stevewales25

Hi, my girlfriend gets eaten alive everytime she sits outside, does anybody have any tips on how to get the little buggers to leave you alone?

I have been to bunnings and bought the repellent coils but is there anything else worth recommending?

thanks in advance

spouse of scouse

All the personal insect repellents are pretty effective, not sure what to suggest if your girlfriend doesn't like using those.

ps coils, citronella candles etc are useless in my opinion.

quoll

Never found anything that deterred the little buggers from finding the sqmm of skin that wasn't covered! People do reckon that Avon Skin So Soft is a really good option but I've never got around to trying it. Another suggestion is taking mega Vit B supplements

The weirdest thing is that in Aus they'd spot me coming from miles away and descend in hoardes to bite me whilst my DH would wander around outside all the time and never got bitten or if he did it didn't itch (itching drove me bonkers!). Since moving to UK I've been bitten once I think and it didnt itch. He's been bitten many many times and reports that they are itching like crazy! Karma!!!!

Alfresco

Eat plenty of garlic.

Eat more garlic. When you eat garlic, especially large quantities of it, an invisible layer of garlic oil seeps from your pores and creates a mosquito barrier. If you don’t like the thought of eating more garlic, you can also use garlic juice to make a natural repellant. According to hometownannapolis.com, ‘Mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 to 6 hours.’ And if you don’t like the idea of reeking of garlic, you can dip strips of cotton cloth into the malodorous mixture which you can then hang in strategic areas such as patios, decks and such as a local deterrent.

http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-mave...low-tech-style

paulry

Was about to say exactly the same

Alfresco

Yep, we also keep a few sprays around like Aerogard Tropical strength, which can help.

Buzzy--Bee

Beer, if consumed in sufficient quantities, seems to reduce the irritation.

BB

Alfresco

Now that you mention it, I don't seem to have a mozzie problem!

Mummy3

Once bitten, underarm deodorant if rolled on the bite eases the itching.

Dreamy

Area repellents (like coils and candles etc) seem to be utterly ineffective if you have a real mozzie attraction (as I do, I'm sure it's because I'm A-ve)

I personally solve the problem by never venturing outdoors if I can help it, but I appreciate that this isn't practical for everyone Tropical strength repellents work the best for me - the whole garlic thing never did the trick. Don't forget to spray some on your hands and wipe them around your face, back of the neck etc.

If she does get bit, treat it with something as soon as possible - not only am I a mozzie magnet, I also have horrific reactions to the bites. Icecubes directly on the bite are good to relieve the itching, failing that an immediate application of bite relief cream/spray.

Quoll- TheVileEx used to swear by Avon's SkinSoSoft but it never worked for me, unfortunately.

jackieh23

Dreamy - I'm A- too and mozzies love me.
I don't venture outside at dusk or dawn without being completely sprayed from head to toe - including clothing - with tropical strength aeroguard. It works. There need to be that many citronella candles burning to be of any use for me that the fire brigade are on standby....

Japonica

I use the natural based ones when out walking in the summer at dusk and find they're enough. My skin reacts to DEET, so any conventional ones are out.

Then again, maybe it's the garlic in my homemade salad dressing...

eddie007

When I lived in Alaska I didn't get bitten by a mozzie ONCE.... I used DDT...

DeadVim

Mossies love me, I got bitten for the first time for a while this morning so the interminable Brisbane summer must be just around the corner.

I've found a Vitamin B supplement helps things, you've just reminded me to get some more ...

verystormy

I have spent a huge amount of time on this, in the last few months as i work in a malaria area in Africa and i am responsible for the well being of my camp. When i arrived we had an instance of 35% malaria - So, 35% of the camp had had malaria per month. We have not had a case now for a month.

So, these are the official guides:

Avoid dark clothing - mozzies are attracted to it.

Avoid smoking - they follow CO2.

Wear long sleeves / trousers

Sleep under a mosquito net - you can buy them in lots of places in Perth and i would assume most other Oz cities

Get rid of any standing water - so if you have a pot plant outside, check it doesnt have a pool of water at the base.

Repellant. A DEET based repellant is the only proven thing that keeps them off. The best brand is Bushmans. Here i use the 80% version. But that is excessive for Oz. I would recomend the 20% version.