Camping is a wonderful way to escape the endless challenges of everyday life–work, email, phone, chores, and many other things.
Unfortunately, the most amazing camping trips can quickly sour when mosquitoes take over and start to eat away at the party! I abhor bug bites, and my children are quite allergic to them. This isn’t a huge problem in the Seattle area because there aren’t many mosquitoes around here. However, when we travel to the East Coast or when we travel throughout Alaska in the summer, mosquitoes can be a huge annoyance.
Over the years, I tried various products, but about eight or nine years ago I discovered an all-natural bug repellant from one of my favorite stores in Seattle–The Herbalist. Located in a residential neighborhood, this privately-owned shop is simply wonderful and their own custom-blended bug spray–B.O.O.– is awesome. Consisting of a blend of essential and herbal oils, the spray is designed to simultaneously repel bugs and to soothe the bites if they have already struck. My children love this product and we highly recommend it! I always keep a bottle of the spray in my camper medicine cabinet just in case the bugs start to bite! It is also apparently great for keeping fleas off your pets! It is available by mail order. With Memorial Day just around the corner, I plan to stop by my favorite little herb shop in order to stock up for the summer…
Do you have a tried and true method for keeping bugs away? If so, do tell!
–Melissa A. Trainer
sheila dodd
Hi guys, I know its November but I have a pressing issue. Last Summer I bought a used camper – 8″ no bathroom. I bought it in Vancouver, a waterlogged place quite often and unlike my nice , dry, cold Yukon.
The camper turned out to have lots of issues. I got the front inside roof over the side of the bed, cleaned out and reinsulated and then sealed on the outside. It does , however have a skylight and last summer when camping I noticed a round fat black bug, bigger than a lady bug, crawling around the unsealed part of the skylight, and then I found one on my duvet. Yuk! I killed them thinking they probably came in from the skylight but I’m now not sure because I saw baby ones on my sheets(And I had just bought a beautiful new, expensive mattress).
So… now I hate sleeping in my camper! I can silicone my skylight inside but I’m afraid this bugs got into my mattress. My question is : Do you think the -30 temperatures here will kill those bugs during the winter? Do you think they actually came in the old, wet,insulation of my camper?
If so I’ll be happy- if not…I’m not sleeping in it again.
sheila dodd
Really guys …..natural just doesn’t cut it. Many of these products are just “green” marketing and truly ineffectual. As a 20 year resident of 15 acres with a pond in the Far North (Yukon) my tip is this: In your camper you are fine but as soon as you start going in and out of you door simply spray yourself with “Off” sport active, it doesn’t smell, its sticky less and will keep you safe form any mosquito or black fly with one application per day. Magic. Just cover your mouth if you use the spray.
Do not spray inside your camper with anything. Just use your screen door.Do not put coils inside your camper or near it. They’re pretty ineffectual and not nice to sleep beside. Use the screen door, everytime!
remeber use the spray as soon as you leave the camper for the first time- and you will thoroughly enjoy the day! Don’t try and be brave- in the bush, use the spray and you’ll have a great holiday.
Patti Faustini
Hi Melissa, I’m really interested in this, as I HATE bugs, being bitten, but I hate even more slathering chemcials on my body. Ick. So….compared with OFF and the other things on the market, how well does this work? I’ve tried other products that are gentle and they just smell good and don’t poison me (that has merit, too), but I’d love to try a natural bug-away that works really well. So just how good is it?
Happy Tales,
Patti