Mosquitoes... how do you cope whilst travelling....my wife is very susceptible..

[jpak]

Hi, how do you cope or repel mosquitoes... my wife is very susceptible and when bitten, usually in the dozens of bites at a time, swells and goes very red at the bite sites about the size of at least a fifty cent coin... so you can imagine the concern about travelling especially as it is bad at home... what is is like and how do you or what do you use for prevention??? Any input gratefully received. Cheers John

[D4D]

My missus is alergic too. She usually wears a few of those bands and carries one of those clicker things. We bought a mozzie screen for the Tambo but never used it. Touch wood she hasn't been bitten in the bush yet.

[jpak]

Hey D4D, can you be a little bit more specific... what bands and what clicker things and where do you get them?  We will try anything!

[gonfishen]

Tell her to drink beer, beer drinkers don't get bitten as oftern and when they do they don't care

[jpak]

Great idea Gonefishin but I dont think she will go for it!! May be why they dont get me at all LOL

[D4D]

Hey D4D, can you be a little bit more specific... what bands and what clicker things and where do you get them?  We will try anything!

http://www.intelligenthealthsystems.com.au/mosquito-click.htm
http://www.intelligenthealthsystems.com.au/mosquito-band.htm

[Swogjb]

Eat vegemite, I eat a lot of vegemite and never and hardly ever get bitten, the boss gets hammered real bad.
We tried an experiment last year on a trip up to the kimberley, she started taking vitamin B tablets before we went way and she got bugga all bites and when she was bitten reaction nowhere as bad.
Worth a try

Cheers Glenn

[jpak]

Hey Glenn, think the vegiemite is in the same category as beer as far as my wife is concerned... but the vitamin B sounds good!
The shopping list grows.... Thanks John

[Swogjb]

Vitamin B also good if you indulge in to much beer the night before.

[Yoda42]

Wear light coloured and loose clothing - long sleeves and long pants. Bushman's tropical strength, Rid and Off! we've used to equal effect (I've got my head in the sand when it comes to long term side effects ), and mozzie coils and/or sandalwood sticks. Haven't quite been required to bring out the bug zapper - yet!

Once bitten, relief can be got from ice (f you can spare it!, calamine lotion, Stingose, aloe vera gel - no doubt you know all the tricks. Truth be told, I'd personally prefer mozzies to midgies - for me, mozzie bites tend to last a couple of hours tops, but I always find the midgie bites get worse over a few days.

[SteveandViv]

along with all the above we also put a tube of Hydrocortisone 1% in the first aid kit (From the Chemist). It takes, along with an antihistamine, the redness away quite quick.

[Pete the Pirate]

Most times I've visited Cooktown it has been quite windy and that has tended to keep the midges at bay but a couple of years back the breeze dropped off and we were literally eaten alive.  I hate spraying bushmans's or aeroguard etc on my skin so went looking for something else and found ThermaCell.  I now carry two units in the car all the time and and even use these when having a backyard BBQ at home if the mossies come visiting.  I bought mine at Bunnings in Nowra and you can get them at most reputable hardware or camping stores.
http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/

http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/international_australia.asp

[Heiny]

Never really had a problem with mozzies, maybe its the Bundy

[Hairs]

Nav04 got hold of a 12 volt pad/tab heating unit from a truck stop in Brissy some where. The truckies use them. We've used it a couple of times and we don't hear a Mozzie and the kids wake up bit free.
It takes the same pads as a 240V house one does.
I'll message him with a link to the thread.

[speewa158]

I have found the Thule bug screen as seen in Camper Trailer AustraIia  current issue a really top tip . Some people are just so clever  So effective  , so simple & yet inexpencive .

[eatMYdust]

try blue listerine mouth wash i pour a little around the area im camping and just sit back and watch the mozzies die its great but not the cheapest

[SteveandViv]

Actually the Listerine and Olive oil etc mixed 50-50 and rubbed on to your skin is meant to work well. 

[eatMYdust]

yes i herd that one too but i didnt try it incase it made my skin turn blue

[KiwiAngler]

If you have an inverter plug in one of these


http://www.mortein.com.au/product_odour_mozzie_zap.php



They work very well

Cheers and Beers

K.A

[Murray]

Hi folks,
I'll throw my sixpence worth in here as I have had this discussion may times with people of different beliefs. My wife is vegetarian and doesn't get bitten much at all. Me, well I 'some' vegies and I get bitten badly. That is why my wife likes having me around - the mozzies bite me and not her. It's nice to know you are needed. The theory is the amount of vitamin B in your system and then you perspire the vit B out through  your skin  keeping the bugs away. Thus the connection to some alcohol (Guiness is apparently very good) and vegemite. Two weeks before camping I start taking Vit B Complex and get very few bites.
The problem is that taking Vit B in high doses for long periods can affect some organs.

I argued with a doctor once who told me I was a fool and was doing myself damage. When I got home I looked up long term effects of insect repellent (The doctor swore by Bushmans). See following extract: "The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides." http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159880.php   I can't vouch for the website but this content is the same I have read on other sites. DEET is dangerous as well. I am assuming that DEET or something similar is used in the portable repellent devices.

So what can you do? Mix and match your poisons to restrict your exposure to any particular one. I still take Vit B, but also carry one of those citronella candles in a bucket and if that doesn't work I pull out the Bushmans.

Mind you, just living in a city and breathing the air is possibly more dangerous than any insect repellent.
Cheers
Murray

[Bill]

We just use mozzie coils and wear long pants and long sleeved shirts...
Bill and Morag

[james2115]

I've also found "Off!" to be really good - working in the garage and not one bite.  We were down at Berri just before new year and they had sold out of it, so I guess everyone there thinks it works!

btw, we (well, the kids) also had fun with a mozzie zapper shaped like a tennis racket - runs of 2x AA and has a satisfying "crack" when you get one of the little buggers!

[Juggs]

tip dont set teh mozzie zapper up near the tent put it 10-20ft away why attract them to you to begin with

and with the deet wear long sleev shirts and pants and put the deet on the clothing not yourself

[MarkGU]

Nav04 got hold of a 12 volt pad/tab heating unit from a truck stop in Brissy some where. The truckies use them. We've used it a couple of times and we don't hear a Mozzie and the kids wake up bit free.
It takes the same pads as a 240V house one does.
I'll message him with a link to the thread.

gday guys.

this is the gadget Hairs was talking about,we use them in the trucks all the time with great results.i got mine (the only place i have seen them sold actually) at the truck stop at Reedy Creek south bound.mozzies wont come near the place when you have it working.

http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Sterminio

i got it from here

http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Ampol-Reedy-Creek-South_262493

not far from the Sterminio factory itself.

[james2115]

Found it here http://www.hyway-store.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=83982, but not that cheap.  Then again, better than putting chemicals on your body ...