and can also be used to keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes generally flee from fire, heat, and smoke. However, these fires are also the source of CO2, one of the signals that attract mosquitoes. A campfire can attract all sorts of crawling and flying bugs.
As such, it is recommendable to burn some natural repellent that will musk the CO2 and keep away mosquitoes. Simply throw in some fresh or dry branches of herbs that smell heavenly. Mosquitoes have lavender, lemon balm, citronella, and sage, all of which are cheaply available at local and online stores.
You can also add in some hummus for thicker smoke, which is a natural repellent for bugs and mosquitoes. This is a simple way to deter mosquitoes, especially if you are using modern, smoke-free, portable outdoor campfire stoves. If the campground is notorious for mosquitoes, find an all-natural mosquito or bug repellent to spritz to the fire. The goal is to enjoy a campfire while keeping bugs away.
#7 Avoid Attracting Mosquitoes
The best way of keeping mosquitoes away while camping is to avoid attracting them. Making sure you stay away from their breeding sites and remove anything that can send them to your direction.
Various things attract mosquitoes, some of which are out of your control. However, it is still important to know them, so you can find ways to keep mosquitoes at bay. Mosquitoes trail the following:
- Perfumes and body fragrance
- Carbon dioxide and body heat
- Sweat and urine
- Alcohol and scented spills
- Movement
It is recommendable to maintain a clean environment, clear any standing water, and keep the air well circulated in your tents. Find secluded spots for your shoes, dirty laundry, and litter to eliminate any scents and remains that can attract mosquitoes.
You should also set up a tent far away from where you visit to urinate or dispose of used water.
Final words,
There are several other minor things you can do concerning how to keep mosquitoes away while camping. It is recommendable to review each method and find out all its merits and demerits.
Bug sprays, for instance, may kill mosquitoes but comes with an extensive profile of adverse impacts of using chemicals.
As such, you should focus on finding natural ways of keeping mosquitoes at bay, especially since you cannot eradicate them. Remember, the priority is to keep them from biting you and your family.
Did any of our tips above come in handy? Let us know which worked best for you in the comment section.
