Don’t Forget the Bug Spray
Glamping is always a cut above a standard camping trip – it’s those little luxuries like a proper bed, private cooking or washing facilities and unique accommodation that make it different, but there are some aspects of camping that also apply to glamping. The main one is the weather and the wildlife. We can’t change the weather, nor can we instantly remove wasps from the ecosystem, but we can be prepared by packing wet weather gear, sun cream and loose cotton clothing for the hot days, and insect repellent, bite and sting cream and even ice packs for those really itchy mosquito bites.
If you’re sitting around of an evening, be sure to light some citronella candles to keep mosquitos and other biting flying insects at bay. You probably won’t need the type of bug spray you’d need in a tropical climate, but if you’re camping around areas of water or near farmland, then you should be prepared for midges, flies and other buzzy things descending on you in the evenings. A campfire is also a good deterrent for flying insects but if you’re not allowed to light fires then you’ll have to use other methods to stay bite-free. Mint can also repel some insects (including spiders) and it smells lovely and fresh. A bundle of fresh mint hung in the doorway to your accommodation can stop bugs coming inside, and mint is one of the key ingredients of a mojito, meaning there’s more than one reason to pack some!
All tents have an insect screen in the inner door, allowing you to air out the inside of your tent without also letting lots of insects in, but glamping accommodation often doesn’t have this feature, so it can be worth taking a mosquito net or fly screen that you can hang in the doorway to provide ventilation without insect access. You can also hang the mosquito net above the bed if it’s hot enough to want to sleep with the windows and/or doors open.
If you have any severe allergies to insect bites then please ensure you pack your epi-pens, and always take some extra antihistamines for emergencies. Antihistamine bite cream can help reduce swelling and redness on insect bites and stop you itching – although scratching provides temporary relief it can make the bite worse so stick to topical creams, or even something cold like an ice pack or cold can of drink to reduce the pain.
If you’re going somewhere with a lot of long grass, or you’ll be walking a lot then it is worth packing a tick removing tool, enabling you to remove the little critters without leaving the mouth parts lodged in your flesh. Ticks can carry Lyme disease, so it is really important to check yourself (and the rest of your party) for ticks when returning from a long walk or when you’ve been through long grass.
There are lots of types of bug repellent spray on the market but do check the ingredients and suitability for use with young children or pregnant women, as some should not be used in these cases. Whether you use chemical bug spray or natural alternatives is a matter of choice, and in the UK we are lucky not to have too many biting or stinging insects, or diseases spread by them. You may decide that the natural way is good enough, but if you have severe allergies to insect bites then it may well be worth bringing out the big guns from the start.
With a little preparation you can avoid the nasty side of our diverse wildlife and come home bite-free – a few insects needn’t ruin your glamping holiday if you have taken some simple precautions.
