Camping on beach where we can see a glorious Gulf Coast sunrise is one of our favorite things to do, but sometimes we have unwanted camping companions. Mosquitoes are a big problem here on the Texas Gulf Coast, just as they in many other places, but here they are, of course, bigger, louder and more irritating – just like some of our state politicians.
So, how do we keep mosquitoes away when camping on the beach? There are lots of gadgets and gimmicks for sale that claim to protect you from flying bloodsuckers, but there are only a handful of sure-fire ways to keep most mosquitoes away from your campsite.
Knowing Your Enemy
There are at least eighty-five species of mosquitoes that can be found along the Gulf Coast alone, some with spot-on scientific names such as Aedes Tormentor, and well known varieties such as Aedes Aegypti (Yellow Fever Mosquito), Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes Albopictus), and the common House Mosquito (Culex). All of these species can carry nasty diseases including the Zika virus, West Nile Virus and even malaria, of which there was over one hundred cases in Texas last year. (Source: Texas A&M)
Physical Barriers – Your First Line of Defense Against Mosquitoes in Your Campsite
When we camp on the beach in places such as Padre Island National Seashore we take along a couple Coleman Instant Shelters we set up. We set up one with a tarp floor to use for our kitchen and eating area, and the other we just use to hang out in, and, as Lizzy Lou is doing in the photo, dig holes.
The mesh on these shelters is fine enough to keep out both mosquitoes and no-see-em’s, and still let the breeze in. (To keep mosquitoes from coming inside your shelter, be sure to seal any areas where it meets the ground, or use one with an integrated floor.)
Portable Camping Fans, Another Way to Keep Mosquitoes Away When Camping
When we’re hanging around the campsite, outside of the shelter, we set up a couple rechargeable camping fans next to our chairs. Fans like the Ryobi One Air Cannon can blow enough air to keep most mosquitoes away from our ankles and legs, a place they seem to strike first.
Rechargeable fans are also good for generating white noise to drown out the sound of mosquitoes buzzing just outside your tent when you’re trying to fall asleep.
The Best Mosquito Repellents To Use When Camping On The Gulf Coast – DEET vs. Picardin
Those of you who don’t like to use chemical mosquito repellents (we don’t either) aren’t going to like to hear this, but DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) has been shown in many studies to be the most effective deterrent against mosquitoes of all kinds.
Using DEET mosquito repellents is not without some danger though. Some individuals are highly sensitive to the chemical and there is some evidence that prolonged use may lead to ill effects.
DEET Repellents and Fishing Line – DEET is also highly corrosive to plastics, including expensive poly-carbonate sunglasses lenses (found this out the hard way.) If you want to know just how corrosive DEET sprays are, spray some on a strand of monofilament fishing line and then pull on it after a few seconds. Since we often surf fish on the Gulf Coast, we avoid it for this reason.
If you decide to use a spray with DEET, try spraying it only on your your pants legs, hat or shirt, and using safer products on your skin, like Alba mosquito repellent, which contains cedar oil and other natural insect repellents.
Picaridin – A Safer Mosquito Repellent
We’ve found that mosquito sprays containing picaridin, a chemical synthesized from pepper plants, can work almost as well as DEET, without being corrosive to plastics. Brands such as Sawyer 20% Picaridin will help keep most species of mosquitoes away from your body when camping.
Should You Fog Your Campsite For Mosquitoes?
If you want to fog around your campsite using a handheld mosquito fogger there may be rules against doing so in some parks. After using one of these in our backyard, and seeing dragonflies (nature’s mosquito fighters) falling dead, we swore to never use a mosquito fogger again. Because they kill all flying insects, good and bad, using a fogger when camping isn’t really a good thing to do.
An alternative to fogging, which we’ve used with good success, is spraying our tent with Sawyer permetherin spray. (Be sure to check the label to see if it’s OK to use on your tent’s material.)
Do Ultrasonic Mosquito Repellent Devices Really Work?
Chances are, on the shelves of your local Walmart you’ll find electronic mosquito repellent devices that claim to use special “ultrasonic sound waves” keep mosquitoes away from your campsite. These gadgets have never worked for us, so we’ll just leave it at that.
Do Mosquito Repellent Clothes Work?
At REI and other outfitters you’ll find clothes that are sold as being mosquito repellent. Most of these clothing items are treated with permethrin, a chemical derived from the chrysanthemum flower. Brands using Insect Shield are advertised to be effective for up to seventy washings. We’ve not found insect repellent clothing to be as effective as spray-on DEET or picaridin, and the cost is often higher than regular clothing.
Mosquito Repellent Diffusers For Your Campsite
Electronic mosquito repellent diffusers, like the Thermacell Adventure EX are the one exception to our view that mosquito repellent gadgets don’t work. While some electronic insect repellers emit sound waves that are supposed to ward off flying critters, diffuser type devices like Thermacell emit a constant stream of allethrin, a natural mosquito repellent derived from chrysanthemums. We tried one of these on our last trip to the coast and it worked better than citronella candles, but still didn’t keep all mosquitoes away.
If you have the slightest breeze blowing, like there often is on the coast, diffusers won’t work because the allethrin will simply be carried away downwind.
The Bottom Line on Keeping Mosquitoes Away From Your Campsite
For waging war against these nasty little pests, you sometimes have to bring out more than one weapon, as well as do things like choosing a campsite farther from standing water and deep woods, and camping where you’re likely to get a more constant breeze to keep mosquitoes away.
Doing things like brushing away the ones that have gathered on your tent flap before opening it, or blowing them away first with a portable fan, can help keep mosquitoes out of your tent or shelter.
Last, when bringing your furry friends along, remember that heartworm larvae are spread to dogs by mosquitoes. Be sure your dogs are on a regimen of heart-worm preventative, such as Heartguard or Simparica Trio as prescribed by your veterinarian.
To learn more about camping at Padre Island National Seashore see the park website.
