Insect repellent ...

[Adi007]

Having been to Scotland and discovered probably the world's population of midges within 200m of our camp (who decended on my toothbrush and turned it into a protein lolly), I'm wondering what the best, most effective non-DEET insect repellent is?

We tried something called Shoo! but that just seemed to act as an adhesive for them so they could hold on better and get multiple bites in :shock: :twisted: I've heard of something called "Skin So Soft" but never tried it ...

Or is a mozzie net the best solution?

Any ideas would be appreciated ... either that or never go back to Scotland! Or Cornwall for that matter but that was bees ... however I'll leave that story for another day :shock:

 

[Paulmac]

Ahhh!

A subject I can finally comment on.

I recently spent a day with the senior instructor at the UK Survival School based in Hereford and this was a Question I asked, as I am planning to go on their Jungle course in South east Asia and he commented about Deet being harmful to everything from your skin to destroying your maps and compasses.

The answer was either a product called Jungle formula available from Boots or charcoal dust from dead/cold fire embers - blacken up the exposed skin areas - depending what company your in depends on how daft you look, but it does work, nature's insect repellent was his comment - this guy has a wealth of experince and the ability to pass it on, it truly does work

At the time he was teaching me tracking techniques and said it was also good for disguising your scent against animals.

We would also use mossie net's any way.

Regards

Paul

 

[TAHAWK]

A consumer testing magazine over on this side of the Pond (Consumer Reports, I think) got good results on mosquitoes and ticks with a product with 40% oil of lemon eucalyptus (E. citriodora) in it. The brand was Repel. Didn't work as long as deet-based products but worked well while it lasted.

 

[SquirrelBoy]

The best anti-midge repellant i`ve heard of is the Avon Skin So-Soft (yes the ding dong.. avon calling fame), it had rave reviews somewhere - it must have as I wrote it down so as not to forget

Also claimed to work is to eat garlic.

Tea Tree, citronella and eucalyptus is also good at repelling them. If using DEET remember to keep it off plastic :roll:

 

[Adi007]

I've heard about this before but never tried it ... guess their stuff had to be good for something! :-D

The best anti-midge repellant i`ve heard of is the Avon Skin So-Soft (yes the ding dong.. avon calling fame), it had rave reviews somewhere - it must have as I wrote it down so as not to forget

 

[Kath]

I had a serious reaction to DEET a while back (it was raining pretty heavily and I think it must have run down into my eyes ) I had all over pins and needles for several weeks which really was very scary. :yikes:

Nasty stuff - I stopped using it at that point and won't go near the :-x :evil: stuff again!

 

[Stew]

I must not taste very nice because I never seem to get bitten much, even when others are.

I have been told (but don't know there's any back up for it) that Vitamin C is toxic to mozzies et al so if you have a high Vit C level in your body, they won't bite.

 

[Martyn]

Problem with that is, you cant give yourself high vitC levels, as soon as you have enough, you just pee out the surplus. You can have a deficiency, or just enough, but not too much.

 

[familne]

Nothing works against a determined scots midge! Take it from me - I've surveyed many woodlands on the west coast of scotland and have tried every repellant conceivable - nothing works for very long. A head net is your best bet, but then you get hot and sweaty and your view is restricted. If there is one creature that can turn a reasonably sane man into a screaming lunatic - it's the MIDGE!!!!

 

[TAHAWK]

Nothing works against a determined scots midge! Take it from me - I've surveyed many woodlands on the west coast of scotland and have tried every repellant conceivable - nothing works for very long. A head net is your best bet, but then you get hot and sweaty and your view is restricted. If there is one creature that can turn a reasonably sane man into a screaming lunatic - it's the MIDGE!!!!

On this side of the Pond, and especially in our northern States and in Canada, late Spring and early Summer is the season of the dreaded "Black Fly," a name given to several species, of which Simulium venustum and S. jenningsi seem to be the worst biters. "Fruit Fly" sized beasts, they need cool, flowing water to breed, and only the females bite. :roll: In addition to carrying various nasty diseases, their bites leave open sores that itch for weeks. They land on you, then scurry about in a characteristic, busy way, looking for openings in your clothing so they can satisy their blood lust. :yikes: In bad "Black Fly" areas, outdoor activites await warmer weather, when they stop breeding and die out for the season. Some Black Flies are heard to hum something suspiciously like Cock O' the North when attacking.

