reducing insect issues while camping in Australia

see also:

• pests in Australia
• photography and camping main index page

• one of the biggest annoyances whilst camping or hiking in Australia, especially in the warmer months is insects - in particular, bush flies and mosquitoes
• bull ants and other ants are also problematic but usually only if you camp on or near a nest or you are lazy and leave food scraps around - bull ants though will tend to wander into your tent, on garbage bags and over your tent - so keep an eye out especially when packing up your tent or getting rid of your garbage bag

• the annoying small bush flies are female and seek saliva, tears or sweat looking for protein to enable them to have eggs and can be really annoying around your eyes and mouth
• they are usually only active in the warmer months (especially in areas where there is cattle or sheep dung such as dairy regions as well as drier parts such as central Australia), and only active from sunrise to sunset
• if they are really bad, the best solution may be a mesh insect net for your head
• insect repellents often have little benefit for these targeting your eyes but you can try options such as:
  • Nature's Botanicals
  • 30% DEET products
  • permethrin clothing
• avoid attracting them to your camp site by not cooking near the camp and not throwing waste dish washing water nearby, or food scraps

• apart from causing itchy bites, mozzies can carry a range of viruses which can cause prolonged illnesses - but thankfully there is no malaria and almost no dengue fever in Australia (apart from northernmost parts of Australia which can have dengue outbreaks)
• Australan mozzies are active at temperatures above 10-12degC and are most active on humid warm evenings with minimal breeze
• avoid camping in high mozzie areas:
  • camp areas without stagnant water will generally have low numbers or no mozzies (mozzies need 1 week of stagnant water to multiply)
• whilst active wear clothing is great for hiking, the thin material closely applied to the skin will NOT stop mosquito bites - wear loose fitting light coloured clothing with full coverage of your body instead if mozzies are an issue
• in heavy mozzie areas such as the Murray River, mozzies tend to be active during the day as well as night but in most areas, dawn and dusk are peak periods for most Australian mosquitoes
• insect repellents are generally recommended for mozzie areas such as:
  • Nature's Botanicals
  • 30% DEET products
  • permethrin clothing
• insect proof shelters are critical and ensure there are no lights on inside when you open the doors to avoid encouraging insects coming in
  • NB. avoid having skin in contact with mesh as they could bite through the mesh
• camp fire smoke does seem to deter most insects but this should not be relied upon
• use orange or red lights in your camp area to reduce attracting insects of all kinds to bright white or blue lights
  • consider placing a white light 30m from your camp site to attract insects away from your camp site
• area-based insect repellents can also be very useful at night such as:
  • Thermacell products
    • for hikers check out the Thermacell Backpacker Repeller - uses standard butane gas cartridges which you use for your cooking stove
    • for other campers, check out the lithium battery powered Thermacell E55 - battery lasts 5.5hrs but can be charged whilst running via USB for all night use