mosquitoes and gnats

[Guest]

I've found one grave disadvantage to my lovely new lifestyle - I should have predicted it! - I'm being eaten alive by gnats and / or mosquitoes

Hi Amanda

Hope you followed-up the suggested link The Lamp . I read it and am impressed enough to invest in one for us.

 

The lamp wont work for you when you are on the deck of course, but my wife says that Boots are selling a product which is a length of fabric, called "I fabric" (Insect Repellant Fabric). Comes in three lengths so you can use it as a bandana or headscarf or sarong. You rub it and it releases a repellant into the air around it for a distance of 50cm for up to 3 hrs. Re-activate just by moving around or scrunch/rub it.

 

My wife used to suffer exactly as you describe, in her youth. The only product that she could find which was effective was "Jungle Formula", The Jungle Formula Company, Pulborough, West Sussex. K7WSA, but that's "rub it on your skin" product.

 

She now takes Vitamin B complex and doesn't suffer at all - but the vitamin solution needs to build up in your system over a period of time before it becomes properley effective.

 

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

Peter

Edited July 6, 2006 by Guest

[Alastair]

A lot of Tog24 and Rohan clothing has mosquito-repellent qualities. I think Craghoppers do some as well.

[Christine]

"Jungle Formula", The Jungle Formula Company, Pulborough, West Sussex. K7WSA,

No flies on them I guess.

 

Well I never knew they were in the village! That's not the postcode tho'

 

Chrissie

 

 

 

 

No flies on them I guess.

 

Well I never knew they were in the village! That's not the postcode tho'

 

 

Jungle Formula give their contact as: Should you require additional information please contact:

Tel: 01480 421800

E-mail: enquiries@chefaro.co.uk

 

Chefaro UK Ltd

1 Tower Close

Huntingdon

Cambs.

PE29 7DH

 

 

 

Chrissie

[Bones]

My mother was always the best insect repellant I found - they always ate her. However, she started using Jungle forumula and we all had to start using it too - fabulous stuff. It is the only thing that stopped her, and subsequently us, from being bitten. Antisan is the only thing that stops me itching once I have been bitten, but I don't swell up etc.

 

I hope you find something that works for you nichimyo!!!!!

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Amanda,

 

I suffer from the same problem as you, namely every bitey thing in a 10 mile radius seems to home in on me, whilst Claire is carefully avoided.

 

The only way that I can avoid getting bitten is to rub 'Repel 100' on any exposed part of my body. I'm not a great lover of chemicals, but I hate being covered with bites even more! It works well for me, so next time you are on the boat if you want to try some, walk down the jetty, bang on our roof and give it a go.

 

Roger

[Crazy Scheme]

I've found that eating lots of garlic (curries or pasta), then once it gets to dusk we light a citronella candle at the bow and the stern, especially if the doors are open.

 

I also find it helps if you aren't scared of spiders. Don't use insect killing sprays - the spiders are your friends. We refer to them as 'the bouncers' we have actually been sad enough to sit in the front cabin watching them spin webs accross our open winodws and effectively trap any mozzie that dares try to enter.

 

We even saw a spider ''mug'' a smaller spider for it's web, and eat all the flies it had wrapped up with silk and stored to eat later.

 

Since I got the boat I really feel like I'm narrating our very own nature documentary - I love it!

[dor]

We make feed supplements for animals. We are having a lot of success with a mineral block with herbs, including garlic, for keeping flies off cattle, sheep & horses.

 

Citronella has just been banned as an ingredient in fly repellants for animal use!

[bottle]

Citronella Grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to the species above but grows to 2 m and has red base stems. These species are used for the production of citronella oil, which is used in soaps, as a mosquito repellent in insect sprays and candles, and also in aromatherapy. The principle chemical constituents of citronella, geraniol and citronellol, are antiseptics, hence their use in household disinfectants and soaps. Besides oil production, citronella grass is also used for culinary use, such as in tea.

 

 

 

 

 

From Wikipedia,

[blackrose]

Everytime it rains heavily I've found a thin layer of diesel on the surface of the canal. Apparently it's coming from somewhere upstream and I've informed the EA (who don't seem to care). Anyway, I've also noticed that the gnats don't like it either. Not suggesting you chuck deisel in the water but I just thought it was interesting.

[P.K.]

If you are getting zapped in your sleep then they are finding you by your smell (sorry). That is normal body odour and the carbon dioxide you exhale. Repellents work by simply disguising this smell so they are not attracted to you. I would never use anything with DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) in it because it is so corrosive. It eats plastics and some man-made fabrics and also irritates "sensitive" skin areas so to speak. On my annual trip to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands I use Mosi-Guard as it is made from natural ingrediants. Having said that I get the occaisional bite where I sweat it off and still pick up the odd blood-sucking tick.

 

Going to bed I would expect the last thing you want to do is put on a repellant. So you need to net where you think they are coming in and heat a vapour tablet via electrickery or oil to keep them out. One tablet should last the night and be effective through the whole boat.

 

Deisel spreads to one molecule thickness on water. So one little drop goes an awfully long way. As the little beasties start life in the water a layer of oil on the surface effectively seals them in so they die on hatching. That's why they avoid it.

[Bones]

If you are getting zapped in your sleep then they are finding you by your smell (sorry). That is normal body odour and the carbon dioxide you exhale. Repellents work by simply disguising this smell so they are not attracted to you. I would never use anything with DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) in it because it is so corrosive. It eats plastics and some man-made fabrics and also irritates "sensitive" skin areas so to speak. On my annual trip to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands I use Mosi-Guard as it is made from natural ingrediants. Having said that I get the occaisional bite where I sweat it off and still pick up the odd blood-sucking tick.

