Insects are probably the most annoying little critters I have ever come across on the hiking trails. They make the month of May such a painful month to hike on. Sometimes, there are even more insects in August too. Those small annoying insect bites can get pretty annoying. Instead of enjoying a view point, I am often times too busy swatting insects away to see the view. In order to maximize the pleasure of hiking and be able to protect yourself from various diseases, it is best to know various ways to protect yourself from insect bites.
Importance Of Keeping Insects Away From You
I. Diseases
Insects have been known to carry diseases and they have been known to transfer these diseases. Mosquitoes are the most common insects that transmit diseases in the USA and we have lots of them in lots of hiking trails. They may transmit west nile virus, gengue, malaria, and encephalitis. There are lots of other insects on the trail the transmit diseases. Ticks have also widely been proven to transmit diseases such as rocky mountain spotted fever, lyme disease, tularaemia, and ehrlichiosis. Bugs are very dangerous to hikers. We need to make sure that our bodies are always protected from these insects and that we are always safe. A lot of these diseases have been known to cause death, paralysis and can make a person bedridden for a long time. We can protect ourselves easily with insect repellent sprays.
II. Allergy
One of the most common unwanted effects is allergy. Insect bites can cause a lot of problematic allergy symptoms and signs. Allergy symptoms and signs include severe itching, rash, swelling, reddened skin, shortness of breath, pain, hives, nasal congestion and so on. These symptoms are very irritating and annoying to have. It is hard to get help or find relief while you are in a hike. Most people do not carry a first aid kit for insect bites. Keeping insects away will dramatically reduce the chance that they will bite you that will cause your body to have an allergic reaction. These symptoms can stay on a person’s body for days and may stay with a person for a long time. If you are not allergic to insect bites, then you are very lucky. However, it still better to be safe than sorry. Getting some form of protection against bugs is still a wise decision
III. Rash
Rashes often happen after a bug bite. You can tell what a rash is. A rash is a noticeable change in color and texture of the skin. Many insect bites can cause a rash which is often associated with swelling, itchiness and discomfort. Hiking while your hands are itchy and swelling can be very uncomfortable. Imagine hiking for multiple days and your legs are itching with pain and discomfort. You really do not want to have rashes or insect bites while on a hike. There are lots of ways to protect ourselves from insects. It is best we make sure that we use one.
IV. Venom And Poison
Venom and poison are very common to most insects. Common venomous insects are spiders, bees, scorpions, and so on. These types of bugs can sting your body really hard. You will no longer be able to enjoy your hike if they do. These insects can even ruin your life. A venomous insect can bite your leg and you will be very sorry. Your life can change forever. You may even lose your leg or your life. Most insects will only have a mild poison and they will not be able to kill the body. However, bites from poisonous insects can still be very irritating and uncomfortable. They can cause the tissues to be necrotic, can cause respiratory failure, headaches, dizziness and so on.
V. Death
Death definitely happens to a lot of people who have been bitten by a very venomous insect. It is important to keep your body safe from any venomous insects while hiking. Keep in mind that hiking will often take you out of the grid. You will not have cell phone signals, communication to the outside world or anything like that. You will not get any help so it is important that you make sure to keep your body safe at all times. If you are having severe allergic reaction, bitten by a venomous insect or having all sorts of body pain, no one will be able to help you. Death can happen in all sorts of ways while hiking. It is imperative that you get as much protection and avoid harm to your body as much as possible.
Top 6 Essential Oils For Repelling Insects
These are common ingredients or oils that you will find in natural insect repellents that are sold in stores.
Lemon Eucalyptus
One of my most favorite essential oils for repelling insects is Lemon Eucalyptus oil. This is one of the most effective oils that I have ever come across. This oil repels mosquitoes for a very long time. I usually just apply at the trail head or car and it lasts for the rest of the hike. The only problem is that this oil is pretty smelly. This oil smells pretty okay to me but there are also a lot of people who do not like the smell. I usually buy one of these natural bug sprays whenever I travel. This is a great deterrent for Zica virus and other types of diseases. This will repel insects very well and I like this oil a lot. The bug spray that I use that contains Lemon Eucalyptus is Repel Natural Bug Spray. This is pretty inexpensive and works rather well.
Citronella Oil
Citronella Oil is classified and registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a bio-pesticide. This basically means that the oil repels insects quite well, while being very safe on the body. We often have a little bit of citronella in some of our food flavoring agents, alcohol, baked goods, frozen dairy and so on. This is pretty safe on the human body as long as you don’t consume a lot of it. Citronella oil is acquired through the crushing of the citronella grass. A common belief that is wrong is that this oil kills insects which is why it is a good insect repellent. The sad fact is that it does not kill insects. What it does is that it hides and masks scents and odors that insects often sense. By doing this, the insects do not have a clear target.
