No mo squitos

[Beetle]

Maybe.  I'm heading to the southeast for the rest of the winter. I LOVE the effectiveness of DEET products but want to try alternatives to chemicals.  

I bought the bug pants, jacket, and head gear by Coughlan's to test out. I always try to find American made products but these are made in China.

 

[lenny flank]

In Florida, the skeeter is our state bird. We grow 'em big down there.

 

[Beetle]

Haha. Yes, I remember from college days in SC the noseeums and ticks are crazy out-of-control too.

 

[AMGS3]

Too funny Lenny, we have the same state bird here in Minnesota. [emoji16]

Beetle - I've been making my own bug spray for about the past 5 years. When I started making it I lived right on the edge of the Boundry Waters Canoe Area (aka swamp country). I got the recipe from this website. The authors do a good job of explaining the purpose of each ingredient and giving swaps that work in a similar way in case you'd need to substitute. I more or less follow their recipe. It works well, you do need to reapply it more often than DEET, but I think that it's worth it. It also works on noseeums and those little black flies that will take a chunk outta you if they even land for a millisecond. Ugh, bugs!

http://www.homemadehints.com/homemade-mosquito-repellent/

Hope that helps!

~angie

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

 

[ckelly78z]

Some people like SKIN-SO-SOFT as a bug deterrant, I must have a toxic skin/blood combination because I am generally not bothered by most bugs.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I used to think that Northern Minnesota mosquitoes were bad until I spent a July in the Yukon.  Them buggers are big, mean, and travel in herds.  They hold you down while each in turn extracts blood.  Need a transfusion after 

I have heard that Skin-so-Soft mixed with alcohol works better than Off.  DEET works, but hate the smell and feel.  DEET does not work for ticks, another scourge of the North woods.

Lots of Vitamin E or lots of Garlic helps; of course lots of garlic keeps everything away, including vampires.

 

[Beetle]

SSS and the barrier clothing may work gr8. Thx!

 

[ckelly78z]

Lots of Vitamin E or lots of Garlic helps; of course lots of garlic keeps everything away, including vampires.

I love my garlic, and onions, and have some form of it several times a week. Maybe this is the reason bugs don't like me ?

 

[maki2]

You could try infusing citronella essential oil into your shampoo, body wash, etc. They do make all natural pet shampoos that contains it. I like the smell of it for shampoo and body wash, it is very pleasant. It does repel insects other than mosquitos including fleas.

 

[Dingfelder]

Hmm ... I dunno about the garlic. Most of my life I have been a huge garlic eater, and mosquitoes still pick me out of a crowd preferentially, and in a big noticeable way.

Might just be that any anti-skeeter effect garlic has isn't enough to overcome my insect magnetism.

 

[lenny flank]

Ever since my backpacking days, the skeeters have never seemed to like me and have gone for whoever I'm with instead. I guess I have bad-tasting blood or something.

So you don't want to sit at the campfire with me.

 

[Beetle]

Lenny.

Spending lots of time on a barrier island and in the marsh.....fishing, crabbing, shrimping.  Netting + chems perfect together.  

Speaking of campfires, I have a firepit by Biolite. Low smoke output so I still need preventative gear.

 

[Kaylee]

Seasonal bump!
Lots of good info above - thanks folks! As always, AMGS3 you rock!

Today, had my first mosquitoes in my van.
My own dang fault - had the back window popped for air (peak inside temp was 92F), and forgot to shut it late pm.

So far, this is the first challenge that was lots easier in the car.
Lots more places to hide in a van.
Killed the first two within half an hour. Penultimate took 3 hours and many fly-bys. Thought it was the last - nope, just killed one more.
In a car, would have got them all within a quarter hour.

Figure that might give you car folks a chuckle.
I started my "proof of concept" experiments this time last year, in my car, in the same area, so it's a fair comparison.
Car dwellers are studs.

 

[Treknik]

I’m a fan of Picaridin as it works well for me and doesn’t damage synthetic gear as DEET can. Sawyer makes several Picaridin products.

Permethrin is an insecticide that can kill mosquitoes that you apply to clothing, tents, etc. but not your skin. It is more effective against ticks and doesn’t really replace a skin bug repellent.

You can buy pretreated clothing containing Permethrin or treat our own clothing with a 0.5% Permethrin spray (again Sawyer has Permethrin products). It is much cheaper to mix your own.

Here’s a link to an article on mixing your own and applying to your clothing.
https://sectionhiker.com/permethrin-soak-method-guide/

The summary is you buy 10% Permethrin concentrate and mix 1-part concentrate with 19-parts water. 
(see Martin’s Permethrin 10% on Amazon).

You can spray it on, or for better coverage (inside and out) put it in a bag and soak your clothing or other items.

Washing and sunlight breaks down Permethrin. The general guidelines are six washes or six weeks before reapplying.  

Favorite quote from a long thread on the dangers (or not) of bug repellent:
"I would apply Lava if i thought it would keep mosquitoes away."

 

[Kaylee]

Favorite quote from a long thread on the dangers (or not) of bug repellent:
"I would apply Lava if i thought it would keep mosquitoes away."

LOL!!! Perfect.
To be honest, my Plan for mosquito season is to stay inside the van except for supply/etc runs, and henceforth close unscreened window(s) much earlier.
I'm hoping the van is blackfly & tick proof, or at least highly resistant.

Update:
As some of you may have wondered/speculated, about half an hour after my previous post, another mossie started buzzing.
It was intermittent for another half an hour, but I couldn't find it - very frustrating!
It finally occurred to me to check the roof ventilation fan. Yup! Must have become trapped when I closed it for the night. Within a minute, it was gone.
That does prove that the fan's screen is mossie-proof.

So, again, cars are easier to de-mosquito. Good luck to all of you!

 

[jeanmarie]

DH has the perfect mosquito protection system. He just sits next to me. They fly right past him.

 

[Dingfelder]

Some people like SKIN-SO-SOFT as a bug deterrant, I must have a toxic skin/blood combination because I am generally not bothered by most bugs.

I think it's a high level of carbon dioxide expelled per breath.

 

[maki2]

head gear bug netting...made in America. Great idea, I am making myself some slip over the doors no-see-ums slip on window screens in the near future. I might as well use the extra fabric to make a draw string face net to go over my sun/rain hat while I am busy sewing.

I have a lot of sewing of other window and sun roof screens to do this next month. But I can't buy what I need since they have never made that product or if they did it has been discontinued.

 

[mert3957]

What do you do to protect a dog?

 

[Dingfelder]

They seem to be worst an hour or two before and after sunset. Keep them indoors during that period? This liminal time is when a lot of predators attack, so maybe that's a good impetus to keep your vulnerable pets safe during that time period.