Mosquito Deterrent

Although not in Port-St-Louis like Roaring Girl, but also in the Camargue near St-Gilles we were bitten to death whilst also enjoying greatly the actual countryside and inland waterways there. Mozzie nets are a must, on all openings, but the little so and so's still get in. :(
It's important to realise that mozzies are basically blind and attracted to the CO2 element in animal (human) breath; they can't be tempted and done away with by sultry-violet light bug-zappers (although these do work on other insects). Things like the coils, the plug-in censers, DEET, Pyrethrin and Citronella act either to mask the CO2 output or to deter the mozzies because they don't like that particular odour and/or kill 'em.
It's only the females that bite, to get blood to develop their eggs. Almost nothing worse than the high pitched whine that usually starts up just as one is entering the Land of Nod. And the blighters then hide . . . !!!
 
Sandyman said:
Thank You...................will set SWMBO on the look out. The little buggers dont like me so no probs. But,.....................they just love SWMBO
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Loads on ebay if you type in DEET. I also had a small sonic unit called a Moziban, powered by an AA battery, that emitted a high freq. sound, cost £10, which I lost before I had chance to try it!
 
Mossi's

Bought some Mossi Reppellors with a little fan in them . Battery powered you change a small filter every 3 - 4 days . Worked a treat in Turkey .. Also used high DEET 50 + found in BOOTS CHEMIST . Put it on every night just before the sun goes down . Don't miss any bits . :eek: . :rolleyes:
 
Mosquitos

We have chartered a number of yachts in various parts of the world. Most of these have had mozzi nets on the windows but we have always failed to keep the blighters out.

Now we have our own boat we have made mossi nets that fit the bunks. These we lay down on the bed during the day and lift them up when we go to sleep. This way we can be sure there are no mozzies inside and we can have a peaceful night's sleep with no dive bombing noises!
 
Many thanks to all contributors for the tips and personal experiences regarding these awful, mostly invisible beasts. Whenever I do manage to swot one and see the blood stain, it always makes me wonder where or who it came from.

But I suppose thinking and discussing mosquito's must mean summer cant be that far away now. Now to get armed.
 
deet

Sandyman said:
So what does DEET stand for ? tks.
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POISON we use it in the marines when we were i the jungle and it melted the plastic buckles on our kit but it was 90% it isnt toxic in the strength you can buy at the chemist but you need 50% to be effective. The other thing they dont like is garlic
 
theguerns said:
POISON we use it in the marines when we were i the jungle and it melted the plastic buckles on our kit but it was 90% it isnt toxic in the strength you can buy at the chemist but you need 50% to be effective. The other thing they dont like is garlic
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In my experience and on the advice of an Aussie doctor I worked with you don't need 50%, reapplying regularly is more important than strength and it's a lot less unpleasant to use at 20%...
 
1. Prevent Access. Mosquito nets covering apertures, preferably pyrethrin impregnated, since pyrethrin kills any that touch the net. Used world wide as bed nets for malaria control in vulnerable areas.

2. Pyrethrin spray inside sealed region. Kills insects. Used for insect control in passenger aircraft before landing when having left a destination with insect borne diseases. Always locally available.

3. Evaporators (usually heated by mains power) give off pyrethrin.

4. Smoke coils are usually deterrents, rather than killers.

5. Don't know whether DEET is a killer, but it sure tastes awful.

6. As mentioned above, sonic machines are excellent for preventing asteroids from hitting sleeping people, but they have been comprehensively rubbished as mossy deterrents in consumer tests. Same category as eating chlorophyll tablets for de-odorant; "Smell that goat on yonder hill; feeds all day on chlorophyll". Or anti-static tabs on cars to prevent car sickness.

Exposure will cause your reaction to bites to diminish with time.
 
Brewers yeast (available from most chemists in tablet form) does the trick. If I got bitten I used to come up in 'golf ball' sized bite marks. Two or three tabs a day and no bites. I have to admit to being sceptical as to whether this would work in the first instance, but it does!. Recommended to others and works for them as well. Cheap solution and no chemicals.
 
Adrianwool said:
Brewers yeast (available from most chemists in tablet form) does the trick. If I got bitten I used to come up in 'golf ball' sized bite marks. Two or three tabs a day and no bites. I have to admit to being sceptical as to whether this would work in the first instance, but it does!. Recommended to others and works for them as well. Cheap solution and no chemicals.
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Marmite is brewers yeast in a more pleasant form!
 
But do we eat the marmite or smear it all over?:D

Seriously with marmite and brewer's we're back to the question of whether vit B works or not...
 
Re The midges..:D I've just looked at some camping (as in tents) info I have.

Avon..."Skin so Soft" (?? at least you'll smell like a very nice boy..:D )
Vitamin B3 Niacin tablets- Health food shops.
"Nordic Summer" ..think that one is a specialised spray on deterrent.

All those get a vote as working against some midges, Moodyjim.
 
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