When you are enjoying the outdoors you will be exposed to all manner of things such as wild animals, insects, and harsh weather. All these can ruin your outdoor stay so you should find a way to protect yourself.
This article is dedicated to repelling insects that can bite and harm you if you don’t adopt the right protection mechanism. Let’s take a look at how to keep bugs out of your tent when camping.
5 useful tips to keep bugs away
Your home is practically bug-free as a result of the precautionary measures that you have adopted to keep annoying little creatures out of your home.
When you leave the house for a camping trip out in nature, you head into bug paradise and they will attack you if you are not properly protected.
How to keep bugs away from a tent? Mosquitoes and spiders can bite you and leave painful marks. There are also other harmful creatures in the woods that can make you sick when they come in contact with you so you should be prepared.
As a camper, you will, therefore, have to adopt the right safety measures that will protect you from these tiny animals. How to keep bugs away from your tent? The next 6 measures will help you in this regard.
1. Seal holes in your tent
Do tents keep bugs out? Camping tents are made with well-woven material so no small animal can enter unless you have a hole in it. Bugs will use any opening in your tent to get inside.
Seal any holes that you find in the material. You should do this process even before you head to camp to ensure that you have enough time to do a thorough job.
Spread your tent on the floor and scrutinize it carefully to identify holes. Use duct tape to seal the holes or a repair kit if you have one. This is a simple and effective way on how to keep bugs out of the tent.
After sealing all the holes, check the zippers to see if they are functioning properly. Damaged zippers could open at any time when you are asleep and allow animals into your shelter.
You should also make sure that you don’t have any stuck zippers as this could make it difficult to secure it.
Apply a lubricant on the stuck zipper to get them to work again and learn how you can fix a tent zipper in case of dysfunction.
You can also opt for a screen tent if you will camp in high moisture bug area.
2. Proper tent site selection
Another effective way of making sure that insects don’t disturb you is to simply avoid them. Set it up as far away as possible from areas that harbor these creatures.
Avoid stagnant water, a trash bin, a dense forest, and a place under a light. Find out why bugs like the light so much.
Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and they will descend on you as they smell you. Set it away from a still water source. Thick vegetation also hosts bugs of all kinds so you should avoid pitching it in such areas.
These animals are attracted to food and this is why you will find a lot of them in the trash bin. You should, therefore, set your tent away from the trash bin as well.
3. Adopt proper food handling measures
Another measure for keeping bugs away from your tent is by storing your food properly. As I have mentioned earlier, they are attracted to food and they will get into your sleeping place if you have not stored it properly.
All the foods that you carry to camp should be sealed properly and stored in a secure container such as a cooler. You should also not eat inside the tent as the food will attract bugs inside.
Eat outside by the campfire where the generated heat will keep them away. Once you are done eating, keep all the leftovers in a garbage bag, seal the bag and take it to the trash.
All used cans such as soda and sauce cans should be kept in the garbage bag and taken to the trash bin as soon as possible.
4. Use candles that keep bugs away
I am sure that you heard that bug candles can be effective too. Bug repellent candles such as lavender and citronella candles are effective as camping bug repellent to some extent. If you place at least one candle at the center of the outdoor table the insects won’t like its smell and won’t come closer.
5. Use insect repellent
Using a tent bug repellent is an effective method how to keep bugs off your tent. When moving around outdoors, you will not be protected by the tent and you could easily be attacked by insects.
When you apply insect repellent on your body, these animals will not come close to you as they will be stopped by the chemicals in the repellent treatment.
It comes in the form of a spray or a cream that you apply on your exposed body parts such as arms and legs.
Some people, however, don’t like bug repellent sprays or creams due to their smell and how they may irritate the skin and the eyes. Read the instructions of the product and its effects before you opt for this method.
Did you know that you have T-shirts with permethrin that stop mosquitos? Take a look at how permethrin T-shirts stop mosquitos.
6. Opt for bug repellent stickers
If you don’t like to put lotions and spray on you can opt for stickers that keep annoying animals away. These patches can be used on skin or on different types of materials to have bug protection. These patches are natural and include plant-based ingredients. You just patch them on and stay protected.
Can bugs get inside tents?
Tents are built for your protection from the elements but can they protect you from the bugs? They are little creatures that can enter your shelter mainly through the doors or windows.
However, most tents have mesh material built in the inner fabric to provide airflow and insect protection.
