Hi everyone! I read online this morning that putting sage into a campfire might help repel bugs. Has anyone tried this? What are some other ways that you keep insects away from your camp site (preferably organic, natural ways but I am also open to other suggestions)? Thanks!
cherylbrv said
05:43 AM Aug 4, 2014
I was thinking of buying one of those electronic bug zappers. Watching here to see what folks think of those. Experience at my S&B is that citronella candles don't work well except for the immediate area around the candle.
Lucky Mike said
06:00 AM Aug 4, 2014
A fan.....works well
Sushidog said
08:18 AM Aug 4, 2014
I find a screen room works well too. Avoid white light as it attracts bugs - yellow is better. Camp next to a neighbor who has a bright white light. He will lure the bugs away from you. If by yourself, put your lantern on a lantern pole far away from your camper door, not on the table you're sitting at.
Chip
BiggarView said
08:18 AM Aug 4, 2014
The trouble with bugs and repelling them is it's not a one size fits all kind of thing... unless you use toxic chemicals or aerosols. The truly organic solution is to endure them. Mike's idea of a fan, oscillating across your campsite(assuming you have electricity to run it) might be the least enviromentally harmful way to get rid of the pests. Short of that, I would not recommend MarkS's scorched earth policy for pest control.... which apparently involves napalm, nuke waste etc Sorry, Mark, you knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to to remind the RVing community to be on the alert for a rodentasaurus, and by the by, potential mosquitodactyls.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 4th of August 2014 08:20:50 AM
Lonney Wade said
12:01 PM Aug 4, 2014
When my grandson was 6 he had to go in when the bugs would come out, when he got bit he would swell up. So I got him to take 1 (B1) vitamin and 20 minutes later no bits, he was a happy camper. For us we would take 2 (B1s) it really works. The bugs don't like the way your skin smells, they will land and no bits, anyway it works for us, I have 2 bottles of B1, thank you very much B1.
Lonney
SnowGypsy said
01:16 PM Aug 4, 2014
We tried B1 and it didn't work for anyone in the family but it does work for some people. Our son could be used as "bait" and whatever he has, if you could bottle it, you could spray an area 50 feet away and the bugs would all be hanging out there and never come your way. It really does vary by region and weather just what you have to deal with.
NurseJudy said
01:28 PM Aug 4, 2014
I sit near my DH, they like him so much that they just ignore me!
Bill and Jodee said
02:04 PM Aug 4, 2014
Fans work well if they cover enough "territory" - can't always get legs and face when the bugs are persistent! Sage will work for as long as it keeps smoking - any smoke actually works but sage is a better choice than most.
Had a friend who opened a jar of garlic pickles when mosquitos got inside her TT - they were gone in five minutes. Haven't tried it myself.
'Tis the season
Jodee
Terry and Jo said
02:58 PM Aug 4, 2014
I have no idea if this is a wide-spread result or just for each individual "chemistry," but Jo used to get attacked by bugs really bad. She was hanging Bounce dryer sheets on herself and they worked to some degree. What really has helped her in not getting bit is that she has quit eating bananas.
Terry
SnowGypsy said
05:34 PM Aug 4, 2014
Terry: You are right about the bananas helping. I was in another forum where someone said that their son was a ranger in the National Park System and they had told him this when he started. My husband was eating them like crazy at one point before we heard that and he ended up polka-dotted! We have noticed that the more sugar you consume, the more tastier you appear. They claim some scented body stuff also draws them but we always use unscented everything.
WestWardHo said
05:57 PM Aug 4, 2014
I rarely eat bananas so that can't be why the reason bugs love me! I can swell pretty well and B1 hasn't don't much for me. I like Off I scented Family Care repellent. For ants outside, Vaseline on hoses, tires, anything connecting to the ground works well. At one military park where all chemicals were not allowed they recommended cinnamon sprinkled outside to deter ants. We had a 1 day invasion of tiny Pharaoh ants while in California and by sprinkling cornmeal in our basement and around the rig stopped them immediately!
Not sure if you were talking personally or around your campsite.
SHerry
gilljr said
07:47 PM Aug 4, 2014
Coleman Therma Cell works very well for us. least expensive at Walmart
The Junkman said
09:25 PM Aug 4, 2014
gilljr wrote:
Coleman Therma Cell works very well for us. least expensive at Walmart
That looks like it works good.. gonna buy a couple of those.. and have a fan...
Camper Chronicles said
06:46 AM Aug 5, 2014
We make a semi-circle of tiki torches which creates a nice bug free zone and a big citronella candle on the inside. I have a zapper but haven't tried it yet...used one very successfully when I was a kid. We also have a small fire going most of the time for the smoke. Would be interesting to try the sage
LibertyLinda said
07:32 AM Aug 6, 2014
I got "Bug Off" essential oil from Amazon, put a few drops mixed in with witch hazel in a small spray bottle (should be blue or brown) and we use it on us, the dogs and I'll even spray it around our door frame - it really works great!
The "Bug Off" has a combination of Citronella, Eucalpytus, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Lavender, Litsea, Tea Tree, Patchouli and Cat Nip. I have read that any of these alone helps to repel the bugs, so far the combination has been great.
I don't think it smells 'girly' FYI guys - hubby sprays it under his baseball cap & it does keep them out of your face ;)
The trouble with bugs and repelling them is it's not a one size fits all kind of thing... unless you use toxic chemicals
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 4th of August 2014 08:20:50 AM
Boy howdy, I'll agree with that. The nuclear waste we used on that mouse still has us restricted from where the house used to be!
folivier said
08:50 AM Aug 7, 2014
Sounds like y'all are camping in the wrong places.
