The Best Way to Control Mosquitoes and Other Flying Insects While Camping

Flying insects are one of the worst nuisances when camping. These pesky insects can ruin a camping trip, whether it be mosquitoes, flies, bees, or wasps. No matter what you try, they do not go away. The best way to control mosquitoes and other flying insects while camping is a combination of bug repellants, a fan, and a screened-in gazebo.

Not only are flying insects pesky, but they are also dangerous. Mosquitoes can carry deadly diseases such as Zika and West Nile. Ticks can carry Lyme Disease.

Insect Repellant to Control Mosquitoes and Other Insects

Independent testing by groups such as Consumer Reports has indicated that three active ingredients will help deter mosquitoes and other flying insects. These ingredients are Deet, Picaridin, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

There are numerous ways to control flying insects when camping. The most obvious is using an insect repellant that you spray directly upon your skin to deter insects such as mosquitoes and ticks. We have found that ­­­­­Deep Woods OFF (Check it out on Amazon) is the best DEET-based repellant. However, we do not like to spray chemicals on our bodies, so we typically only use Deep Woods Off as a last resort.

We recommend Off repellant if you spend much time in the woods, as it repels dangerous insects such as ticks. This product contains 25% DEET and is sufficient to keep bugs away. We do not recommend using products with a high concentration of DEET unless other options are insufficient. DEET-based products should not be used on infants.

Picaridin is a synthetic ingredient developed to mimic an ingredient derived from black pepper plants. Picaridin has been found helpful in repelling mosquitoes and other flying insects. Campers and Camperfires recommends Sawyer Premium Insect Repellant (Check it out on Amazon). This product contains 20% Picaridin and is considered safer than DEET-based products.

Another DEET alternative is using ingredients such as lemon and eucalyptus. Repel (Check it out on Amazon) is a great spray made with natural ingredients. Although Repel does not work as well in deep wooded environments, it is fantastic for casually sitting around the campfire.

A few products are not necessarily meant to keep insects away, but they do a great job. For decades, people have used Avon’s Skin So Soft (check it out on Amazon) to repel insects. Recently, we were told to use ORS Olive Oil Nourishing Sheen (check it out on Amazon), and we have found that it works incredibly well repelling no-see-ums.

We have tried several mosquito-repellant bracelets and have yet to find one that we would recommend.

Controlling Insects in Your Campsite

If you are camping in an area with a high insect population and enjoy spending time in your campsite, the best solution to keep bugs away is a screened-in gazebo (check it out on Amazon). The portability features of these gazebos have improved dramatically over the last few years. They can now be assembled and taken down in minutes by just one person. Check out our article on camping gazebos.

Campers and Campfires believes that a fan is the best way to combat flying insects and control mosquitoes when leisurely enjoying your campsite. When a floor fan (Check it out on Amazon) is blowing, flying insects find it difficult to fly and land because of the wind. Flying insects are attracted to the chemicals that your body secretes.

When the fan blows, it also stirs up these chemicals, making you a less desirable target. The fan provides air movement on hot and humid nights as an additional bonus. When using a fan around a campfire, you must be strategic so the fan does not blow smoke directly on anyone.

Thermacell is another excellent alternative for repelling insects. These units are DEET-free, and there are no messy chemical sprays. Thermacell products are odor-free. The device contains a small mat with the non-harmful chemical allethrin, activated by heating coils. Thermacell products effectively repel mosquitoes and smaller flying insects such as no-see-ums, sand flies, and gnats. However, the units are not designed to combat larger flying insects or bees.

The Thermacell Portable Mosquito Repeller (Check it out on Amazon) is the most popular model. The device repels mosquitoes up to 15 square feet, creating 225 square feet of protection. This model uses replaceable butane cartridges as fuel to heat the coils. The Thermacell Radius Zone Repellent 2.0 (Check it out on Amazon) uses a rechargeable battery rather than butane and repels mosquitoes up to 110 square feet. Both Thermacell units are designed for outside use and may not be used within enclosed spaces such as campers or tents.

Banish Bugs From Your Camper

It is difficult to keep bugs from entering your camper at night as people go in and out. One way to prevent flying insects from vacationing inside your camper is by keeping your interior lights off. Do not turn on your lights until you have entered and closed the camper door. Bugs are attracted to light and are less likely to enter your camper if it is dark. If you get flying insects in your trailer, we have found several ways to eliminate them.

Our camper has a blue LED Strip Light inside. We have found that if you turn off all of the lights except the blue light, insects will immediately be attracted to the light, where they can be easily killed. One can be easily installed if your camper has no inside LED Light Strip (Check it out on Amazon). We have a Portable Vacuum (Check it out on Amazon) ready to suck the insects off the light, although smashing them with a paper towel works too.

In our former camper, we used a portable Bug Zapper (Check it out on Amazon). Just bring the zapper into the trailer, turn off the lights, and plug it in. The zapper has a built-in UV light that will attract the bugs, and within five minutes, those pests are gone. This is an excellent item to use outdoors in the evening as well.

Hacks

Some camping hacks will help control mosquitoes at your campsite. Mosquitoes do not like smoke, so keeping your campfire steady with smoke will help chase them away.

Not only will garlic keep vampires away, but it is effective against mosquitoes. Mosquitoes do not like strong smells such as garlic, citrus, mint, onions, or sage. Most people do not want to rub garlic on themselves. However, some people rub citrus peels on their skin to help steer mosquitoes away. Cooking meals outdoors that include ingredients such as onions, garlic, and citrus will also help deter bugs.

Mosquitoes do not like the smell of peppermint. Keeping potted mint plants at your campsite will control mosquitoes. If you use essential oils, diffuse those that are mint-based. Throwing mint or sage leaves into a campfire is an excellent way of controlling mosquitoes.

Bees

Scents and bright colors attract bees. If you want bees to leave you alone, do not wear perfumes and use unscented deodorants. A few methods exist to keep bees away from your food while eating outside. Bee, wasp, and yellowjacket traps (Check them out on Amazon) have been found to be quite effective.

A bouquet of marigolds will help repel bees. Honeybees are about the only bee that will go near marigolds because most bees loathe the smell.

A good plan that works to repel bees is to bait them away from where you are eating. Make a small pot of sweet-smelling foods. Mix ingredients like maple syrup, fruit juice, and sugar into a bowl and heat the mixture to create a pleasant aroma. Place this mixture away from your dining location, and the bees will visit the mix before visiting your dining table.

Flies

It is often challenging to eliminate flies. The Thermacell will repel black flies but not house flies. You can hang fly strips (Check them out on Amazon) around the campsite to capture the flies. As with mosquitoes, a fan will help keep flies away. Like bees, you can try and bait them away from where you are eating.

One of the best ways to keep house flies away from our food when eating is to use cloves. Flies dislike cloves, lemons, and limes. We cut lemons and limes in half and then place the whole cloves into the fruit to repel flies. Place the clove-filled fruit around where you are eating, and the flies will disappear.

We also use food covers (Check them out on Amazon) to prevent insects from landing on our food.

Horseflies and other biting flies are similar to mosquitoes and can be controlled similarly with a fan or repellant spray.

Although flying insects are irritating while camping, it is nice to know that there are methods to control them to have a great camping experience.

Are you interested in other articles like how to control mosquitoes? Check out controlling ants while camping by click here.

Do you have any tips or tricks to repel flying insects or how to control mosquitoes? We would love to hear from you. Please drop us a line in the comment section below.