This is a beautiful spot for camping, but it is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Photo by the author
Prepare yourself against mosquitoes, from your backyard to the great outdoors.
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As I mentioned in a previous article “Bites and Rashes, Things to Avoid While Seeking Outdoor Adventures,” summer brings out many biting and stinging insects. Mosquito larva hatch, filling the late evening air with flying vampires. While at the bottom of the food chain, they are the cornerstone of the diet of many wildlife species. Their larva feed baitfish, watersnakes and other aquatic insects, while their winged adult forms feed birds, bats, frogs and other creatures. They play a valuable role in the ecosystem, but none of that changes the fact they can be a nuisance.
Mosquitoes in particular are attracted to the carbon dioxide that we exhale, as well as lactic acid, which is secreted from our sweat glands. The internet is full of natural remedy cocktails that can be sprayed on the skin as an alternative to the common chemical deet, used in most bug sprays. The CDC even recommends geranium or soybean oil as an alternative to deet. The first line of defense against mosquitoes should be clothing. If you choose to apply chemical repellents, it’s a good idea to apply them to a thin cloth-like mask such as buff headwear or clothing rather than directly on your face or skin.
The percentage of deet directly correlates with how long it will repel insects. 40% deet will repel insects for 10 hours, and the CDC recommends a minimum of 25% deet for the best protection against bites and bug-borne illnesses.
Permethrin can be applied directly to clothing to kill bugs on contact. The spray will continue to provide protection after several washes. Material treated with permetherin kills ticks, mosquitoes and black flies on contact.
A campfire is a great natural bug repellent. Other backyard natural repellents include peppermint, nodding onion, cedar, eucalyptus, sweet fern, wormwood, catnip and sagebrush. Sagebrush has a distinct odor when placed over coals that be an effective deterrent for bugs. All of these plant materials can be used as a smudge to provide repellent properties to skin or clothing. Mashing the leaves can release essential oils that aid in the repelling properties of these plants, and a smudge fire will serve you better if the plant materials are placed on coals instead of an open flame so that it smolders rather than incinerates.
They do not hatch in fast moving water, so avoiding still water areas is another simple way to be out of a mosquito’s reach. Citronella candles can only do so much for a small area. Be selective and make sure that you secure a campsite that is not near any large puddles alongside a river. The few minutes before dusk are prime-time for hatches, so have a fire going in preparation for the evening.
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