Long ago, when I was duck hunting with my faithful Labrador, the mosquitoes were biting the daylights out of me and the dog as well and I would spray some DW Off into my palm, spread it on my hands and then rub it on my face, neck, backs of hands etc. but 15 min later it wasn't working. I'd re-apply when needed and that's a LOT of deet. I noticed later that it had stripped the varnish from the grip and forestock of my shotgun and I began to question soaking my face with it. My sister, (who worked at the Indian College here) said some students from the reserves up north told her they used a mixture of 3 parts white vinegar and 1 part lemon dish soap. You put it in a spray bottle and put it on and rub it where ever you want. It smells like vinegar for a couple of minutes then that evaporates and the residual soap leaves a slight film but it's not as unpleasant as insect repellant and it isn't poison. In a situation where you're sweating Off or Muskol will need re-applying about every 15 min. and the soap/vinegar lasts as long and works as well. And it's safe for the dog. Avon Skin-So-Soft is supposed to work too. Watkins has a cream insect repellant that is my go-to when night fishing along the river but it's a little pricey.

They had a news report a few years ago, that deet can cause severe allergic reactions on a high percentage of people to the point of death! I will not use anything on my grand babies with deet in it. Nor do I use it, I have enough medical allergies, deet would prob be icing on my cake!
Becareful putting it on in large doses, some people I'm sure it would never effect, but even if it were a small percentage, I won't take the chance. To be honest mossies and blackflies are size of helicopters here anyway, whatever you use will wear off, not work or they are hungry enough they bite thru the areas you do not spray.

That is one thing I preferred in UK, no real biters, can count on one hand the amout of squeeters I seen.....

Simple, they lied. Here in Ontario they are forecasting a bumper crop If they are as accurate as the weather forecasts thats probably grounds for optimism...


We avoided DEET based repelents until the kids knew enough not to put hands etc in mouths and ingest it. This stuff was a good substitute that worked pretty well (but not as well as DEET)
http://www.biteblocker.com/

We had to mail order from the States. You have to balance the slight dangers of DEET against the discomfort of the bites and the risk of west nile etc I suppose. Given how widespread its use is, if half of what people said about DEET toxicitity was true the dangers would be proven beyond all doubt by now I suspect.

Anybody tried Avon skin so soft? It's just a moisturiser not intended to repel anything but people using it have been reporting it has the added bonus of repelling mozzies. A bit like viagra was developed as a heart drug then in trails people using it couldn't get their pants to fit. Am I correct in thinking only the females bite? In that case Brut 33 would repel any self respecting female.

Skin so soft is an old wives tale. The US FDA or EPA or some other TLA did clinical type tests on a bunch of products and it had virtually no effect.

DEET was the only thing truly effective over several hours. A few other things were effective for shorter periods (crystanthemum oil, citronella for short periods IIRC)

Ive posted links to the science in the past... probably around this time last year (and the year before and the year before that...) Heres the dumbed down version
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp