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Going camping is a classic family bonding activity, but the fun can quickly be ruined if mosquitoes invade your campsite. To keep these little suckers away from you and your loved ones, you should employ some basic mosquito control tactics:
Burn Sage
An easy and effective mosquito control method is to add some sage to your campfire. This scent is a natural mosquito repellant, and it can smell quite nice to humans! This tactic requires very little effort and can protect you for hours at a time.
DIY Mosquito Repellant
If you are concerned about all of the potentially harmful chemicals in store-bought bug sprays, you can make your own for when you are wanting to leave the campsite to go on a hike. There are several effective recipes you can use to create a DIY mosquito repellant, so here is an easy one to start with: distilled water, witch hazel or rubbing alcohol, and some dried herbs (peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, lavender, mint).
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are useful for more than making your clothes smell good. They can also be an effective mosquito control method. Mosquitoes hate the strong odor of dryer sheets, so you can place them strategically around your campsite (under table cloths or near food) to keep the mosquitoes away while also freshening up the air around you.
Light a Candle
We are sure you’ve heard that citronella candles are great for mosquito control, but did you know any kind of candle will get the job done? Mosquitoes are very averse to smoke, so you can light some candles to drive them away and also give yourself a source of light when the sun goes down.
Bring Some Mint
Mosquitoes (and insects of all kinds, really) hate the smell of mint. If you happen to like this scent, use it to your advantage. Bring a small mint plant with you and place it near the entrance of your tent, pop some mints in your mouth regularly throughout the day, or even spray yourself/the campsite with mint mouthwash.
Use Essential Oils
Essential oils have a wide variety of uses, including fending off mosquitoes. To utilize this mosquito control method, choose the right oil: lemon, eucalyptus, thyme, geranium, lavender, cedarwood, or basil. All of these oils have mosquito control properties, so you can put them in a battery-powered diffuser at your campsite to keep the site mosquito-free.
Sprinkle Coffee Grounds
If you are camping near a source of water or you know that it is about to rain soon, you can stop a mosquito control problem before it even starts. Simply take some of your used coffee grounds and sprinkle them in the water. This will force the mosquito eggs to rise to the surface and will deprive them of oxygen, therefore never allowing them to develop into adult mosquitoes.