OMG I Am Being Eaten Alive!

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by SmartMove

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. The place that is the worst is the boatyard, the boat is scheduled to be out of the water for another ten days, so I will just start wearing long pants and long sleeves when I am there. We generally do not have a problem while on the boat, we anchor out a bit and keep the fans on.

The Benedryl gel works pretty good at keeping the itching tolerable. Amber Romance huh, well it's worth a try. I will work on the diet part, but I haven't eaten anything sweet since arriving here hoping to keep the mosquitos at bay. I have ditched all of the perfumed stuff as well.

Thanks again

Try Zyrtec (Walgreens Wal-Zyr) instead of Benedryl - not sleep inducing. I found it works better for bites & hives including bees and hornets.

Many years ago my Florida fishing guide showed us his 'secret'. Dab a bit of baby oil on exposed skin and the no-seeums don't bite. Long cotton everything is a must as well.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

T

Many years ago my Florida fishing guide showed us his 'secret'. Dab a bit of baby oil on exposed skin and the no-seeums don't bite. Long cotton everything is a must as well.

Better yet, add ~ 25% DEET to the baby oil. The baby oil is effective on its own, serves to slow the evaporation of the DEET (DEET loves to stay in the oil, as compared to spray-on products that evaporate quickly), and makes it easy to get full coverage (many products don't spread so well).

We formulate our own and find this combination to be very long-lasting. Get an unscented baby oil.

[scubascooter]

I dont seem to attract mozzies, maybe it due to vegemite on my toast each morning! (Yes, people do eat it).

I think The US has banned vegemite due to the high salt content. I will have to limit my sailing to the Sth pacific. Damn!

Scott

[Astrid]

You can still get Vegemite in the USA. At least I saw it for sale in Seattle last time I was there. It is imported through Simply Australian in Cincinnati, Ohio, among others.

[scubascooter]

Astrid,

Great news! I can safely travel north without fear of being eaten by swarms of insects and be able to enjoy my usual breakfast!

Scott

[Coops]

I did once hear of vegemite being called "skidmarks in a jar"

Coops.

[SimonV]

Fishing around the Mangroves in FNQ where the bugs bite like sharks on a lamb roast, I was put on to Tea tree oil mixed 50/50 with baby oil. High dose vitamin B does not stop you from being bit but nullifies the efects.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Coops

A quite disgusting substance which looks like concentrated pteradactyl poo and tastes like a cat's bum. Not telling you how i know the second.
Coops.

Ahhhh, another Billy Connolly fan .

Originally Posted by Coops

I did once hear of vegemite being called "skidmarks in a jar"
Coops.

Your skid mark comment reminds me of Billy Connolly's story about dropping Vegemite smeared toast on the bed sheet in a hotel room during one of his Aussie tours. He went on to describe the hotel maid's reaction. Funny stuff .

I have very sadly run out on board and am in the throws of severe withdrawal symptoms and all this talk isn't helping .
Like an addict though, I just can't stop myself checking on updates on the Vegemite discussion here. What I wouldn't do for a piece of toast thickly smeared with it at the moment .

[Coops]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Ahhhh, another Billy Connolly fan .
.

I am, but i thought that i had made that up. Am i channelling him then?

Coops.

[Capn Morgan]

Some years back I picked up a few candles in Cape Union Mart, a South African outdoor shop. I can't check them out right now as they are several thousand miles away on the boat and can't find them on their website. They burn for a long time and they seem to keep mossies away. Will try and report when I get back. They also have a spray they call All Terrain Armour, which they say is a herbal only product. I have it for my guests and it seems to work.

I'm sure they even taste better than Vegemite....

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Coops

A quite disgusting substance which looks like concentrated pteradactyl poo and tastes like a cat's bum. Not telling you how i know the second.

PS Vegemite is a yeast extract, Marmite is a beef extract, both have the same appalling taste though.

Coops.

Time to exercise caution SmartMove. There are many hereabouts who are tastebud challenged. It seems that Coops might be one of them.

Tread warily.

[akkebeng]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Better yet, add ~ 25% DEET to the baby oil. The baby oil is effective on its own, serves to slow the evaporation of the DEET (DEET loves to stay in the oil, as compared to spray-on products that evaporate quickly), and makes it easy to get full coverage (many products don't spread so well).

We formulate our own and find this combination to be very long-lasting. Get an unscented baby oil.

Mixing DEET with baby oil makes for easier penetration through the skin into your body. Not necessarily a desired effect.
I also believe the instruction sheet for the permetrine impregnated mozzie-net specifically discourages skin contact, both in writing and by putting the sheet between you and the net. ;-)

[s/v Beth]

Originally Posted by SmartMove

Before we left Utah the county health nurse told us about a product you can soak your clothes in and it would repel mosquitos and the like for up to 6-7 washings. I found it at the local REI, but in all of the craziness of the those last weeks never got back to pick any up. I thought it could be usual for the sheets as well. Now I can't remember the name.

If you have it up here we can go by and pick it up. Just tell us which REI. We can probably get you some Vegemite too
BTW- sometimes when working on the ranch the mosquitoes got so thick you could hear them indoors (buzzing outside) We just covered everything but our face, and put diluted Deet on our hats. Hot but no bites... Would work for the short term.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by akkebeng

Mixing DEET with baby oil makes for easier penetration through the skin into your body. Not necessarily a desired effect.
I also believe the instruction sheet for the permetrine impregnated mozzie-net specifically discourages skin contact, both in writing and by putting the sheet between you and the net. ;-)

Yes, oil will unfortunately increase skin (and therefore systemic) absorbtion, as will sunblock .
All insect repellents have side effects, permethrin included. I generally avoid the use of them unless at risk of mosquito borne diseases (eg malaria, dengue fever, Ross River fever, Japanese encephalitis etc). Covering up in light coloured clothes and avoiding perfume (as many people have already suggested), fly screens and mosquito netting are for me the best way of handling these pesky blighters.
(Oh, and I mustn't forget regular intake if that thick black spread that is claimed to taste like licking a cat's ass )

[MitchM]

we have had great luck with the Thermacell lantern installed in the (totally screened) cockpit. for walking around near dusk or dawn, try the Thermacell 'holster' which is a belt clip attachment that holds the thermacell. it creates an 8 x 8 x 8 ft 'cube' of protection around the wearer, and i won't go out in blackfly or mosquito season without my holster. i learned about both products from dog training friends who operate in s carolina marshlands.. we own 2 thermacell lanterns 1 for the rv 1 for the boat , get the kind that has an aa battery which provides a nice little 'night light ' for the cockpit. ligthing the thermacell outside on the cockpit table allows us to sit outside every evening until 10 o clock at night with NO biting bug bites... we ordered out thermacells from amazon at quite a savings over local stores 933 % less..) and order the thermacell butane cells and antiinsect pads.. we get about 12 hours (3 nights) out of 1 pad...

fair winds, no bites to you !