Mosquito season is here…that means those nasty little blood suckers may be bugging us on our hikes. I find them particularly annoying in the High Sierras in July, my favorite place to go hiking in California.

How can you prevent mosquito bites? Here are some tips!

• Wear light colored hiking clothes. Mosquitos are attracted to dark clothing, and some breeds have a particular fascination with red and blue. So if you’re an American and outside on July 4th…stick to wearing white to show your patriotism, not the red and blue!
• Wear loose fitting hiking clothes. In addition to wearing light colors, pick looser fitting clothes for the summer…mosquitos can bit through tightly fitting clothes, but they won’t be able to reach your skin if your clothes are loose enough.
• Get apparel that is specially treated to repel insects. Companies realize that we don’t want to get bitten, and for some of you who adventure in areas where West Nile virus is prevalent, avoiding mosquito bites is especially crucial. ExOfficio makes bug repellant products, as does a new company Haeleum. Check out these Hiking Lady reviews of a Haeleum hiking top and the ExOfficio Women’s Insect Shield Shirt.
• Avoid camping near water. If you’re out backpacking, avoid setting up your tent near that pretty mountain lake…and make sure you keep your tent’s inner mesh screen zipped up at night, no matter where you camp.
• Use repellant. There are the natural ones and the highly toxic ones… if you are using DEET, be very careful to spray it on your clothing, not your skin, and use the least amount possible. Natural options such as 45ºN 68ºW and others made of oil of lemon eucalyptus can work too.

Happy trails! Wishing you a bite free summer 🙂