July 2nd, 2018 by Chris Chapman

Keep Mosquitoes Away When You’re on Holiday, Backpacking, or on a Business Trip

Whether you’re at home or abroad, there’s no destination that’s safe from mosquitoes! Problems caused by mosquitoes could just be annoying or they could be seriously life-threatening depending on where you’re visiting. Either way, it’s best to prepare for mosquitoes before you arrive to minimise their impact on your trip. Whether you’re planning a holiday, a backpacking trip, or a work conference, read on for a comprehensive list of ways you can protect yourself from these bloodsucking pests no matter where you are in the world.

Check Before You Book

It’s always worth checking whether the place you’re visiting is known for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are so common that they have a presence in virtually every country you can think of, but some places have it much worse than others. Mosquitoes are especially common in hot, humid areas which tend to be closer to the equator. If you’re staying in the UK, this shouldn’t be too difficult, but if you’re going abroad you’ll need to do a bit of research. Some countries require you to have certain vaccinations before you visit them, although many of the diseases mosquitoes can carry can’t be vaccinated against. Visit the NHS Fit for Travel website for more information and consider making an appointment to see a doctor to get some advice if you have to travel to an area where insect-borne diseases are more common.

Avoid Mosquito Seasons

It’s also worth checking whether the place you’re visiting has a “mosquito season” when the bugs are much more common. Some places, like the jungles or tropics, will have pretty much the same weather all year-round, so mosquitoes will always be everywhere. Other places can experience quite wild changes in climate – like the UK, for example – so they’re more likely to have seasons where mosquitoes are much more prevalent. While mosquitoes can survive in colder climates if they find shelter inside a heated home, they mostly either die off or hibernate until the weather warms up, so consider timing your trip well if you want to avoid mosquitoes!

Use a Mosquito Net

Mosquitoes are most active around sunset and night time. This means they tend to bite you while you’re in bed. If you’re in a country where there are a lot of mosquitoes, consider taking a mosquito net with you. Mosquito nets hang over your bed and prevent the bloodsucking pests from getting near you, while still allowing air and light to pass through the mesh. Some mosquito nets can be quite fragile, so be sure to check it for holes regularly!

Stay Away from Standing Water

No matter where you are in the world, leaving standing water around your living space is a bad idea. Mosquitoes are attracted to humid conditions, so leaving buckets, large puddles, or troughs of water too close to where you’re staying will make you a big target for mosquito bites! Mosquitoes actually like to lay their eggs in stagnant water as mosquito larvae are poor swimmers who can’t survive in a current, so leaving standing pools of water in countries where mosquitoes are common is a huge hygiene risk.

Wear Mosquito Repellent

This one is obvious but you should cover up every bit of exposed skin you can see with mosquito repellent while travelling! It’s best to pick up an insect repellent cream if you’re planning to fly as you’ll be able to take this on an aeroplane. When you’re using it with sun cream, always apply your sun cream first, then apply your insect repellent on top. Sun cream can cover up insect repellent, but luckily insect repellent won’t nullify your sun cream!

Wear Light-Coloured Clothes

Mosquitoes think everything looks better in black! Mosquitoes are attracted to darker colours, although exactly why isn’t known. A common theory is that black clothes absorb more heat from the sun, and as mosquitoes are extremely sensitive to heat, they can pick out dark clothes. It could be that they simply see dark colours more clearly, perhaps because they contrast with the sun setting over the horizon at dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Whatever the reason, wearing pastel colours will help to deter mosquitoes – remember not to wear colours that are too bright or you could end up attracting wasps or hornets instead!

Wear Long, Loose Clothes

Mosquitoes find it hard to get through clothes, so making sure you don’t have too much exposed skin will make it difficult for them to get at you! Wear long-sleeved tops and trousers for your trip. If you’re travelling to a hot country though, you’re probably not too keen on this idea! And indeed, mosquitoes are attracted to heat, so if you start burning up, you’ll be more likely to get bitten anyway. However, you should still get some thin, loose clothing that covers your arms and legs at least. This will keep mosquitoes away and will stop you from getting too hot on your travels.

Use a Small Fan

Pick up a small desk fan or a USB-powered fan that you can take with you on your trip. This is not only a great way to stay cool in hot climates but it’s a brilliant mosquito deterrent as well! While mosquitoes are flying insects, they’re not actually that good at flying. Having a fan circulate the air around you will make it much more difficult for the mosquito to reach you, and it may well give up and move elsewhere!