Mosquitos

[Bird]

I am rarely bothered by mosquitos, primarily because I'm seldom out at dusk. But yesterday I took the dog for a walk in a heavily wooded park and there's a drainage ditch alongside the park with puddles; undoubtedly good mosquito breeding places. I think I probably got 4 or 5 mosquito bites. So today, I was going back over there and my wife asked if I had any mosquito repellant, which I did not.

So she suggested the Avon Skin So Soft that she has had for a couple of years (daughter used to sell Avon). Now I heard long ago that it was good for repelling mosquitos, but I'd never smelled it. I put a tiny bit on each arm and quickly concluded that it should repel mosquitos, skunks, bears, mountain lions, wolves, and other humans. Horrible smelling stuff and I'll never try that again.

 

[retiredmgn]

I am rarely bothered by mosquitos, primarily because I'm seldom out at dusk. But yesterday I took the dog for a walk in a heavily wooded park and there's a drainage ditch alongside the park with puddles; undoubtedly good mosquito breeding places. I think I probably got 4 or 5 mosquito bites. So today, I was going back over there and my wife asked if I had any mosquito repellant, which I did not.

So she suggested the Avon Skin So Soft that she has had for a couple of years (daughter used to sell Avon). Now I heard long ago that it was good for repelling mosquitos, but I'd never smelled it. I put a tiny bit on each arm and quickly concluded that it should repel mosquitos, skunks, bears, mountain lions, wolves, and other humans. Horrible smelling stuff and I'll never try that again.

Well duh, it's not called, "Avon Smells So Good". It's called, "Avon Skin So Soft".

So how's your skin?

 

[polo1665]

We used to use it for mosquito repellent all the time. The stuff I used never smelled badly. It works real well as a repellent, that's for sure.

 

[stoatspur]

Check out a product called ThermaCell. My daughter doesbiology fieldwork and she swears by it.

 

[Bird]

We used to use it for mosquito repellent all the time. The stuff I used never smelled badly. It works real well as a repellent, that's for sure.

Maybe it just depends on your olfactory senses.:laughing: I only put that stuff on my arms, and then I tried to wash it off with just a damp wash clothe before I took my wife to a doctor's appointment. I told her I didn't want to get anywhere close to any other people until I could get back home and get a shower. Now she claims she couldn't even smell it in the truck with me, but I sure can, and I'll bet I never try it again.

 

[tcartwri]

... I think I probably got 4 or 5 mosquito bites....

Boy you would die here. :laughing:

 

[polo1665]

Maybe it just depends on your olfactory senses.:laughing: I only put that stuff on my arms, and then I tried to wash it off with just a damp wash clothe before I took my wife to a doctor's appointment. I told her I didn't want to get anywhere close to any other people until I could get back home and get a shower. Now she claims she couldn't even smell it in the truck with me, but I sure can, and I'll bet I never try it again.

Maybe you're part mosquito:laughing::laughing:

Just kidding of course.

 

[Depmandog]

Maybe it just depends on your olfactory senses.:laughing: I only put that stuff on my arms, and then I tried to wash it off with just a damp wash clothe before I took my wife to a doctor's appointment. I told her I didn't want to get anywhere close to any other people until I could get back home and get a shower. Now she claims she couldn't even smell it in the truck with me, but I sure can, and I'll bet I never try it again.

I have a pretty good sniffer, and I don't mind that product too much. Smells better then deep woods off IMHO. You said she had it for a couple of years....wonder if it went skunky???

Me and mosquitos don't get all at all. I get an instant welt that itches to beat the band for about 6 hours, then they quickly fade away. Glad they don't last long - because if I get tagged with a dozen bites - I have to start chugging Benadryl or I will go nuts.

 

[tcartwri]

We had a young lady from Toronto visit us at my old farm.... she had never been bitten by a mosquito before..... after she had been bitten a few times we got a little concerned with the alarming amount of swelling, which thankfully didn't require a visit to the ER. As someone who grew up in Quebec and Eastern Ontario it just never occured to us that someone could have such a reaction. Thank god it wasn't deer or horse fly season to boot! :laughing:

 

[Bird]

Of course, I've been to Alaska 4 times, once all the way to Prudhoe Bay, so I've seen some really thick mosquitos.:laughing: And I found Deep Woods Off to be the best thing to repel them. I asked my wife if her Skin So Soft might have spoiled, but she insists there's nothing wrong with it; just me.:confused2: So maybe she's right. Mosquito bites may bother me less than most people. They make a little bump that itches for an hour or so, but I sure don't like them, so when I mentioned getting bit a few times yesterday, she insisted I try this Skin So Soft. Next time I'll just let the mosquitos bite.:laughing: But if I were going to be out very long and might get a lot of bites, I'd just go get a can of Deep Woods Off.

Incidentally, we noticed many years ago that while we have lots of paper trash, bottles, beer cans, etc. thrown out along side the roads, the farther north we went, the less trash we saw and when we did see trash thrown out along the road, it was Off or Deep Woods Off cans.:laughing: I never threw any out on the road, but I did buy it by the case when we went to Alaska.

 

[rsewill]

Apparently every creature is important to the ecology of the earth. Mosquitoes are the one creature I would be happy to do without to test this hypothesis.