But when we're back in south Louisiana the best thing for bugs is air conditioning!
MarkS said
10:07 AM Aug 7, 2014
folivier wrote:
Sounds like y'all are camping in the wrong places. But when we're back in south Louisiana the best thing for bugs is air conditioning!
You can't compare gulf coast bugs with the rest of the country. You can hear them stomping across the kitchen floor on the way to your fridge. You know you have an infestation problem when they ask you to switch the TV to professional wrestling and drink up all your PBR!
MPMomof3 said
12:12 PM Aug 7, 2014
Wow! Thanks for the great ideas everyone! Can't wait to try them. :)
EBendana said
09:08 PM Aug 8, 2014
For those of us that drink beer, we are doomed...it changes our scent so that bugs love us (the whole sugar thing) I was told that if you drink a bit of apple cider vinegar every day, it changes your scent so the mosquitos stay away...haven't tried it, since once I've had a few beers I don't mind the bites so much!
WestWardHo said
06:27 PM Aug 10, 2014
Ellen & Mario,
Love that. You made me laugh. Love all the other bug repellent suggestions on here.
Sherry
Cindi said
07:12 PM Aug 10, 2014
Thanks for the fan idea, Mike. Tried it today and it worked great!
2 cups white vinegar 1 cup Skin-So-Soft bath oil 1 cup water
1 Tablespoon eucalyptus oil (available at drugstores & health food stores)
This homemade spray does not contain aerosols to pollute the environment, nor chemicals to contaminate the ground and it works. We have reports of successful use on animals as well.
Sounds like y'all are camping in the wrong places. But when we're back in south Louisiana the best thing for bugs is air conditioning!
As they say in New Orleans, Yea you right.
CCC
Pitterle_60 said
01:46 AM May 17, 2017
Informative post!! Thanks for sharing this info to repel bugs. To keep my house free from such bugs I had used reliable pests control service. There services were reliable and effective. They also told some great tips on how to treat bed bug bites in few minutes. Very happy with their brilliant services.
Hi everyone!
I read online this morning that putting sage into a campfire might help repel bugs. Has anyone tried this? What are some other ways that you keep insects away from your camp site (preferably organic, natural ways but I am also open to other suggestions)? Thanks!
Chip
The trouble with bugs and repelling them is it's not a one size fits all kind of thing... unless you use toxic chemicals or aerosols. The truly organic solution is to endure them. Mike's idea of a fan, oscillating across your campsite(assuming you have electricity to run it) might be the least enviromentally harmful way to get rid of the pests. Short of that, I would not recommend MarkS's scorched earth policy for pest control.... which apparently involves napalm, nuke waste etc
Sorry, Mark, you knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to to remind the RVing community to be on the alert for a rodentasaurus, and by the by, potential mosquitodactyls.
-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 4th of August 2014 08:20:50 AM
When my grandson was 6 he had to go in when the bugs would come out, when he got bit he would swell up. So I got him to take 1 (B1) vitamin and 20 minutes later no bits, he was a happy camper. For us we would take 2 (B1s) it really works. The bugs don't like the way your skin smells, they will land and no bits, anyway it works for us, I have 2 bottles of B1, thank you very much B1.
Lonney
Had a friend who opened a jar of garlic pickles when mosquitos got inside her TT - they were gone in five minutes. Haven't tried it myself.
'Tis the season
Jodee
I have no idea if this is a wide-spread result or just for each individual "chemistry," but Jo used to get attacked by bugs really bad. She was hanging Bounce dryer sheets on herself and they worked to some degree. What really has helped her in not getting bit is that she has quit eating bananas.
Terry
Not sure if you were talking personally or around your campsite.
SHerry
That looks like it works good.. gonna buy a couple of those.. and have a fan...
The "Bug Off" has a combination of Citronella, Eucalpytus, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Lavender, Litsea, Tea Tree, Patchouli and Cat Nip. I have read that any of these alone helps to repel the bugs, so far the combination has been great.
I don't think it smells 'girly' FYI guys - hubby sprays it under his baseball cap & it does keep them out of your face ;)
www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/black-flag-propane-insect-fogger
Boy howdy, I'll agree with that. The nuclear waste we used on that mouse still has us restricted from where the house used to be!
But when we're back in south Louisiana the best thing for bugs is air conditioning!
You can't compare gulf coast bugs with the rest of the country. You can hear them stomping across the kitchen floor on the way to your fridge. You know you have an infestation problem when they ask you to switch the TV to professional wrestling and drink up all your PBR!
For those of us that drink beer, we are doomed...it changes our scent so that bugs love us (the whole sugar thing) I was told that if you drink a bit of apple cider vinegar every day, it changes your scent so the mosquitos stay away...haven't tried it, since once I've had a few beers I don't mind the bites so much!
Love that. You made me laugh. Love all the other bug repellent suggestions on here.
Sherry
I just found this information at http://www.rv-camping.org/Boondocking.html.
TICK/FLY SPRAY RECIPE
2 cups white vinegar 1 cup Skin-So-Soft bath oil 1 cup water
1 Tablespoon eucalyptus oil (available at drugstores & health food stores)
This homemade spray does not contain aerosols to pollute the environment, nor chemicals to contaminate the ground and it works. We have reports of successful use on animals as well.
Portions of this page printed from: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/recreation/camping/
As they say in New Orleans, Yea you right.
CCC
Informative post!! Thanks for sharing this info to repel bugs. To keep my house free from such bugs I had used reliable pests control service. There services were reliable and effective. They also told some great tips on how to treat bed bug bites in few minutes. Very happy with their brilliant services.