Getting There

Hmmm, neat diesel fuel...we'll give that a try!

And Morwena, yes Marmite is available here. Janet loves it and we have two jars of it in the pantry. (Yuk!)

Maybe we can do a comparative test of the two proposed solutions and report back. She'll hardly look freaky at all!

Eamonn

daft batty

I think every now and then a super mossie gets you, and then the spot swells up to the size of a second head. Maybe the super mossie found you!! my sympathies, I suggest gin as a cure


My Canadian friends have a fool proof method of avoiding being bitten, they invite the English people round so the mossies feast on us and not them!


A theory? based on where the mossies seem to prefer to bite, do they like luminous untanned English skin best, rather than these tanned Canadians?? possible? an infrared thing where they can see more veins??

Steve_P

Some reading material to go along with Iain's post.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/co...osquitoes.html

and

http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/2003/Aug/vol4...critical-2.asp

mandymoochops

Aaaahhh that would be why Mr MMC was devoured then - the lilly white leggies - me on the other hand did a spot of fake tanning, moisturising, oily type girly stuff before our walk - it must've been the stalwarts that bit me as the others just slid off and waited til I was asleep and got me then

daft batty

dunno about the fake tan, as the mossies are supposed to like scent and perfumes etc, and fake take has a distinctive aroma. You could call it the smell of summer, well that and DEET

Lisa_W

I have just read this thread with interest - I spent half of this morning in the Urgent Care department, because my mosquito bites had swollen up so badly and one on the back of my heel had also formed a huge blister.

I always do react quite badly to bites, but not as badly as I have this weekend - I can hardly walk because the one with the blister hurts so much.

The doctor gave me antibiotics because the bites have caused cellulitis in my lower leg and heel - with the threat that if the redness and swelling doesn't start to go down within 48 hours I will have to go back, possibly for intra-venous antibiotics.

OH is down at Canadian Tire as I type, buying a Skeeter-Vac and some "Deep Woods Off" for me, because I was covered in the "Family Off" when I got bitten.

mandymoochops

Mmmmmm yes we'll all be smelling veritably scrumpcious by the end of summer!!!!! (Marmite - check, Deet - Check, fake tan - check, neat diesel fuel - check, sick bag..........)

Will seriously let you know how these two pan out tonight though, one is the dry spray at 15% the other is the lotion at 10%.

Steve_P

Tell Mr MMC he has my sympathies and you too of course.

I as you know have been here 45 years and unless I use a product with DEET in it I still get eaten alive by the little buggers. Like Saturday evening over at a friends for his annual BBQ, 15 bites around my ankles in about ten minutes when the wind dropped in the early evening.

We have some Muskol liquid that was purchased a number of years ago that contains 95% DEET none of this 10%-30% crap. No I am not going to share.

No mossies will come near you for at least 8 hours.

Seriously though the Deep Woods Off with 30% DEET does work well.

mkmurrays

Christ that sounds bad....the bite my leg sounds like it's going the same way.....eek. GET WELL SOON.

ann m

Ooh Lisa - you have my sympathies

I just go everywhere with my hubby and he gets about 15 bites to 1 on me

Daughter number one came home from a brief walk last week - dotted all over with bites galore - poor thing - it's not a nice time of the year. But I don't think they are that bad here compared to some people's reports

Lisa_W

Thank you!!

I am hoping the combination of antibiotics, antihistamine tablets and cream will mean that I can actually sleep a bit tonight (especially if I wash all the tablets down with an extra-large glass of Baileys!)

Lisa_W

Usually works the other way with us - I get 10 bites to every one of OH's!!

AlexInBC

I have to say that I really seem to attract Mozzies and have been a regular user of the above product since 1998 (a Kenyan Safari - with not a single mosquito bite!) I can definitely say that it lasts longer than 4 hours...much longer...as I found that application in the morning was still reliably effective by the evening time.

I basically cannot recommend it highly enough.

Anyone who is interested, you can read about it's effectiveness here: http://www.sawyerproducts.com/resear...%20formula.pdf

We get it from http://www.rei.com/product/730353

We have spent a small fortune with REI over the last 10 years and found their customer service to be faultless, and shipping to Canada (and previously, the UK) quick and pretty reasonable, as long as you're not just buying single items (as it costs $19 min, for orders up to $50 I think.)

The 6oz $7.95 bottle lasts for ages and everyone I've persuaded to try it is converted. It is messier to apply than a spray, but you definitely need to apply far less frequently than other 20% products to get the same protection and you get less DEET exposure, too.

Hope this helps someone!
Alex

purple80

I do the same.....Bitten in the UK and France same thing happened.

Returned from Canada 10th June this year wheel chaired off the plane, straight to Whiston Hospital, anitibiotics, painkillers and antihistamine. Six bites on one foot and five on the other. Under threat of having to stay in hospital or having to return for intra-venous antibiotics, but luckily did not have to.

In a lot of pain could not walk for one week, could not wear shoes for three, am planning on buying an all in one suit to wear in the summer.

Worst experience of my life.......

Lisa_W

Iain, how far away from the swings or the house do you put your skeeter-vac?

We got one yesterday and last night it was on the edge of the patio just below the balcony of the house, so probably about ten to twelve feet away from the house.

OH thinks it should really be further from the house, then it is drawing mosquitoes away from the house, rather than towards it. He is thinking of putting it much further down the garden, saying it covers over an acre anyway (we got the V35).

So I just wondered what sort of distance you found to be best?

Thanks.