So, you can leave windows and doors open (the outer material) in the summertime and mesh will protect you from them as long as you don’t have holes in the fabric.
What’s the best bug repellent for camping?
When you will be camping in the woods or other wild areas you can expect bugs to interfere. The most obvious protection that you can take with you is a bug repellent.
After some research on Amazon, I saw that the best repellent for camping is a natural insect repellent that is plant-based from Repel company.
- MADE WITH OIL OF LEMON EUCALYPTUS: This DEET-free insect repellent provides you with protection...
- REPELS MOSQUITOES FOR UP TO 6 HOURS: This repellent keeps you and your family protected for hours,...
- REFRESHING SCENT: This DEET-free personal repellent leaves you with a cool, refreshing scent so you...
- REPELS: Create a barrier against mosquitoes, including those that may transmit the Zika, West Nile,...
- NOT GREASY OR STICKY: Formulated with oil of lemon eucalyptus to provide protection without leaving...
It is made of lemon eucalyptus oil that is known to stop bugs and insects from getting close. It is DEET-free so you won’t face any health issues and you can use it on your kids too.
Which other organic bug repellent can you use?
I also recommend using Greenerways organic bug repellent that is DEET-free and includes organically grown ingredients. This product is 100% USDA organic bug repellent that also kids can use. It is an eco-friendly bug repellent that can be used on skin and clothes for protection.
This is one of the best natural bug repellents that cost almost nothing and should protect you out there.
Do dryer sheets keep bugs away?
Can dryer sheets help you to keep bugs away while you camp?
Dryer sheets aren’t scientifically proven to stop them but these sheets contain linalool, an ingredient that lavender, coriander, and basil contain.
These plants naturally repel common garden pests so it is worth trying.
Do bug repellent bracelets work?
There are many of these kinds of bracelets on the market. The vapor of these bracelets is not so strong enough to prevent mosquito bites. They may repel them but aren’t so strong to prevent bites.
One more thing to mention about this product is that even if they work they repel them only on your arm and do not protect your whole body so they aren’t so efficient product.
Is there a lotion that repels bugs?
Yes, companies make products to prevent bugs from coming closer. These lotions have different ingredients, lasting time, and efficiency. The majority include different levels of DEET. Some are even meant for sunscreen protection, so you get all in one product. Here are 3 top lotions that repel bugs:
- Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent – Top rated bug repellent by WireCutter/New York Times (May, 2020)
- Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Bug Guard PLUS IR3535® Insect Repellent Lotion – sunscreen with bug repellent
- Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion, 34% Deet – Unique time-release technology provides long-lasting protection
What scents keep bugs away?
How to keep bugs away from a tent? If you want to protect your tent and surroundings then you can use essential oils that repel bugs and mosquitoes.
If you decide to go for a natural bug repellent, use citronella, eucalyptus, clove, catnip, peppermint, patchouli, or geranium oil.
According to Angieslist, you can stay away from lots of these annoying creatures with the next essential oils of the plants that repel bugs:
- Peppermint and spearmint for ants
- Spearmint, lemongrass, peppermint, lavender for fleas
- Rosemary, sage, eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender for flies
- Spearmint and patchouli for gnats
- Lavender, lemongrass, and citronella for mosquitoes
- Hyssop, peppermint, cedarwood, citronella, and spearmint for moths
- Thyme and peppermint for beetles
You can use essential oil bug repellent in different ways. You can make a mixture of water and a few drops of these oils and use it in a sprayer, use an essential oil evaporator or put a drop or two on the opened skin if it is skin applicable.
A sprayer is one of the best options as you can spray the whole tent, the doors and windows, and your clothes.
Does lavender repel bugs?
Yes, it can help you to have a bug-free outdoor experience. According to Insect Cop, lavender oil diffuser repelled 58% of the bugs while being outdoors while citronella oil diffuser managed to repel only 22% of mosquitoes away.
It also repels ticks successfully as it scored a high percentage repellency (70-100%) where there were concentration levels of the plant.
Does peppermint oil repel bugs?
The scent of peppermint oil can stop animals like spiders, roaches, ticks, flies, flies, moths, ants, and beetles.
Protect yourself
Bugs can really make your outdoor stay unbearable. How to keep bugs out of your tent and away from your campground? I advise you to consider my solutions to prevent them from destroying your enjoyment.
Use my six useful and easy methods to have pleasurable camping without being disturbed by annoying little creatures.
