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The mosquitoes are back! Ack! I can’t tell you how much I hate those little bugs. They make me itch and look like a crazy woman, swatting and scratching when I’m outside. Not only are they a nuisance, they’re a deadly nuisance. The spread of West Nile Virus is getting worse and worse every year. This year, when you’re out on a campsite and enjoying your evening outside, don’t let those pesky mosquitoes take over. Here are a few ways to keep them at bay and away from your kids and grandkids.
Get Rid Of Standing Water
If you get to a campsite and notice a puddle of water, you can almost guarantee there are mosquito eggs in it, ready to hatch. Get a bucket or a shovel and spread the water out so there’s no longer a puddle. Mosquitoes only need a thimble’s worth of water to lay eggs and make you miserable for your entire vacation.
Insect Repellants
If you are ok with using DEET, there are quite a few sprayable repellants out on the market. All of them work wonders, but you will smell like chemicals until you take a shower and wash off. “Off” is a great brand and I’ve never had any troubles with it.
Citronella Candles
Citronella is a natural repellant that mosquitoes hate the smell of. If you surround your campsite with these candles, you can rest assured that you’ll get stung less. I recommend the Tiki torches, so you can put several of them around the area where you and your family are sitting.
Mosquito Traps
If you’re in an area that’s not too windy, a mosquito trap is a great addition to your RV vacation checklist. You can use suction traps, bug zappers or insect electrocutors to keep them away, but if it’s windy, the usefulness of these traps gets worse. Using an insect repellant along with a trap is a good 2-pronged attack.
Essential Oils
If you’re not keen on using chemicals to keep the bugs away, you can always use diluted lemon-eucalyptus oil on your skin. But don’t apply them to small kids, it can cause a rash and that’s worse than a mosquito bite. You can also use cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, and a host of others.
Wear Pants and Long-Sleeved Shirts
The best way to stop getting bitten by mosquitoes is simple, don’t give them any skin to bite! This may be a little harder for us Texans to do during the Summer since it hardly gets below 80° at night, but if you’re in a more moderate area, where the nights are a little cooler, you may consider bringing those Winter clothes to keep from becoming mosquito food!
What do you do to keep the mosquitoes away?