Mosquito help

paddyrg

I've seen a couple of interesting anti-mozzie designs -

1) a brisk desk fan blowing *away from your face* into a bit of stocking or netting - they like the smell of your CO2 breathing, catch in the breeze for the fan, blown into the netting, breeze too strong to escape, dehydrated/dead by morning.

2) dried yeast, a plastic drinks bottle, sugar sachet, warm water - cut the bottle about 1/3 or 1/4 way down, remove the cap and turn the top third over so the narrow bit is inside the rest of the bottle. Add warm water, sugar, yeast (bread yeast sachets are fine). Leave it to bubble and start generating carbon dioxide at a stronger concentration than you do - mozzies go to investigate and the inverted neck acts as a trap.

Both of those are really cheap solutions - may not be perfect but both have had good results in some heavy-mozzie countries, especially if you can seal the room to prevent them getting in

System

paddyrg wrote: »

I've seen a couple of interesting anti-mozzie designs -

1) a brisk desk fan blowing *away from your face* into a bit of stocking or netting - they like the smell of your CO2 breathing, catch in the breeze for the fan, blown into the netting, breeze too strong to escape, dehydrated/dead by morning.

2) dried yeast, a plastic drinks bottle, sugar sachet, warm water - cut the bottle about 1/3 or 1/4 way down, remove the cap and turn the top third over so the narrow bit is inside the rest of the bottle. Add warm water, sugar, yeast (bread yeast sachets are fine). Leave it to bubble and start generating carbon dioxide at a stronger concentration than you do - mozzies go to
investigate and the inverted neck acts as a trap.

Both of those are really cheap solutions - may not be perfect but both have had good results in some heavy-mozzie countries, especially if you can seal the room to prevent them getting in

There is 99% chance of me going on holiday in the first week of July. Not been abroad for six years and to a mozzie place for 8. I was a buffet for them, with bites oozing and having to put plasters on them - hence always had tanned legs with white squares and a red mess in the middle.

I will try the yeast in bottle as only need to pack dried yeast and scissors (in hold luggage) as hopefully cafes and bars have sugar sachets.

When sized bottle is best?

mandragora_2

ScarletMarble wrote: »

There is 99% chance of me going on holiday in the first week of July. Not been abroad for six years and to a mozzie place for 8. I was a buffet for them, with bites oozing and having to put plasters on them - hence always had tanned legs with white squares and a red mess in the middle.

I will try the yeast in bottle as only need to pack dried yeast and scissors (in hold luggage) as hopefully cafes and bars have sugar sachets.

When sized bottle is best?

50% deet is the most effective thing you could pack, honest. Something along these lines, but it doesn't have to be these suppliers.

http://www.careplus.eu/en/anti-insect/deet/

totallybored

ScarletMarble wrote: »

There is 99% chance of me going on holiday in the first week of July. Not been abroad for six years and to a mozzie place for 8. I was a buffet for them, with bites oozing and having to put plasters on them - hence always had tanned legs with white squares and a red mess in the middle.

I will try the yeast in bottle as only need to pack dried yeast and scissors (in hold luggage) as hopefully cafes and bars have sugar sachets.

When sized bottle is best?

I use the patches that smell of citronella that you stick on the inside of your clothes. I don't know if they actually work or it's the amount if deet I use but the only bites I got in Cambodia last year were one evening when I got out of the pool as it was getting dark. I'm a complete mozzie magnet but I survived boat trips at dusk, sitting next to rivers, walking through tropical jungle like areas without bites.
When in your room turn your air con on as cold as possible. I sleep in fridge like conditions.

I've found different types of mozzies cause different reactions too. SE Asian ones just itch, the ones in HK made me get a huge golf ball sized swelling full off goo that was horrendous and the ones in my London back garden make a 15 cm diameter red, hot swollen area around the bite.

mandragora_2

totallybored wrote: »

I've found different types of mozzies cause different reactions too. SE Asian ones just itch, the ones in HK made me get a huge golf ball sized swelling full off goo that was horrendous and the ones in my London back garden make a 15 cm diameter red, hot swollen area around the bite.

Try one of these:http://www.aspivenin.net/ French medics swear by them, and I used one to great effect (and relief) in the tropics. I was also recently told that if you rub a warm teaspoon over a recent mossie bite, it will disperse the proteins and make it swell less. I hope I won't have to try that out this year, but it's a forlorn hope, I know.:(

kforshaw

I'm a mozzie magnet too. I got horrendously attacked on the first night of my holiday to Egypt last year.

Before I went, I'd taken garlic capsules and Vitamin B complex for a month before I went and liberally applied Avon SSS as we were only outside for 30 mins between arriving and going to bed I thought I'd be fine.
Not a chance. 3 days of IV antibiotics. anti inflammatories and antihistamine ensued.

What I will say though, is if you know anyone going to Egypt, get the Off! spray they sell over there, as I got no further bites once we started using that.

Pollycat

kforshaw wrote: »

I'm a mozzie magnet too. I got horrendously attacked on the first night of my holiday to Egypt last year.

Before I went, I'd taken garlic capsules and Vitamin B complex for a month before I went and liberally applied Avon SSS as we were only outside for 30 mins between arriving and going to bed I thought I'd be fine.
Not a chance. 3 days of IV antibiotics. anti inflammatories and antihistamine ensued.

What I will say though, is if you know anyone going to Egypt, get the Off! spray they sell over there, as I got no further bites once we started using that.

The Avon Skin-so-Soft products available to buy in the UK are not marketed as having any mosquito repellent properties at all.

From a Travel advice website:

What doesn’t work as an insect repellent?

There is no proof (scientific or otherwise) that bath oils, electronic “buzzers”, essential oils, garlic, homeopathic remedies, odour baited mosquito traps, tea tree oil, skin moisturisers, smoking, vitamin B tablets or yeast extract (Marmite®), prevent insect bites.
Citronella based repellents are not recommended, as they do not protect you for very long.

https://www.nathnac.org/travel/misc/travellers_mos.htm

marthab340

Mosquito bites is really horrible. So I try to keep safe from this insect.

Pollycat

OK marthab340, care to share your tips on how you keep safe from mosquito bites.

Kathy535

The teaspoon trick really works but I find the teaspoon has to be really hot (just touch it to the bite several times). Stops itching for up to 8 hours. Apparently it reduces the histamine production.