5 Tips for Avoiding Mosquitoes
The wilderness is the ultimate playground. Here we hike, fish, paddle, hunt and more. There’s a lot to love about being in the woods, with one very annoying exception: mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are irritating pests, but they’re no reason to stay indoors. Here are a few tips you can use to avoid mosquitoes in the wilderness.
- Use insect repellent. The most obvious way to avoid mosquitoes, you should use a repellent that contains at least 20 percent DEET, but you should probably go much stronger than that if you’re in the deep woods. Make sure to reapply if you’re out for a while.
- Cover your skin. Mosquitoes bite exposed skin, so cover yourself by wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeve shirts and pants. That might sound silly to do in the hot summer months, but many long-sleeve shirts and pants on the market today are lightweight and breathable.
- Wear light colors. Research has shown that mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors. Wearing light colors like white or tan can make you less appealing to these pests.
- Timing matters. Mosquitoes are most active around dawn and dusk. You’ll have better luck avoiding them in the late morning or early afternoon.
- Find a breeze. Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so a good breeze will keep them away. Planning a trip in places that are exposed to wind – hiking at higher elevations and on exposed ridges; paddling on rivers and lakes – will cut down on the mosquitoes.