Lavender Oil
Lavender has been used in a lot of homes for centuries to make the home smell a lot better. Lavender fragrance is often used in closets to make the clothes smell good. However, lavender is also good at repelling insects. Insects hate the smell of lavender and they will try and stay away from people that smells like lavender. People will often put lavender flowers on their windows to keep bugs away. So if you are thinking of getting a natural insect repellent or making your own, lavender oil is a great choice to have.
Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass is one of the best natural insecticides that you can use. This is a very powerful essential oil. The herb is also often used in beverages and tea. This is pretty safe to use. Lemongrass grows everywhere. It is very popular and common herb. However, the quality of the lemongrass depends on the place where it is harvested. Think of it like coffee beans. Coffee taste different depending on which area or climate it was harvested from. Lemongrass is also very common in mosquito repellent candles and other types of similar products.
Peppermint Oil
If you do not like the smell of oils and flowers then peppermint oil is a great insect repellent for you. You can apply this to your skin to prevent bug bites and it will leave your skin smelling minty and clean. There have been a lot of tests and studies proving that peppermint works well against insects. Peppermint oil has also been used in various ailments. This oil is commonly used to give respiratory relief, relieve bad breath, soothe sunburn, stimulate the mind and so on. This is a definitely one of the most useful essential oil that you can have.
Basil
Another amazing oil is made from Basil. This has been proven to contain a large amount of larvicide ingredients. This means that this oil kills the insects at the larva stage rather well. Basil is often used in foods and recipes so we can be certain that basil is very safe for us. This sweet and spicy smelling oil is a great mosquito deterrent. If you are going to hike through terrain with lots of mosquitoes then having basil oil in your insect repellent spray is a wise decision.
Another good essential oil bug spray that I often use is Herbal Armor. This has a couple of natural essential oils and this is used by a lot of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts as well.
Ingredients In Synthesized Bug Sprays
I am more of a natural and organic type of person. So I often like natural insect repellents compared to synthesized insect repellents. However, chemical or synthesized insect repellents are a lot more powerful and a lot more effective than natural buy sprays. It is for this reason that I often have both and use both whenever I go hiking.
DEET
DEET has a bad reputation. There are many websites who claim that DEET is bad for your health. I’ve never seen a DEET bug spray for babies. So most people say that if it is not good for babies, it is not good for me. However, lots of clinical studies have been conducted saying that DEET is very safe and this does not harm people. I actually see a lot of researchers putting DEET on their skin. So they believe that DEET is safe. I think DEET is pretty safe too. For more information on whether DEET is safe and to see what problems arose to people using DEET, you can check out this webpage.
DEET is the most powerful and effective insect repelling ingredient that I have ever come across. This ingredient is so much better than the essential oils. DEET has been used by so many people and lots of people love this ingredient. I have seen youtube videos where people apply DEET on their skin and put their skin on a glass box full of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes did not even touch the skin. So DEET is very powerful. If you want a powerful insect repellent then I highly recommend getting a bug spray with DEET.
If you wish to know some various DEET bug sprays, then you can check out my review of Best DEET Bug Sprays.
Picardin
Picardin was invented around 1980s. It came from a genus plant of pepper. Picardin is pretty new in the USA. It was approved to be used around 2005. So it is still a baby. Studies have shown that Picardin is also very effective. It is as effective as DEET however, unlike DEET, picaridin is odorless, non-greasy, and does not dissolve plastics or other synthetics. The thing with Picardin is that it is relatively new. We have not studied it well enough and used it long enough. We don’t know if this chemical has any long term side effects. Picardin is still under evaluation but the ingredient is very promising and works very well against mosquitoes.
Insect Repelling Clothing
I actually prefer insect repellent clothing rather than bug sprays. There are many kinds of insect repellent clothes. I like the ones with the nets. I like the mosquito jackets a lot since they are very easy to use and very easy to carry. The head nets are pretty good also but they only protect the head. There are also sweaters that can repel mosquitoes and insects but I prefer these nets. They are very compact, easy to carry and I don’t have to spray anything to myself. If I wanted to spray anything, I can just spray them on these pieces of clothing. The only problem I have is that if the trail is very narrow, the nets can get tangled with branches and the terrain. The holes can get bigger or the net may get torn.
Insect Repelling Bracelets
Insect bracelets are also a viable option to repel insects. Out of all the ways you can prevent insect bites, this is probably the worst out of all of them. It is not as effective as the others. However, this does work and I often just spray DEET or an essential oil on the bracelets if they stopped working. This is reusable by spraying them again with insect repelling ingredients. I can hang them on my backpack, jacket or wear them on my wrist. They will provide another form of protection against insects. If you are interested in insect repellent bracelets, you can look at my reviews at my best insect repellent bracelets article.
References:
- https://www.essentialoilhaven.com/how-to-use-essential-oils-as-mosquito-repellent-bug-itch-treatment/
- https://organicaromas.com/blogs/aromatherapy-and-essential-oils/diy-natural-mosquito-repellent-using-essential-oils
- https://www.popsci.com/article/science/deet-safe-use
- https://www.outdoors.org/articles/amc-outdoors/picaridin-vs-deet-which-is-the-best-insect-repellent