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Post Info TOPIC: Natural Ways To Repel Bugs


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Natural Ways To Repel Bugs


Hi everyone!  smile 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!



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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.

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A fan.....works well

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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

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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 etcbiggrinbiggrinbiggrin  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.nonono



-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 4th of August 2014 08:20:50 AM

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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 



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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.

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I sit near my DH, they like him so much that they just ignore me!

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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

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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



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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.

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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

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Coleman Therma Cell works very well for us. least expensive at Walmart

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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...



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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

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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 ;)

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This last weekend when we went out for the long weekend, I took my BlackFlag Fogger and did an area around our site. Seemed to work good keeping the flies and mosquitoes away.
www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/black-flag-propane-insect-fogger

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biggaRView wrote:

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!



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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!

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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! 



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Wow! Thanks for the great ideas everyone! Can't wait to try them. :)


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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!



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Ellen & Mario,
Love that. You made me laugh. Love all the other bug repellent suggestions on here.

Sherry

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Thanks for the fan idea, Mike. Tried it today and it worked great!

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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/



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Thanks!


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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!


 As they say in New Orleans, Yea you right.

 

CCC



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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.



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