Camping with Bugs? Not a problem!
One of the number one complaints when people go camping is that they hate the bugs. Below I will give you some of my expert tips on how to keep them away. Camping with bugs? Not a Problem!
The “Troop Beverly Hills” Camping Experience
As a child, I remember watching a film called “Troop Beverly Hills”. In this movie, a group of high class girls join a Wilderness Girl organization. One of the requirements to get merit patches is to become an avid camper.
One of my favorite scenes in this movie is when the leader of the troop, a wealthy woman named Phyllis, takes the girls for their first overnight camp trip. Phyllis became the troop leader to become closer to her daughter, but she did not know what she was getting herself into.
The overnight camp scene starts off by Phyllis walking out of her Beverly Hills Manson with luggage bags like she was staying a month in France. Phyllis’s maid puts on her fur coat and then she says “well girls are we ready to rough it?” Then the troop starts off to the camp site with two limousines and tent rental company. The rental company sets up the camp, leaving the girls to sit on some chairs and read glamor magazine etc. Then comes the dinner scene, and what are they eating? Fondue! No trout! No S’mores! Fondue! Then it starts to rain and the girls retreat to the tent, leaving Phyllis to get the dinner. Phyllis slips in the mud and gets her coat all dirty. Then Phyllis takes retreating to a new level. She takes the girls to the Beverly Hills Hotel, leaving the camp site entirely.
Divas Don’t do Dirty
I know this movie is fiction, but when I went camping with my wife for the first time, I kept thinking back to this movie often. My wife hates bugs, and being dirty. She is a diva, and camping is not really her thing. Now I do not want my tone in this post to sound like all women are divas. This is not the case and there are plenty of posts on this site to support that. I come from a family of campers, and I am terrified of snakes! My sisters love to play with them and chase me around the camp with little garden snakes they find in the woods; bugs and dirt do not bother them.
I do everything I can to take care of the bugs and dirt for my wife while camping. I worked for a Pest control company in Virginia (Pest Control Alexandria) a few years ago, so I know some tricks to help control the bugs while camping. I wanted to share a few with the audience of this site.
How to Keep the Bugs at Bay:
- Do not wear any scented perfume! And try and keep yourself as cool as possible. Bugs are attracted to both scent and our sweat! Except for skin care creams with citrus juices or coconut oil; bugs hate both scents
- I love cooking, so I make sure our diets are pumped full of garlic! Yes misquotes are vampires! They hate the smell of garlic coming from our pores. I also burn citronella candles around camp.
- Do not camp near swampy wetlands or water if you can help it. Sitting water is perfect for bugs to lay their nests in.
- Try and cover as much skin as you can. If bugs cannot smell you, they will not bother you.
Alright there you go. I have the bug problem figured out. How about dirt? Anyone have any good ideas that can help a fellow camper out? My ears are open to make the camping experience as pleasant as possible for my dirt traumatized wife.
Author: Kody Carling
Edited By: CampTrip.com
As a forester in the U.P. of Michigan DEET is a must. Deep Woods Off with 29% works well, there was a Cutter brand which was also good. Know many other woodsman who swore by taking Garlic Pills but the best was an old logger who would drink a shot of diesel fuel every morning during bug season. In my experience also try to avoid wearing the color Blue, semed to be an attractant compared to wearing green or brown.
Whenever we go camping, the first thing that I pack in my things is my mosquito repellent lotion. I’m really careful not to bring anything too scented that it could drive all the bugs towards us. We build bonfires, too, so as to keep those bugs away.
Great Blog! Glad I found it.
Bugs can be a problem, especially mosquitoes. I didn’t know garlic would help, will have to try this out on our next trip.
It’s true garlic does help in keeping those little blood suckers away. It seems garlic is not only useful for keeping vampires away but also the smaller insect vampires as well! I’m very pleased you enjoy the site. Thank you!
Thank you for the EXCELLENT tips! The DEET, garlic pills/eating lots of garlic and wearing the colour blue are very helpful in keeping the bugs at bay. Drinking a shot of diesel fuel every morning is very amusing and somewhat amazing but probably not something I would recommend…..something just doesn’t seem right about that…? Love the tip about wearing blue! Thanks for sharing!
Many small biting insects cling to low hanging branches hoping some tasty ‘host’ happens past. Avoid bushy, shrub like plants and take cover at dawn and dusk.
Outback Crossing
I use a product here called jungle formula, It has 50% DEET and has been more than up to the task when I visit India, where dengue and malaria can be problems.