What's your best homemade or commercial bug repellant?

[Survive]

Been trying to pick the brains of those who are regulars in the woods...

We are getting into the season where bugs seem to be the top of the food chain, so was wondering what you guys use to deter them?

 

[johnboy]

Either the crushed leaves of Macropiper Excelcum (Kawakawa or the NZ Pepper tree) as a field expedient insect repellant but only use the leaves the bugs have munched...

If I'm going somewhere really buggy then I use Bushmans insect repellant which has a high DEET content and keep em away...

HTH

 

[Buckshot]

In the UK I always use Avon Skin so soft
Make sure you get the right one, Skin so soft is the name of a range, only one of which keeps mozzies away

 

[Chiseller]

Elder leaf brew works as an insecticide, wonder if you could wear it??

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[British Red]

OIl heavy two stroke runiing full throttle seems to work

 

[xylaria]

pine resin rubbed on forehead. smoky fire.

 

[Toddy]

Mugwort, Myrtica gale, Melissa

Autan seems to be doing the trick just now for the commercial stuff

cheers,
Toddy

 

[peaks]

So which of the Skin So Soft does the business?

 

[Man of Tanith]

a combination of wilmas nordic summer, pipe smoke and a constant diet of marmite on toast for breakfast works for me in the UK
abroad its DEET all the way.
i'm going to experiment with elder sap/juice this year see how it works as i have been told tis effective (can cause allergic reactions though so doa small sensitivity test first on a tiny bit of skin)

 

[Silverback 1]

In the UK I always use Avon Skin so soft Make sure you get the right one

Anything that contains a decent strength citronella ingredient (as this does) seems to deter the little swines.

You can buy super strength citronella bottles from the high street outlets and mix it to your own liking, the mozzies etc. don't like it up 'em!

 

[SimonM]

Nordic Summer for me...lovely smokey smell. Has the advantage of keeping SWMBO at bay too

Simon

 

[sandbender]

a combination of wilmas nordic summer, pipe smoke and a constant diet of marmite on toast for breakfast works for me in the UK
abroad its DEET all the way.
i'm going to experiment with elder sap/juice this year see how it works as i have been told tis effective (can cause allergic reactions though so doa small sensitivity test first on a tiny bit of skin)

Another vote for Wilmas nordic summer, the mosi's around these parts do not like it at all, I wear it when harvesting our Apricots, my parents in law don't and are bitten half to death.

 

[Teepee]

First line of defence is vitamin b12 rich foods for me; Marmite and wheatgerm and foods containing yeast.

I also eat a lot of garlic which repels insects.

I use Deet spray and this always works.

I don't know if Wilmas Nordic summer works on me but I'm going to get some when my stash of DEET runs out. It smells divine; the smell of campfires and the woods.

Midgie.net head nets and smoking tobacco are also favoured defences.

Armed with this lot, I dont get troubled by bloodsuckers.

 

[shaggystu]

.....foods containing yeast.......

such as beer!

 

[decorum]

Marmite. As vile a miasmal concoction as I've ever found reason to put in my mouth.

A great pity that it works so well for me .

 

[Man of Tanith]

Marmite. As vile a miasmal concoction as I've ever found reason to put in my mouth.

A great pity that it works so well for me .

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
love it or hate it......

 

[Chiseller]

Hang acouple of smouldering polypore from yer lugs :screwy:

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[swright81076]

Bounce tumble drying sheets apparently work well. They could be decorated or cut into nice patterns and hung around your person.
Just imagine pretty snowflakes attached to a good beard. That'd look dapper.

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[ged]

I've been using this one

http://www.amazon.co.uk/100ml-100%-...JTHA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1338548374&sr=8-8

Smells a lot like the Nordic Summer, which I find pleasantly smoky, and it seems to work for me.

 

[rg598]

DEET. It can be carried in a small bottle, and works better than anything else I've seen.