 

[newbury]

Well, since you brought the subject up -
As a former field biologist who worked from Alaska to Maine and Louisiana I've had my share of flyng biters.

I've found effective things:
Military DEET they issued in the '70's - but careful it'll melt the plastic on a car seat. Works for everybody
Skin so Soft - pretty good if you have too live with other people. Looking at Bird's avatar I suspect he doesn't know what soft skin is on his body.
A mix of B vitamins - but I always forget which ones. You take them up to some level, may work depending on your body chemistry. Often you'll stink to others
Garlic, again may be dependent on your body chemistry. Again you'll stink.

The first time I went to Alaska I did the B vitamin mix. I could walk into a cloud of mosquitoes and see them land on me THEN TAKE OFF.

Garlic works the same for me. About 30 minutes ago I was finishing up outside, I'm down in Mississippi and there are a lot of mosquitoes already. I've been taking about 1 clove of garlic with each meal. Again, they land and leave.

I guess I'm partially lucky that my wife has little sense of smell.

Of course if I go out for dinner I probably should use deodorant

 

[Thomas]

Over the years I try many brands/ideas in which seem to call mosquitos and there cousins the blackflies for meal.
Off deep woods seem to works the best..heavy dose w/small piece rag well spray for under the hat.

Mosquitos are here for only two weeks...first two weeks spring until last two weeks in summer.

 

[k0ua]

I have tried Avon skin so soft, and it doesn't seem to work well for me, but Deep woods off does or anything else with DEET in it. Bird I don't much care for the smell of the Avon product either. Maybe it is an acquired taste..er. sniff

James K0UA

 

[NativeSon]

.

Garlic works the same for me. About 30 minutes ago I was finishing up outside, I'm down in Mississippi and there are a lot of mosquitoes already. I've been taking about 1 clove of garlic with each meal. Again, they land and leave.

I guess I'm partially lucky that my wife has little sense of smell.

Of course if I go out for dinner I probably should use deodorant

Garlic.......I like that idea. My wife the 1st Generation Italian-American would like it too. It may work on mosquitos, but the best side effect is it will make her frisky. In our house there's no such thing as Too much garlic

Charlie

 

[dmccarty]

I and others I worked with back in FLA tried Skin so Soft as a bug repellent. It did NOT work for us but we were deep in the swamps with swarms of big mosquitoes. Now I know things are supposed to be bigger and better in Texas but I think, unfortunately, FLA beats TX in the mosquito race.

What did work was some bug spray that a guy had from working at the Nuke Plant in Miami. The stuff only had a white label. No brand name at all. It worked real well. :laughing:

I was easy to find everyone in the swamp, you just had to look for the glow.

I am sure the stuff was just a high percentage of DEET. DEET works but DEET does not like me so I use it only on exposed skin. I have long sleeved shirts and pants that are thin cotton that I wear to repel bugs. Tis still hot but better than bug bites. I only put the DEET on hands and face but I do have some clothes made specifically to keep of flying insects but it is hot. Danged if you do. Danged if you don't.

Back in the early 80's they made a bug spray that PREVENTED you from sweating. I used some on a horse farm I worked on out in the swamps. That stuff danged near killed me. I bet it did kill some people from over heating. I just passed out. Thankfully this stuff is off the market.

Permethrin also works on clothes. Just soak the clothes in the chemical and let it dry out. It will last me at least the summer with multiple washings. Does not protect your exposed skin from flying biting critters but at least it keeps off the ticks and chiggers.

Later,
Dan

 

[Mousefield]

Garlic.......I like that idea. My wife the 1st Generation Italian-American would like it too. It may work on mosquitos, but the best side effect is it will make her frisky. In our house there's no such thing as Too much garlic

Charlie

Good thing I planted 1,000 garlic last fall. :laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[jonyyuma]

I will have to check those old bottle of military deet repellant...I want to say it was 25% content...I works pretty good here...but i try not to wear much of it.. My son swears by the thermocell, he uses it hunting and in his blind. mosquitos and flys won't bit them with it lit.. But you have to replace the cells.. It is always something...,

 

[jinman]

I have read reviews of the new [ame="http://www.amazon.com/OFF-70318-Off-Clip-On-Starter/dp/B001H1JJHG"]clip-on OFF product[/ame]. They seem to say that it really does work. If you are allergic to DEET or just don't like it, this is a viable solution. I plan to try them this summer, but have not purchased any yet.

Skin-so-soft only repels mosquitos as they try to bite you. They get oily guk in their mouths. It does nothing to protect you from mosquitoes biting you through clothing or unapplied areas like the repellants do. I have seen tests done on TV and DEET based products beat SSS hands-down.

 

[tcreeley]

I use this stuff- long sleeve shirts and this on my hat and keeps them away from my neck and face.
I used to use OFF and Deep woods- but don't like to poison myself. When I was younger- they just ate me and I ignored it! Once had a weasel run up to my thigh as I stood motionless in a swampy area birding and being eaten! It ran up then down!

Commercials n More | Ecoblends.com

This is what I use now- keep it in the truck- couple of drops at a time on my hat- under brim and on top.