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Insect Repellent: Effective Advice for Travelers

When you travel frequently staying at expensive places is not something everyone can afford. And if you are planning a road trip or into adventure sports that include camping and trekking then this is one problem that you will have most likely faced and that is insects. No matter if you are outdoors or indoors, insects seem to be everywhere. When you are familiar with an area you know what to look out for or how to protect yourself but when you are out and about, it can prove to be difficult.

hotel room

Most of the times affordable places are great to camp out, so we chose that but sometimes and in some places many times the beds can have bed bugs or the room can have mosquitoes and ants or houseflies. Who would want to sleep in a bed bug infested bed and honestly who wants mosquitoes sucking on them everyday. These blood-sucking parasites can make your stay a nightmare through and through which is why insect bite protection techniques becomes important knowledge.

If you stay at an insect infested place, the chances are that some insects are not going to keep to themselves and try to be all over you. We once stayed at a hostel that had cockroaches, it wasn’t a pretty stay obviously. The insects can infest your luggage and clothes and then their next destination will be your home if they are trapped in your bag.

Other than their bites giving you rashes and itching bad and also hurting, you can get in danger personally if the insect is poisonous or it’s bite gets infected or if it is a carrier of germs and diseases. Years of traveling and enough encounters with insects has taught me to always consider the cleanliness and customer service of any place I am living at and if it is nature then I make sure to carry insect repellents and ointments with me.

insect

My brother once caught malaria when he was out for a holiday. He and his friends were staying at a hostel that was on the cheaper side because it was closer to the venues they wanted to visit. It had a park nearby and it was during rains so they decided to play football in the rain one night. When the rain stopped a lot of mosquitoes had started gathering and they got a lot of bites. Two of them, my brother included, ended up getting malaria.

So, from that moment on I tell everyone how and why it is important to not ignore these pesky little insects. They are just not annoying, they can cause health hazards. Carry sanitizers and wet wipes with you to places. Always use sanitizer to clean your hands before eating and wipe down the cutlery if you are in a not so place. You can always wipe down the park benches before camping out there too.

What to do if your hotel has insects?

Change the room as soon as possible. Most hotels will comply and some will even refund you. If it is not much and some insects, then too make sure to let the hotel know. Sometimes even the hotel isn’t aware of the problem they have. Let them know so that they can get rid of the problem or let the people know through your reviews if your hotel doesn’t care.

What to do if you are staying in nature for a long period?

I carry bug spray everywhere I can. I mean it might not be the ideal solution, but it works, so why not. Spray a little on your bag, on your clothes, even the surface you will sleeping in or camping out at. While going out on treks at night, be sure to lather yourself with ointments meant to protect against mosquitoes. Clean out the camping area as best as you can. Spray bug spray around your luggage and sleeping area.

Conclusion:

Being prepared with ointments and insect repellents is the best way to deal with insects honestly. No matter how clean the place is, insects will find their way there. Always inspect your living situation and take precautionary steps already. There are always travel friendly sprays and ointments available that you can pack with you. If you are sensitive to insect bites then you should definitely carry medicines prescribed from your doctor too to be on the safer side.