 

[alick]

I watched an excellent natiure programme about the moose on TV recently. At the worst point of the season, the blackfly there was so bad that the animals were forced away from the river areas where they feed and the film crew had to go home for 3 weeks. The air was black with clouds of them, incredible !

 

[TAHAWK]

Fortunately, when the water in the streams gets up to 16 C or so, the little beasts fade away.

 

[maddave]

Avon "Skin So Soft" moisturiser is excellent as a bug repellant. It has to be the one in the tub though, not the spray on and it's the original woodland scented one you want.

Having said that, they now have a new product called "Bug Guard"

 

[tenbears10]

I konw that DEET is nasty stuff on your skin but unfortunatly it works well. I used to sell it in an outdoor shop and our best advice was buy 100% DEET but only put it on clothing eg. your hat and it will keep determined mozzies away. However the fact that it will take varnish off wood is a bit concerning.

If you use it carefully then you can prevent the side effects.

Other than that a good fire or mozzie coils or my favorite, cigar smoke all keep them at bay to an extent. Scottish miges are some of the worst but I spent summer half term in Scotland every year on a headland looking out to Mull without too much discomfort just watch where you set up camp.

Bill

 

[Mel]

I seem to attract every biting insect insect within miles :-( so I bought a new product to try at the exhibition last weekend. According to the blurb Pete and Paddy of Quantock, Wilderness Survival Equipment (?) said " the most efficient product we've found over the years, even against the Scottish midge."

I will be trying it against the Welsh midge myself this summer and taking it to Oz at Easter so I should get a fairly good idea of whether or not it's any good.

It's called PreVent and it is 100% natural, made from African chrysanthemums. Info available at www.agropharm.co.uk

 

[Adi007]

I will be trying it against the Welsh midge myself this summer and taking it to Oz at Easter so I should get a fairly good idea of whether or not it's any good.

The Welsh midge is positively fun when compared to the Scottish midge!

It's called PreVent and it is 100% natural, made from African chrysanthemums. Info available at www.agropharm.co.uk

By the sound of it, it could attract insects!!! :shock:

Let us know if it works!

 

[familne]

Nothing works against a determined scots midge! Take it from me - I've surveyed many woodlands on the west coast of scotland and have tried every repellant conceivable - nothing works for very long. A head net is your best bet, but then you get hot and sweaty and your view is restricted. If there is one creature that can turn a reasonably sane man into a screaming lunatic - it's the MIDGE!!!!

On this side of the Pond, and especially in our northern States and in Canada, late Spring and early Summer is the season of the dreaded "Black Fly," a name given to several species, of which Simulium venustum and S. jenningsi seem to be the worst biters. "Fruit Fly" sized beasts, they need cool, flowing water to breed, and only the females bite. :roll: In addition to carrying various nasty diseases, their bites leave open sores that itch for weeks. They land on you, then scurry about in a characteristic, busy way, looking for openings in your clothing so they can satisy their blood lust. :yikes: In bad "Black Fly" areas, outdoor activites await warmer weather, when they stop breeding and die out for the season. Some Black Flies are heard to hum something suspiciously like Cock O' the North when attacking.

I must admit, the Black Fly does seem pretty nasty - good job it's not over here! Imagine what would happen to the tourist industry if outdoor activities had to be abandoned!

 

[max]

Interesting how differant types work for differant people

I've used the the lemon eucalyptus oil combo and the jungle fever lotion against the scottish monsters and both worked well, I was also taught the fire embers routine by the same person ( i think - certainly the same school) and that worked a treat, but Pauls right, i looked a right prat! :roll:

I will not use deet after it scarred the face and stripped the markings off a sunto compass :shock:

You got to love the blighters though and thank our cotton socks that we don't have them black flies. :-D

Maxmountains

 

[Adi007]

Or mozzies with malaria! :shock:

You got to love the blighters though and thank our cotton socks that we don't have them black flies. :-D

Maxmountains

 

[max]

spot on Adi - or Dengue, tetse, and all the other big nasties, although i think i heard that malaria had been reported over the last summers in south east England or was it just a ploy to get the property prices down :twisted:

Maxmountains