agwa

Due to return to Sydney in a few months. Last time I was in Aus, I got bitten like a hungry pitbull.

Anybody over(down) there come up with a solution to stop the buggers biting? I've heard of maxing out on Vitamin B, though never tried.

Perth Helena

Bushman Plus - personal insect repellent. Only thing I've found to work. I've tried all the alternative therapies and things. None of them work for me. Everyone is different though. I'm a mozzie magnet. So is my son. They leave my husband and daughter alone. So we use Bushman and we're okay.

And if you get bitten - Paraderm Plus is a good ointment that dulls the need to scratch the heck out of the bites.

Lana

Well we have mosquitos here in South America (obviously). What we do when we are outdoors is to wear personal repellent, like Helena said. When we are close to an electric socket, we plug in one of those electric repellent things, with either a liquid or a paper you change after a while. And for barbecues, citronella candles work well.

FOX

Vitamin B definitly works, we went to Kenya for 3 weeks last yeara nd were the only ones in our group of 18 who didn't get bitten!

Start taking 2 weeks before you leave!

Sarah

Houdini

Try citrus-scented candles.

colind

There was something in the Sydney Morning Herald at the weekend saying that the drought had severely curtailed the mosquito population and that they are at their lowest level in Sydney since mozzie records started. I have certainly noticed there are fewer around - I usually get bitten to death but have hardly had a bite so far this summer. When (if?) it rains, be prepared for the revenge of the mozzie!

dotty

Some of the hippies here swear by lavender oil, worth a try as it pongs less than the commercial preperations. Personally I find a blow torch quite handy.

Head lice here a major problem in schools, plague in the heat, we solved that one with hair gel, seriously you totally clag up the kids hair with that cheap gel from woolies the nasty things cant get a grip as it buggers up their legs, best remedy I ever found.
Schools here claimed they couldn't send lousy kids home or the parents would sue for discrimination. If you have kids buy gel in bulk.

Anyone got a successful fly repellant yet?

Ceri

Try a couple of rats... seriously! I used to own a couple of pet rats a few years ago (those black and white breeds) and they aren't half quick at grabbing flies to eat! they catch flies in mid air as quick as a bat of your eyelid.


cheers

P.s mozzies... Like someone mentioned... Bushmans is the way to go. That's what I use when I go fishing in the night expecially around the creeks here, millions of mozzies, you'd be eaten alive without it. I've tried other brands but I haven't found any as good, as strong as Bushmans. The only prob with it is watch what you touch, it will melt plastic, watch bands etc.

dotty

Funny Ceri said Bushmans melted watchbands etc, I used it and came up in big red welts, looked like I'd been whipped, old man thought it was terribly funny. You have to wonder what the heck is in some of these preperations.

Just off to see if the pet shop has any rats.

Houdini

'Tabard' and 'Peaceful sleep' are the dog's. Used to use it them in South Africa where mozzies are the size of birds. Not sure if you can get them anywhere else though.

poggle

Hi,

Im not a Hippie! [we'll maybe a bit of one!]but also swear by Lavender oil! buy the pure aromatherapy oil and rub it on the inside of your wrists. Im also a mozzie magnet and find this works well.

Cheers!!