We all love the great outdoors. There’s an endless world to explore and no matter if you are camping, out on the lake, the beach or a walk through the park, the last thing you want to be dealing with is being eaten up by mosquitoes. It’s not fun for anyone.
Mosquitoes are considered to be my many the most annoying bug bites out there, primarily because the aftermath of the red bumps all over and the never ending itching can be beyond irritating to say the least. It been said that everyone gets bitten by mosquitoes but you only have a reaction (bumps & itching) if you are allergic to their saliva. That’s pretty interesting right?
While you can only do so much to beat mosquitoes and protect yourself from these tiny but mighty insects, a few of the things that you can do are quite simple and can be done pretty easily. Why not do everything you can to help protect yourself from these irritants.
4 Tips to Help Avoid Mosquitoes
Long Sleeves
This might seem like the most obvious and the most simple, but there have probably been plenty of times where you find yourself walking around with a tank or short sleeves on and end up with multiple bites later on in the evening.
If you know you are going to be out, especially in the evening, try to remember to keep a long sleeve shirt with you, and slip on pants if you can. A shirt will be the easiest as you can just wrap it around your waste for later use, and avoid being the flavor of the evening and the evening chill at the same time.
Use a Fan
This is a pretty neat trick that many campers tend to use. While you are enjoying your campground, campfire, or just time by the lake sitting around together talking and laughing, maybe think about having a fan aimed in your direction to assist in insect control.
This light breeze detours insects from flying into the wind pattern and can greatly reduce the amount of insects that end up being around or on you. Most likely, you won’t mind the breeze as well especially if it’s a humid evening. There are plenty of nice battery operated fan options that will allow you to do this anywhere you like without the need of electrical power.
Shower Before Going Outside
Well aren’t you just as sweet as a peach. Believe it or not, your body produces a very attractive pheromone in our sweet that secretes from our body and rests on our skin. This scent and taste is extremely appealing to many different insects and a gold mine for mosquitoes.
If possible, before heading out, try and take a quick shower as to rinse your body of this sweet treat for bugs. If it’s not possible to do that, many carry easy to use wipes that cleanse the skin in the same fashion. Simply wipe down your arms, legs, neck and any other exposed skin areas. You’ll be surprised at how well this little action will help you out.
Avoid Scents
One of the best things you can do is avoid scents at all costs. While we already discussed that your body’s natural scent and sweetness is already appealing enough, the last thing that you want to do is add to that. Avoid perfumes, colognes, scented lotions, hairsprays, etc. as this will only attract even more insects and quite significantly as well. The last thing you want to do is make yourself a bigger target for bites.
For both men and women, one thing that you may not even realize is a major culprit is shaving cream. Shaving creams, while smell fresh and clean to us, they also smell very appealing to the very insects you are trying to avoid. So either try and use a non-scented shaving cream, or wash the area thoroughly after and definitely no aftershave guys. Shaving cream is one of the main things people tend to forget about so keep this in mind when heading out or packing for your upcoming trip.
Solutions
Regardless, it’s still a good idea to carry a bug bite aid for yourself or for anyone in your group that ends up being the evening insect snack.
While these tips will greatly help in reducing your chances of being bit, naturally it’s still going to happen from time to time so it’s best to prepared in that way also.
Also, if you can, and we all know it’s hard, try to avoid vigorously scratching the bites. This only makes things worse and worse. Instead, use the recommended treatments for bites instead. It will assist in the itch, and healing aspects.
As with most things, sometimes just trying to be a little more aware of your surroundings etc. can help you avoid some interactions with mosquitoes as well. For example, dusk is a prime time for these insects so a walk in or around any stagnant water areas, brush, or forest areas especially if you are in a humid environment should be avoided if at all possible if you’re usually prime real estate for bites. If you know you are going to be headed out to an area like this, try and take the necessary precautions so you limit your susceptibility of being the evening snack.