If your last camping trip was made less pleasurable because of pesky bugs and insects getting into your tent, then it’s time to take action! Don’t let critters that crawl or fly keep you awake at night; read our tips on how to make your tent (and surrounding areas) bug-proof.
Also, before we dive in, you will want to make sure that your tent is comfortable in the first place. The use of camping mattresses is a good option to explore. You can see examples on this site: Camp4.com, here you’ll find great reviews of it.
Insects Outdoors
Insects don’t just make a camping trip challenging; they crop up any place where there’s a food source. No picnic, backyard get-together, or visit to the park is safe from an opportunistic bug loitering around. The good news is they provide a delicious meal for the birdlife and any nearby amphibians. The bad news is they alight on uncovered food, your skin, mouth, and eyes, and even try to climb into your sleeping bag with you.
Some insects can cause symptoms ranging from a mild allergic reaction all the way through to a full-blown visit to the hospital. And then there’s the issue with bites, itches, and general irritation. If you are looking for a hassle-free camping experience the next time you go camping, follow up on some of the helpful hints below.
Image: ekamelev
Insects: What Time of Year Do Insects Prefer & Where to Set Up Camp
Obviously, there are going to be more insects around at certain times of the year compared to others. There’s no escaping them though, because the United States has around 176 mosquito species alone, although fortunately, their numbers begin to drop off when cooler weather arrives. Because this particular pest presence is closely linked to the temperature (anything over the 50°F/10°C), you will be able to at least get a heads up what to expect when you head out for a campsite.
Check that your campsite is clear of the following:
- Any artificial light sources like illumination poles for roads, restrooms, and facilities
- Water troughs, ponds, and pools containing still water
- Outhouses
- Rotting vegetation, dense foliage, tall grass and bushes, and old logs
Instead, look for sites that have a nice breeze wafting through and plenty of places for a fire pit. Moving air and smoke is a mosquito’s worst enemy. You might want to learn a few camping hacks to stay ahead of the game.
The Most Common Bugs Found in Campsites and Forests
Mosquitoes: You won’t easily find a campsite in warmer weather where these annoyances don’t show up. And they actually do prefer some people over others which makes it even more unfair. Mosquitoes use carbon dioxide emissions and the person’s metabolic rate to zone in on them. There’s not much you can do to make your body stop metabolizing, but if you fall into one of the following categories, you should take extra precautions.
- Pregnant
- Overweight
- Drinking alcohol
- Doing anything strenuous or exercising
- Wearing scent or perfume. If you need to take facial cleansing products, make sure they smell citrusy.
Image used courtesy of Mosquito Magnet
Ticks: The next insect pest on this list makes everyone anxious, and with good reason. Ticks hang out in wooded areas, and there are four really nasty species for you to keep an eye out. It also helps to wear the right clothes in light colors so you can see them stand out, and then you won’t be in any danger of accidentally tracking a tick back into your tent.
- Deer tick
- Lone star tick
- Rocky Mountains Wood tick
Stinging Flying Insects: This includes anything in the bee, wasp, hornet, and yellow jacket family. Always pour drinks with sugar into a glass, and never swig them straight out of the can. Shoo them away, never swat.
Ants: Ants nips can itch and sting with the best of them. Keep food and drinks under covers when they are no longer being consumed, and throw containers into a trash bag or garbage bin.
Flies: If you love the thought of setting up camp on a farm, prepare yourself for a fly invasion. Where there’s livestock, there’s flies, and lots of them.
Spiders: When you know how to keep creepy crawlies out of your tent, you won’t have to worry about a spider getting in.
A Bug-Free Tent
Now that you have a good idea of what insects are out there and which ones are the most trouble, it’s time to figure out the best way to make sure they stay out of your tent. As an added bonus, there are some tips on keeping them away from your campsite in general.
If you can set up your tent in a place of elevation, away from dense vegetation and as far away from a water source as possible, that’s the best way to stay high, dry, and relatively bug-free. A good way to gauge if it’s a nice spot to camp is to keep your ears listening for the sound of frogs croaking. If you can hear bullfrogs, you are too close to water.
Prepare Your Tent Properly
There is a certain amount of tent etiquette you’ll need to do while you are still at home. Before you put your tent in the car, check it hasn’t any snags or holes from the last time you had it in use. If you have the tent repair kit, use it to patch up the rips; insects are tenacious little critters and will find the tiniest hole to infiltrate.
Next, check that the tent’s zippers pull all the way up to the top and there are no gaps when the zipper is closed. The best technique to use when placing a sleeping bag or air mattress/foam into the tent is to unzip it the barest minimum, throw the bag or mattress inside, and then quickly zip it up again.
Getting In and Out of Your Tent
The key is to get in and out of your tent as quickly as possible. If you are in the market for a new tent, try to get one with a little tarp flap outside the tent entrance. It can act as a carpet or doormat so that you don’t track anything in. Give yourself a dust down there before you enter your tent, remove your shoes, and scoot inside fast. You can even get a tent that has a miniature porch effect where you can check your clothes and shoes in comfort.
When you have entered quickly into your tent, zip up the door in a flash behind you and check the floor as you do so, just to make sure nothing followed you in. Never use a light source when you are unzipping or zipping your tent. If you have to see where you are going, use one of those blacklight insect repellant lanterns. There are some really good camping lantern bug zappers that will help you see and eradicate inquisitive insects.
The final tip for good tent etiquette is to never leave your tent unzipped, especially after the sun has begun westering after around 3.30 p.m.
Smoke and Fire
Most insects are repelled by smoke and fire. This is great, because campsite fires are one of the best things about camping. There’s nothing nicer than standing around a fire with your fellow campers.
But did you know there are some things you can throw on a fire that will repel insects even more? If you take a few bunches of these herbs with you, they act as a natural bug-away:
- Lavender
- Mint
- Lemon balm
- Citronella
- Sage
But the king of all insect-repellant herbs is rue.
Rue: Ruta graveolens
Image used courtesy of Wiki Commons
Rue is often thought to be a weed; it grows anywhere and smells like a cross between washing powder and gasoline. However, rue is one of the best herbs to use as an insect repellant.
- You can rub it on your dog or put it in the dog’s basket to keep away ticks and fleas.
- You can put rue in your tent, under your air mattress, or in your backpack and jacket pockets to repel insects.
- You can burn rue on the fire to scare away flying insects.
- You can bruise the leaves and flowers of the rue herb. This releases the smell better and then you can rub it anywhere you don’t want insects to go.
Rue is a very versatile herb for ridding your tent and campsite of bugs naturally, or else you can always use insect sprays and repellants with citronella. Make sure you get the kind you can use on pets too if your dog is accompanying you on your camping trip. Never use insect sprays close to a fire or open flame.
Keep insects and bugs out of your tent, and you will have a good chance of having the perfect camping trip.
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