What do you use to repel mosquitos?

1. 89

   gracenotesposted 15 years ago

   It's summer, and I remember last year we had a case of West Nile Virus reported on my side of town.
   
   So, here are some of the things I have used to keep pesky mosquitos away:
   
   1.  Avon Skin So Soft  (straight from the bottle).  Works great, pleasant to use, but you have to wash it off.
   
   2.  Avon SSS Bug Guard Plus with Sunscreen.  Multipurpose product, but I hate the fumes.
   
   3.  Perfume.  Yes, my sister told me to try this.  Most, though not all, perfumes contain synthetic ingredients.  If some humans are chemically sensitive to perfumes and colognes, or have allergies that are aggravated by contact with fragrances, it stands to reason that a mosquito would be repelled by the chemicals.
   
   My perfume is Ysatis de Givenchy.  So far, so good.  Still in the testing phase.
   
   What works for you?

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2. 87

   Marisa Wrightposted 15 years ago

   Take Vitamin B1

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   1. 89

      gracenotesposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Marisa
      
      I will try the vitamin B1 tip as well.  It's an expensive thing to try out.

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      1. 87

         Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Did you mean expensive or inexpensive?  At only one tablet a day, it's pretty cheap really.

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         1. 89

            gracenotesposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Oops!  Didn't see my typing mistake in time.  Yes, I meant inexpensive to buy the vitamin.
            
            Burning citronella candles at our family reunion seemed to help the problem.  This was a reunion in the deep piney woods of East Texas.

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               alternate poetposted 15 years agoin reply to this

               I am going to try vitamin B1 - citronella is really effective, we used to rub only a couple of drops over our horses and it reduced the numbers of mosquito dramatically, we also used it on our hair and clothes but not directly on the skin.  The essential oil itself was also really cheap.

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3. 60

   lightning johnposted 15 years ago

   Garlic and cayenne  pepper

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4. 74

   IzzyMposted 15 years ago

   Well, Skin-so-Soft doesn't work for me. I went out of my way to get a bottle of it and it made no difference whatsover.
   Eating garlic didn't help.
   I'm experimenting with a solution to keep them away that I saw on TV, and that is to soak some cloves in apple cider vinegar overnight, then apply solution to skin next evening (mosquitoes don't tend to bite during the day).
   Icaridine sprays work great, as do DEET based sprays that you put on your skin. Perfume attracts even more mosquitoes to me. I wrote a few hubs about it.
   Best option is not to expose yourself to them. Stay indoors when they are active with windows shut so they can't get in.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Izzy, have you tried taking one vitamin B1 tablet daily? 
      
      I was given the tip when I was in the Northern Territory, where there are all kinds of nasty mosquito-borne diseases.  I normally get eaten alive by mozzies.  The B1 worked like a charm, they didn't come near me.  Apparently they don't like the smell.

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      1. 74

         IzzyMposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         No I haven't tried this, at least not yet, but I went back on to the atkins diet last week and really my vit B1 levels should be really high by now through dietary intake - eggs, dark leaved vegs, cauliflower etc. Trouble is, I have learned how to avoid mosquitoes so won't know if it works unless I deliberately expose myself to them!

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5. 60

   TVTopTenposted 15 years ago

   Space Suit

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6. 71

   earnestshubposted 15 years ago

   Burn dry cow pads.
   When my family were loggers, we used to collect and burn cow poo, which we dried out first.
   I don't think it works on your skin though, and was never tempted to find out!

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   1. 74

      IzzyMposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I grew up in midgie land. We used to light bonfires just to keep the tiny terrors away! All insects hate smoke; that's why I stared smoking..most stupid thing I ever did in my life!
      Don't know if cow pat smoke is different to other smoke? Did it smell the same to you?

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   2. 74

      LeonJaneposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I think that's what mosquito coils are made from, you light them, they smoke and burn slowly and repel the little blood suckers. I use them or a spray on repellent called Tropical Strength AeroGuard.

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7. 0

   Nelle Hoxieposted 15 years ago

   Deet insect repellent on my skin and my hiking and gardening clothes are treated with permethrian. I live in an area rife Eastern equine encephalitis and lyme disease. The down side is to catastrophic not to take effective precautions.
   
   From the Center for Disease Control "EEE is one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases in the United States with approximately 33% mortality and significant brain damage in most survivors. There is no specific treatment for EEE; care is based on symptoms. You can reduce your risk of being infected with EEEV by using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing."

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8. 0

   sandra rinckposted 15 years ago

   I heard that a dryer sheet works.

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9. 74

   IzzyMposted 15 years ago

   You are right Nelle, the mosquito repellent clothing is a must for anyone who lives in an area where mosquitoes carry disease.
   They are a great invention!

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