chris and farideh

I thought all you needed to do was put them around your neck, not swallow the whole thing for the vampires.
I have to be brave, very brave I'll try to swallow one garlic tomorrow, I think,

NikiL

Only a clove, not the whole bulb though

chris and farideh

I know, I'm not that brave.

The_Effys

As I found ut last week! bright white patches all over my legs 10 mins after applying!

I am a mozzie magnet, I have just woken up with 10 bites all over arms & legs! I have been here 5 weeks & been bitten about 40-50 times already

But I am not giving in I will still wear my shorts & t shirt

I think it takes about a day before the itchy bumps start to appear, is this the norm for everyone else?

Chris

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The_Effys

I have got some Mozzie repellent called 'Tiger Mosquito Repellent Spray' this seems to keep the mozzies away but unfortunately has such a potent Citronella smell that it also keeps your friends & family away too

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smee

Yep, usually 24 hours before the agonising itch starts.

I would avoid as much as possible from getting bitten by mozzies, they can pass on diseases.

Mosquito-borne diseases in Australia

Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes in Australia include Dengue fever, Australian encephalitis, Ross River (RR) virus disease and Barmah Forerst (BF) virus disease. Dengue is the most important viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes afflicting humans in a world context. Clinical symptoms range from mild fevers, to a severe and potentially life threatening haemorrhagic disease. In Australia, Dengue fever is restricted to Quensland where the major vector Aedes aegypti occurs. "Australian encephalitis" (AE), or "Murray Valley encephalitis" are synonyms for a clinical syndrome caused by infection with Murray Valley encephalitis virus or Kunjin virus. Symptoms are variable, from mild to severe with permanent impaired neurological functions, to sometimes fatal. Cases of AE occur sporadically in northern Australia and especially in the northwest of WA, but there have been no cases of MVE recorded in southeastern Australia since 1974. Ross River and Barmah Forest disease have been collectively known as "Epidemic Polyarthritis", however the two diseases have a slightly different clinical picture. A wide variety of symptoms may occur from rashes with fevers, to arthritis that can last from months to years with RR virus infection. RR disease is the most commonly reported mosquito transmitted disease to humans (over 6,500 cases in 1997) and occurs in all states of Australia. There are occassional local epidemics with hundreds to thousands of infections, with many going unreported. BF disease occurs in most states of Australia, although the annual number of cases are around 1/10th that of RR disease. A series of outbreaks during the early 1990's has highlighted the increasing importance of BF disease. Malaria in Australia has been endemic, but was declared eradicated from the country in 1981. However, approximately 700-800 cases are imported annually from travellers infected elsewhere.

The_Effys

er, thanks for that.... I think?

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mooncat

Oh what a good thread!! Me and OH have been feasted on over the past couple of weeks..him particularly with around 100 bites across both ankles in one evening...never seen anything like it in my life!!
Anyway, just to concur with Ginny, I can highly recommend Pawpaw cream. A wise old native pointed us in the direction of this cream after being on the verge of taking the OH to A & E his legs were so bad. She told us to get some pure tea tree and dilute 3 drops in 10 mls water/oil and cleanse area with that and then apply good layer of pawpaw cream and leave uncovered.
I swear to god it's just like a miracle. He's gone from a huge patch of very very angry bright purple open bites which had joined up to virtually no colouring and very small bite areas which are no longer blistering or weeping.

I have gone from buying anything in a can and trying that to stocking up on essential oils. She also said that lavender oil is a good deterrant and it's so far so good for us. I've even rubbed a bit on the lights and the place smells great after dark.
Shame the roaches don't seem put off by it though eh? God they're gross and holy shit they're fast....and my god I just know there's no essential oil on earth that they're going to give a toss about.

NikiL

You can get lightbulb rings for oils, usually pretty cheap. Slightly off subject, but if you've got Lavender its worth mentioning that it is amazing for burns as well. You just can't use it on very young kids.