How do I stop getting bit?

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Sep 8, 2012
239
2
west sussex
Definitely the most enjoyable repellent to use! Only whisky do you reckon or will other alcoholic beverages do the trick?
Guess they have to be spirit strength?
first off thanks for taking the post seriously lol, I usualy get the reaction that im just blagging a reason to have a night cap,
I would say it has to be spirit strength, im a firm believer that a small dose taken at night over a period of days will
improve your chances of not being bothered, maybe just my immune system but ive eaten all sorts of crap off stalls and what not
in Asia and not so much as had a stomach bug, just stick religiously to my large shot before bed when in the tropics.
A strange one but I swear by it, I understand if anyone is sceptical :)
 
Soak some used cigarette buts complete with last vestiges of tobacco still atatched in a glass of water for a couple of days so the water becomes yellow and nicotine/tobacco stained.
The longer you leave it the better.
Bottle the water, you may want to filter the solids out first !!
Rub onto skin in the evening for Mozzies and hopefully you will be bug bite free.
Not the most aromatic lotion but it has worked for me.
 

xylaria

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Soak some used cigarette buts complete with last vestiges of tobacco still atatched in a glass of water for a couple of days so the water becomes yellow and nicotine/tobacco stained.
The longer you leave it the better.
Bottle the water, you may want to filter the solids out first !!
Rub onto skin in the evening for Mozzies and hopefully you will be bug bite free.
Not the most aromatic lotion but it has worked for me.

That is possibly the most nasty idea of a bug repellant i have ever heard off. My dad used nicotine wash on plants, it smelt really nasty.

I can see a problem with drinking alcohol, it makes the skin more attractive to wasps.
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
I think a little acceptance is also needed because no matter what you use you are probably going to get bit if your in a suitable midge/mozzie infested area.
Trick is to minimise the bites with various potions and suitable clothing. I tried everything from DEET to SMIDGE last weekend and ended up with 2 mozzie bites, one wasp sting and plenty of the dredded mite bites. I would imagine without any repellent it would have been miserable. Mites are by far the worst IMO.

Its just a part of being outdoors this time of year unfortunately.
 
Sep 8, 2012
239
2
west sussex
totally agree dwardo, the amount of people ive seen or should I say smelt of deet in the tropics to the point of being over powering
enough to make you feel sicky is enough to make you think.
DEET is in my opinion the daddy but you just have to be smart with it, don't take a bath in it! just put it on the hot spots
like ankles wrists inside the elbow and neck.
Avoid meds when travelling to remote parts of the tropics at all costs, these people have built an immunity over 1000,s of years.
you come along with your fancy meds, the mozzys mutate and the people are no longer immune.
big chunks of SE Asia now suffer malaria worse than they have done for 100,s of years.
Oh and just play smart, don't be walking bare feet through wet grass first thing in the morning, use a net ect, just think about what you are doing.
 

mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
totally agree dwardo, the amount of people ive seen or should I say smelt of deet in the tropics to the point of being over powering
enough to make you feel sicky is enough to make you think.
DEET is in my opinion the daddy but you just have to be smart with it, don't take a bath in it! just put it on the hot spots
like ankles wrists inside the elbow and neck.
Avoid meds when travelling to remote parts of the tropics at all costs, these people have built an immunity over 1000,s of years.
you come along with your fancy meds, the mozzys mutate and the people are no longer immune.
big chunks of SE Asia now suffer malaria worse than they have done for 100,s of years.
Oh and just play smart, don't be walking bare feet through wet grass first thing in the morning, use a net ect, just think about what you are doing.

Avoid meds in the tropics? Really?
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Anti malarial meds? I use Malarone as I'm only ever in the tropics for a few days at a time and usually have to travel at relatively short notice. Malarone can be taken 48 hours before travel, one pill per day, before you go, whilst in country, and taken in the same dosage for one week after your return. Other meds are better but you need to be taking them for a much longer period prior to travel and after, plus there's more serious side effects. It's not cheap but to travel to these places without med cover, is rather stupid, once you've seen a case of serious malaria you'll understand that you really don't want it.

Has to be noted that meds aren't 100% effective so you have to actively avoid being bitten. Still, if you do cop a dose the meds help to reduce the potential seriousness of the affects making it much easier to treat and less likely that you'll get it in the brain, which is potentially lethal.

I use deet repellents routinely, "jungle formula tropical #4", so I avoid putting it directly on my skin if I can. The most likely place to be bit in an semi-urban tropical environment is on the ankles, so wear shoes longish socks and long trousers, spray the deet on the outside of the socks. If I have to, if I'm caught out, I treat my wrists back of my hands neck behind and on my ears, but then I always always wear a long sleeve shirt and a hat. Mozzies can bite through most clothing but unless your spending long periods in the bush it more likely the attack will come from floor level.

