Evelyn Moore
Going camping is always a great idea. Relaxation by the campfire, staying in the fresh forest air, peace, quiet, it all sounds perfect. However, sometimes unwanted guests can show up with you on the trip - insects. We go crazy at the very thought that mosquitoes are constantly buzzing around our heads or that some other bugs are entering our tent where we sleep. Insects found in the forest can be a huge danger to humans and pets. They can ruin your entire camping but also cause diseases that you will fight for a long time.
Of course, there are so many insects that it’s impossible to exterminate them but there are ways to defend ourselves against them. Therefore, what can we do to keep insects away from where we are camping as well as from the tent itself?
Reduce the smell of food
Insects, like all other species of animals, have a very good sense of smell. They will be attracted to the smell of food so try to pack all the food well to make it less attractive. It would be advisable not to take food with a strong smell with you on camping.
Let it be dark
Surely, you have all seen an insect fly around your bulb and crash into it. Insects, besides food, are also attracted to light. Try not to turn on a lot of lights at night. The light from the fire will be enough to see everything and yet it won't attract insects as much as a battery would for example. Fire smoke can also repel insects. If you are unable to light a campfire and you need a light, use red light instead of a yellow one.
Buy insect repellent spray
Choose a spray that’s safe for the environment. Spray the area around the tent, especially the floor. If you are fighting mosquitoes, you can also buy spirals that ignite and whose smoke repels mosquitoes. Mosquito repellent cream is also a good idea for camping.
Keep the door close
Try to get in and out of the tent as little as possible and every time you do that, shake the net well so that nothing gets inside. Also, don’t use a light while going out or entering a tent.
Take a good look at the tent before going on a camping
You may think that your tent, which has a zip, is safe and you won't take any further action. This isn’t good! Before camping, it’s necessary to take a good look at the tent and see if there are any holes or cracks somewhere. Insects are very small animals, and even the smallest hole will be enough for them to crawl into the tent. If you notice holes, patch them before going camping.
What types of insects can enter the tent?
- Fleas
- Spiders
- Wasps
- Mosquitoes
- Flies
- Ants
- Ticks and others.
Which type of tent is safest from insects entering it?
A tent that closes with a zipper. For the tent to be safe from the entry of insects, it must have a net at the exit opening as well as a door that closes with a zipper. This is the safest way to keep insects out of the tent. The tents and nets that are on them can also be treated with insect repellents and if yours hasn't been treated before, feel free to do so.
Where to set up a tent to keep us safe from insects?
- set up the tent in a windy area. If some insects appear, the wind will blow them away.
- set up the tent parallel to the direction of the wind.
- try to avoid camping in places where there’s a lot of standing water because that is where the mosquito nest is located.
- set up the tent away from cedar and all other dense vegetation. Such places retain moisture, which leads to the development of insects. Due to the dense canopy, the insects cannot fly in the air which means that the wind cannot carry them away.
- place the tent in a dark place and not somewhere where it is exposed to artificial light. Avoid setting up tents in places where bee or wasp nesting has been observed and stay away from anthills.
- keep the tent at least 100 feet away from the bathroom.
Conclusion
We think no one would feel comfortable in the middle of the night noticing insects walking around the tent or worse, crawling into sleeping bags. Also, you don't want to be bothered by the buzzing of a mosquito so you can't fall asleep because of it. You don't want your camping to turn into a nightmare. Therefore, put the tent in place according to our recommendations, and keep it tidy and intact. That way you will surely sleep peacefully in your tent!
