Emma Parker
A pest repellant is a substance applied to one’s skin, clothing, or other surfaces to deter insects from landing on that surface. These repellants help reduce the grave risk of being bitten by insects or other pests.
Many products are prevalent in the market for repelling mosquitoes and ticks. These repellants help prevent, repel, and mitigate pests.
These strong repellants create a vapor barrier that deters the insects from directly contacting one’s skin. An outdoor insect repellant should be:
- Resistant to abrasion
- Nontoxic
- Chemically stable
- Capable of providing long-lasting protection
- Not too greasy
Why is it important to wear insect repellant while camping?
Enjoying the outdoors comes with its own sets of pros and cons. When you enjoy the outdoors, you interact with nature. No matter how much you try to avoid these creepy, buzzy, and swarming pests, they will stay where their natural habitat is: outdoors! Thus, there is no surefire way of avoiding these pests!
There are several ways of keeping bugs at bay! This will prevent these annoying critters from leaving behind bites. Spraying a repellant also keeps the bugs/pests away from swarming around your food!
One simply shouldn’t get intimidated by flies, mosquitoes, and bees. No matter if you are a novice camper or a seasoned one, you can keep these little pests at bay by implementing the following ideas:
Bug sprays
You can keep bugs off of you by making use of conventional bug sprays! Every spray has an ingredient called DEET, which is an insect repellant. It has a pungent smell.
However, it is very effective and keeps the insects at bay! Our bodies release carbon dioxide, and pest sense and track carbon dioxide. A bug spray covers up the scent of carbon dioxide.
Hence, hunting insects will not be able to find you! These sprays have a scent repulsive to bugs, which automatically dissuades them from coming near you.
Homemade oil
You will be astounded to know that coconut oil and Neem oil have been proven to be great mosquito repellants when combined! There is an ever-increasing popularity of essential oils.
If you do not want to go the artificial way, homemade oil is a natural alternative to the heavy chemicals in bug sprays!
If you have sensitive skin, spraying the oil on your clothes is recommended. You can combine any of the following essential oils to make homemade oil:
- Basil
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Clove
- Neem
- Eucalyptus
Vinegar
This effective insecticide is one of the best ingredients for making pest control spray! Vinegar is an element that is acidic enough to kill many pests! It is an aqueous solution which consists of acetic acid and water.
Many people opt for apple cider vinegar and white vinegar as natural bug repellants! If you want all-round protection, you can spray the vinegar around the tent, campsite, and on your skin.
You should remember that vinegar alone is not effective against serious cases of infestation. You need to mix it with something! Some of the ideal and most effective ingredients to mix are rosemary, sage, and mint.
Mosquito repelling bracelet
While out on an adventure, you don’t want to bother spraying the bug repellant spray repeatedly. You can wear mosquito bracelets, which are wearable products that comprise the materials that are said to be the most effective for repelling mosquitoes.
Some companies also produce roll-on products that are used directly on the skin. Mosquito repellants mask the smell of carbon dioxide, and that’s how they repel mosquitoes.
Diffusers and coil
Mosquito coils, also known as mosquito incense, have been around for quite a while now. Mosquito coils are effective and repel insects.
However, their effectiveness is subject to weather conditions and other environmental variables. They usually come with a stand to hold them.
However, these coils tend to be more stable if they were to stand alone. If at you lit a mosquito coil near your adventure camp, ensure that you wrap an aluminum foil around the lit end of it to preserve the rest of it.
Garlic capsules
A garlic extract has sulfurs, and much evidence has shown these sulfurs to be effective against an array of insects. It has a lingering odor, which has the potential to deter mosquitoes from the outdoors.
It is recommended to use these capsules in conjunction with conventional measures. If you are camping in a humid area, you should ensure that you apply the repellant frequently, as you tend to sweat more. You should also keep it away from leather and plastic clothing.
Mint
This element helps in swaying insects away. You can mix alcohol and mint at a ratio of five to one and guard your tent against insects. One more hack is rubbing peppermint leaves against your skin.
However, while doing this, ensure that you are rubbing it against your bare skin with no moisturizer or sunscreen. Not only does mint exudes a great aroma, but it also repels insects!
This is a non-toxic, natural option for deterring the pests away or keeping them at bay! Mint is an herb that has menthol that repels mosquitoes and other pets.
Some of the ways of keeping your mind around your campsite are:
- In communal areas, keep a few mint plants.
- Use mint mouthwash for a refreshing breath.
- Pour mint mouthwash in a spray bottle. Spray it from time to time around your campsite.
Netting
A pest netting or an insect netting is a protective barrier mesh/shield that is usually made of woven poly. This fabric is lightweight, which lets in moisture as well as sunlight.
However, it keeps the insects such as flies, mosquitoes and bugs at bay! It acts as a protective covering for you! You can mount mosquito netting onto the poles or the near the tent.
Final words
All the measures help you protect yourself from these stingy pests! However, it is also recommended to refrain using the heavily scented products such as cologne/perfume. Pests are attracted to certain types of scents, and if you use perfumes, they will meander around you all the time!
If you want to take stricter measures, you can bring along a citronella or a lemon balm plant and keep it near your tent as it wards off stinging pests!