Keeping the window of ones room shut and the light off at night helps, as does a mozzie net (but not always available or practical as you need to be able to hang it). If you have power in the room a plugin eucalyptus based repellent will help, battery powered versions are available too, if there's aircon, crank it as low as it'll go, that helps as well. **Don't under estimate the seriousness of malaria**
 
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Sep 8, 2012
239
2
west sussex
if you can yes for malaria anyway (that's what we are talking about isn't it, insect bites yes? unless you want to talk about hep or polio?)
for the blatant reasons ive just explained, why?
(whats up with this forum recently, you cant fart without somebody wanting to get on there high horse or start a d**k measuring
competition, or doing there best to twist words in a post so they can be a smart bottom :))
 

Dano

Forager
Nov 24, 2005
181
0
52
UK
first off thanks for taking the post seriously lol, I usualy get the reaction that im just blagging a reason to have a night cap,
I would say it has to be spirit strength, im a firm believer that a small dose taken at night over a period of days will
improve your chances of not being bothered, maybe just my immune system but ive eaten all sorts of crap off stalls and what not
in Asia and not so much as had a stomach bug, just stick religiously to my large shot before bed when in the tropics.
A strange one but I swear by it, I understand if anyone is sceptical :)

a mate of mine lived in Jakarta for years and was always sick, he went back to Poland and his Doc said "drink more vodka" he did and said it did the trick. I was less fortunate, don't really drink spirits but lots of beer/ wine, didn't stop the typhoid and amoebic dysentry ;( and I don't eat the street food

deet gets my vote, I prefer the wipes for easy of application, sprays, pumps and rolls always seem to fail, have taken anti malarials from time to time, depending what you take may have different side effects some quite unpleasant or strange, take advice from a travel nurse not a web forum re meds, I also take a net and plug-in or knockdown like Vape
 

mountainm

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 12, 2011
9,990
12
Selby
www.mikemountain.co.uk
if you can yes for malaria anyway (that's what we are talking about isn't it, insect bites yes? unless you want to talk about hep or polio?)
for the blatant reasons ive just explained, why?
(whats up with this forum recently, you cant fart without somebody wanting to get on there high horse or start a d**k measuring
competition, or doing there best to twist words in a post so they can be a smart bottom :))

Wind your neck back in. I was just suprised that was advocated, is that official guidance?
 
Sep 8, 2012
239
2
west sussex
yup its common advice, I lived and worked in SE Asia for years, a lot of time in the high country, and the population are really suffering.
its taken 100,s of generations for them to build up there resistance, but due to travellers and malaria meds you now have super mozzys
that just blitz the natives immunity, its serious, its an absolute killer.
I jumped on you a bit there, its just you get used to people trying it on a lot on this forum, and perhaps I acted a bit defensive.
neck wound in lol.
look I mean if your a very high risk person, that is weak or has an on going health issue im not saying risk your life
but avoid them if you can, we have spread Gardia around the globe that's bad enough. ill see if I can dig out a link for you.
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
If camping in a known midgie hot spot, forget tarps between May to September, you need a tent that closes and a spot that attracts a breeze, the stiffer the breeze the better. Keep the tent closed at all times only opening the zip to the inner compartment when your getting in for the night or out in the morning.

Stuff you may need during the day, keep it under the flysheet not in the sleeping compartment. When going to the tent for the evening, if it's midgie walk in the opposite direction for a bit, then about turn and go to the tent smartly, remove fleeces jumpers etc quickly (they'll have midgies all over them) and leave them under the flysheet don't take them into the inner tent. Get in and close the zip, don't mince around with the zip open. Even then there'll be a few that get in with you. A few don't bother me at night, but if your not used to being bitten and or take a bad reaction, turn on the torch and swat them until your happy.

Even if caught out in an midgie apocalypse a little discipline around the tent will help with a peaceful nights midge-free-ish-sleep.
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Midgies are a fact of life where i live, north west highlands, not serious like mosquitos but potentially trip ending if caught out, most people coming here for the first time seem to have difficulty understanding just how midgie things can get and are usually completely unprepared, swanning around semi clad ;) Walking midge magnets.

I just keep covered up and tucked in, I avoid washing my face if working outside, the natural oil from your skin on the face helps reduce the number of bites and therefore the need for repellents. Trousers tucked into socks and hat, the only parts of my body that are exposed are my hands face neck and ears. If you must wash rubbing the exposed skin with an natural oil based repellent will prevent picking up bites, midgies have difficulty breaking the surface tension of the oil. Covering up and tucking in also helps with Ticks too, lymes is an issue in my part of the world.

If caught out in an midgie apocalypse however, with no escape possible, don't mess around with natural remedies repellents etc, use a strong deet based repellent put it on all exposed skin and stay still. The midge will still be swarming around but they'll stay off you thus providing some respite. Deet isn't nice stuff, but if you keep covered up you really only need it when things get really bad, I find.
 
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Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Cleggs, (horse fly), are a problem near water but generally not as annoying as the midge nasty bite mind, once a clegg is onto you though the only way to put it off is to kill it.

Sorry if that upsets people but the bite can be very nasty for some and there really is no other way, for a female clegg, it's blood feed or die trying, they need to do it twice to lay viable eggs, a clegg will stalk you until it gets you and they'll follow for hundreds of meters wearing you down just waiting for your attention to laps, they'll be hiding on the back of your hat or otherwise sneaking around from behind. Thats where pals can help, buddy swatting.

When you feel the bite it's too late the clegg has had her fill and she's off.

If you do pick up a bite, get some afterbite on it as quick as you can and consider carrying anti histamines if you know you take a bad reaction or are unsure. I've got some immunity but even so some bites still swell. Last thing you want is a bite going tennis ball on you, or worse; football. That'll need a trip to the docs.

Again, keeping covered up is the 90% of it.
 

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