Med advice please

As with almost everything, it depends. I am occasionally bitten and put it down as one of those minor irritations that are not too difficult to bear with. My wife is bitten constantly, painfully and over large areas of her body, through clothes and even sometimes in the middle of the day.

In low lying areas of Greece, such as the southern Ionian, mosquitoes in the evening are a considerable problem, even to me and after applying repellent. Boatyard work on a September evening in Preveza is virtually impossible, thanks to the attentions of the little creatures.

We have netting permanently rigged beneath the fore and centre hatches, attached with Velcro. Not only does it keep out the beasties but it also filters an enormous amount of dust and general muck from incoming air. In the evenings we hang a piece of netting over the open companionway, spraying inside the boat if necessary. This mostly ensures a night's sleep without bites.
 
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Do we need mosquito netting for the Med?
Our aim is to getr to Turkey

thanks Sunbird

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YES!!! definitely ...It will guarantee a good night sleep if nothing else. Better to have it. We use it always and are very glad we do.
 
Absolutely. I have found Italy, Croatia and Greece infested in certain areas, while others are totally free. Mostly they appear at dusk but have been informed that a new variety from Asia, the so-called Tiger Mosquito (so named because of the barred striping on the body) is becoming prevalent having migrated by courtesy of commercial aviation and this is active at any time of the day.

I have constructed a companionway washboard frame with the centre covered with a permanent netting and purchased a wedge-shaped net that fits over the forehatch. It restricts the airflow certainly, making the boat too hot during some summer nights but infinitely better than the itching sores that are the alternative.
 
I gave up with the hatch companionway netting as when there are mosquitoes their in before you put the "washboard"frame with netting in place.

If its not to hot then i sometime put covers in,I found netting well hung and tucked in the best way to sleep,stick a coil under the netting then after 10 minuets lift the cover and brush any mosquitoes out remove coil tuck net in.

When your ready to sleep let coil burn out in cabin when its out get under the net as fast as you can.Wait a bit pretend to sleep and listen!
 
Yes, various places in the Med have mosquitos, some in Turkey are the size of small aeroplanes with a bite to match. We have net covers for every hatch we might leave open and put them on an hour before dusk.
 
We also have a very good experience with the burning coils, even without any netting. We leave the coils to burn on a tray on the cockpit floor and the smoke slowly penetrates the cabin and keeps it mosq free even after the coils burn out. Works for us, touch wood........
 
Raid also do battery powered zappers. Extremely good they are to.
Coils have their place but they are not good to inhale!
The 'arabie' in this part of France are far worse than any mossies. Yanks call them 'no-see-ums' we will be experimenting this year with an Avon product!
Netting is really the only reliable answer although as it's been said the disadvantage is the ventilation.

They spraying against mosquitoes last year has proven effective and thus far (touch wood) we have no problem.
 
We found to our delight that there seems to be far less mossies in Turkey -- Gocek area than we used to get in the Ionian. Also loads more wasps in the Ionian especially when the have had a mild winter
There are some great anto mossie stuff around theses days we use it and it seems to keep the little buggers off.
 
Agree with less mossies in Turkey. The inner end of Hisarönu Bay seems to have the most, but otherwise I find it not really a problem. Burn a coil and they are all gone.
 
I feel I have to add a little here, we have lived out in Greece for several years now, most of our bites come from other insects, not mozzies. There are of course mozzies out here, but if we eat out in a Taverna and sit near trees and plants we could end up biten, but they are no-sees almost like the Scotish midges, not mozzies. You hear mozzies in the night, seldom in the day, and rarely if it is windy.
The locals wear no protection against them, neither do we, and seldom get bitten.
I think everyone gets a mozzie bite but some people get a different reaction than others. Now, get a tiny spider bite and you will know what a bite can do! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Raid do a battery operated version which uses little impregnated pads. Seems to work.

We use a battery operated ultrasonic gadget on the daddy long legs setting in the saloon now. [Bought at Wal Mart] Seems to work but not sure. The fly swatter gets the deaf or silly ones.

Not keen on chemicals in a confined space.

Windows open in hot weather we use an ordinary mosquito net suspended from the berth ceiling. Never seen a mozzy inside but you must not lean on the net in the night.

The coils I have seen are not suitable of use indoors, just for camping or the cockpit.
 
We had an R32 in the Med, my wife reacts badlt to mossies, we had net over the for hatch, and used citronella oil at night, that was enough. On our subsequent aft cabin boat, we mossie proofed the aft (sleeping) cabin with net over the deck hatch and louvered door.
 
We put a coil on the afterdeck when at anchor so the fumes leave the boat. The idea is that they mix with our CO2 (which is what attracts the biting insects) and puts them off if it doesn't make them ill/kill them. It works much better than not having them but they are a problem in gusty weather. I would not want to use one inside - the smell.
 
I have found that mozzies can be selective in who they feast on.
Last summer wife and No4 son were fairly chewed about, nos 2&3 sons even sleeping on deck were relatively unaffected. I was totally ignored by the little beggars, but worst of all was No1 daughter who earned the sobriquet 'the mozzie decoy' no amount of nets, creams pills or potions saved her. Not even plug in mozzie killers in her cabin helped.
 
Got chewed by them in the Ionian a couple of years ago.
Not normally bothered, but ended up with 50 or so bites, 10 down the right arm, which then swelled up, enough so I could not hold a beer with that hand!. Ended up in a chemist, who took a look & gave me anti histamine & anti inflamm pills, couple of hours later all ok.
This despite liberal dousings of anti bug spray, wipes etc.
Could not find any citronella products to use.

So, I am off to the Ionian again this year, any suggestions ?
No shorepower !

Might tell the charter company I require nets on all hatches or I am not booking ! coils sound a good idea in the cockpit.

One thing I might try, we were bothered by wasps while eating at a taverna, never stung by them or the massive hornets, but, the waiter brought some ground greek coffee in tinfoil, lit it so it smoldered, magic stuff, not a wasp in sight. Far better use for it than trying to drink the stuff ! wonder if it will work on the mozzies ?
 
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