How Do You Get Less Bugs in Camp?

[mmcan]

I don't know if y'all have had the same experience, but last week camping with my Chaser, the bugs were out of control. I have a couple of LED lights from Goal Zero, and it was simply impossible to even stand near the trailer as you would be inhaling midges, noseeums, and mosquitos galore. But we still wanted to be able to see.

So, I took the lights down from above eye level and hung them from the bottom of the trailer so they were about 8-10" off the ground.

The bugs did not follow at all. There were essentially NO bugs at the lights, and the indirect lighting was actually very functional and was also easier on the eyes.

Just my experience, but I'm thinking about mounting and hard wiring some LEDs on the bottom of the trailer like rock crawling lights.

Anyone else have any tips to offer?

 

[FellowTraveler]

Bug me or not!

I live in the lesser known Ozello Keys, Florida AKA; Nature Coast we have a ongoing battle with bugs and are limited as to what we can do because we are also surrounded by 100's of thousands of acres of protected lands. Those little pests you mentioned are bad but we also have a little bastard (s) known as deer flies too.

I've found eating brewers yeast, garlic help quite a bit. Oils from various plants are a good way to go (search web for these oils) but some citrus oils will attract honey bees too. Even application of "skin so soft" during or after a shower (careful don't slip) and even a little in the wash is a big help. Deer flies like their African cousins are attracted to dark blue and black colors here we take a large beach ball or two then paint black then coat with fly paper type glue for the fly problem hang em up away from the house, camp or whatever nothing works better.

Light here attracts many types of bugs but they stay by the light and really are not a problem, the infrared LED's on some of my security cameras attract spiders, true night/thermal and other high end vision units do not attract but spiders are very common here with many being as big as my hand. Lighting strings strung at a good distance around the parameter of the campsite will limit being bugged out! LED light strings are bright use very little energy and have become cost effective.

Snakes are another ongoing problem snake repellant helps keep em at bay. On more than one occasion I've had pigmy rattlers try to crawl into my pants leg while I worked on the ground under the Burb.

The rest of the things that may bug you and even try to eat you require a good blade, shotgun or big bore pistol

 

[theksmith]

breathe less! mosquitos target carbon dioxide (among other things).

but for real, if you are considering attracting them away from you then look up what some of the large professional mosquito traps use as attractants. i've heard of oscillating light in both the visible and human-invisible spectrums, heat, co2, and certain odors and chemicals like uric acid (maybe have someone with gout go pee away from camp a ways )

not sure about other type of pests, but i'm sure googling different species of the common ones would tell you what we know currently about what attracts them.

i do like the low-lights idea. setting up camp near the jeep with just the rock lights on is actually nice (as you found, no direct in-the-face glare). i also have a large red light that i use to keep my night vision... would be interesting to see if bugs in general are less attracted to it than white light...

 

[Corey]

I am taking a different approach this year.

Men's Equator-HT Top with Insect Shield

I have three of them now, and they are light enough you can wear them when it is hot out.
There is a video at the URL above directly to the right of the price of the shirt, and also on YouTube here.


I hate using repellents you apply to yourself, they never work good for me.

I am going to try the low LED lights thing too since I have five of the Goal Zero Light A Life lanterns.

 

[mmcan]

I'm looking for a "LIKE" tab (i.e. FaceBook-esque,...) for all of your responses. Fellow Traveler seems to have the worst of it! I feel like a wimp whining about multitudes of tiny bugs while he has much bigger problems. I've never worn the permethrin impregnanted clothing, but it looks very interesting. ThekSmith, I have a craigslist want add looking for a traveler with gout! Just hide his allopurinol once at the campsite!

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[UK4X4]

Thats really strange, I've never had a LED lamp attract bugs

Thats the main reason I changed from flourescents- which bugs love

Are they bright white LEDS ?

I just use the harbour freight rechargable work lights and never had an issue

 

[slooowr6]

Bugs are not attracted to LED lights.
Around camp site these works great at repel mosquitoes, http://www.rei.com/product/407032/coghlans-mosquito-coil . It's widely use in south east Asia to repel mosquitoes and it's very effective.

 

[SilverBullet]

We packed one of the Off Lanterns, they actually work great and take up minimal space.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

While not the most environmentally friendly options, certainly one I have used a few times when they were simply unbearable ... I have a fogger machine that uses one of the coleman portable propane tanks. I keep it in the nose of the trailer specifically for these types of situations. It works great- I'll fog about two hours before sunset and we will go on a walk, and when we return, no bugs within a 30 foot perimeter of the trailer.

Might be an option.
D

 

[hoser]

My LED lights attract a ton of gnats.

 

[95RRC]

For mosquitos - go find a cow pasture, and toss a couple of DRY "cow pattys" on the fire....sure way to get rid of mozzies.