 

Going to bed I would expect the last thing you want to do is put on a repellant. So you need to net where you think they are coming in and heat a vapour tablet via electrickery or oil to keep them out. One tablet should last the night and be effective through the whole boat.

 

Deisel spreads to one molecule thickness on water. So one little drop goes an awfully long way. As the little beasties start life in the water a layer of oil on the surface effectively seals them in so they die on hatching. That's why they avoid it.

 

 

The ultimate mosquito bite prevention?

[Bernie]

Avon's skin so soft Woodland fresh seems to work. Try their shower gel.

[nichimyo]

If you are getting zapped in your sleep then they are finding you by your smell (sorry).

 

Deisel spreads to one molecule thickness on water. So one little drop goes an awfully long way. As the little beasties start life in the water a layer of oil on the surface effectively seals them in so they die on hatching. That's why they avoid it.

 

I suppose I could rub myself in diesel, but...

 

My new strategy is

(a ) change how I smell - eat even more garlic

(b ) up my Marmite intake

(c )take vitamin B6 (by far the most mentioned suggestions amongst everyone I have mentioned it to)

(d ) oh, yes, the G+T option, which I kinda went at to start with, but then apparently the tonic has got some ingredient which the beasties don't like. The alcohol presumably is to dull the pain of the bites I already have

 

Roger, thanks for the offer of Repel 100, but as I said earlier if I fail to anoint any part of my body, they will find it. I've been bitten before on the spaces between my eyelashes and my eyes. I have great sympathy with whoever-it-was who got bitten in a sensitive part between two items of his anatomy by horseflies

 

Oh yes, and someone has kindly given me the a**e end of a roll of insect mesh to make some screens with to slot into the side hatches when they are open.

 

I don't care which of these is the final answer, as long as something in this list does. I'll let you know what happens.

If I can get some of the Avon stuff, I'll try that too I think, if only to disguise the smell of garlic from human noses

Edited July 10, 2006 by nichimyo

[ayeaye]

Avon's skin so soft Woodland fresh seems to work. Try their shower gel.

Thats the one but rather stupidly Avon changed its name last year to Skin so Soft "soft & fresh"

Bren

[JohnO]

 

(apparently the tonic has got some ingredient which the beasties don't like.

 

 

Tonic water contains quinine, which was used to prevent malaria.

don't know if it stops them biting though

[Crazy Scheme]

If there is an Aldi near you, check them out - they are selling window mosquito nets at the moment, for only £1.29, complete with fixings. One net will provide enough mesh for your front doors or a couple of windows.

[Bones]

My mother has been raving about an insect repellent she has been using. Its better than Jungle Juice (she thinks!) and is called (rather imaginatively) insect repellent with natural oils and is made by Norfolk Lavender. www.norfolk-lavender.co.uk Apparently 'they' don't like lavender oil..........

[nichimyo]

Thank you all for the plethora of ideas ... the temptation is to try lots of them, trouble is, I wouldn't know which ones work and which ones don't ... see my earlier post for current list, plus I've got some aloe vera gel to take the heat out of the bites I am still getting. I'm hoping the things I'm ingesting will build up more of an immunity.

 

I've been recommended to try Tiger Balm by a Malaysian friend who swears by it when he's at home in Malaysia, to take the pain out of the bites. I might try that if they get too much for the soothing effect of the aloe vera, but so far, it's working quite well.

[Moley]

I've been recommended to try Tiger Balm by a Malaysian friend who swears by it when he's at home in Malaysia, to take the pain out of the bites.

Wow! If it helps soothe tiger bites, mozzies and gnats should be a breeze.

[nichimyo]

Wow! If it helps soothe tiger bites, mozzies and gnats should be a breeze.

 

Mmm I hope so!

[len]

I've found one grave disadvantage to my lovely new lifestyle - I should have predicted it! - I'm being eaten alive by gnats and / or mosquitoes (not sure what the difference is LOL).

 

Any bright ideas on:

- how to keep them off the boat?

or

- how I can dissuade them from biting me? (they generally catch me off guard when I am asleep)

or

- is there anything I can do to stop myself from reacting so badly to their bites? (the latest crop are inch and a half diameter red lumps with a yellow blister in the mddle of each which gradually fills and bursts to leave a scab. They itch like fury and are several degrees hotter than the surrounding skin. It's driving me nuts!!!)

 

 

Hi there,

 

Just came across this http://www.arnywear.co.uk/

 

thought it may be of some interest if the Avon Lady hasn't made it down the tow path yet....

 

Len

[Yoda]

Hi there,

 

Just came across this http://www.arnywear.co.uk/

 

thought it may be of some interest if the Avon Lady hasn't made it down the tow path yet....

 

Len

 

In the USA and Canada they use Avons skin so soft. Don't know if it's sold in the UK.

 

If you don't breathe out they can't find you as they are attracted by CO2 from your breath. Another thing they don't like is citronella candles. Best of all is alcohol, they don't like that either.

[Noah]

In the USA and Canada they use Avons skin so soft. Don't know if it's sold in the UK.

 

If you don't breathe out they can't find you as they are attracted by CO2 from your breath. ........ Best of all is alcohol, they don't like that either.

I permanently use alcohol to mask the smell of the CO2 on my breath and I never get bitten by insects. Maybe I just don’t feel the bites because of the alcohol!

 

Avon “Skin-so-Soft” is sold by UK Avon Ladies. I’ve tried it on REMOTE Scottish canoeing trips. It does keep the midge at bay and all other life forms because it smells absolutely revolting.

 

Noah

[Liam]

What do you lot think of this?

 

http://www.craghoppers.com/CraghoppersSite...rtechnology.htm

 

The "NoSquito" insect repellant range of clothing

[Noah]

.............................. as they are attracted by CO2 from your breath.

There has been some serious research on this theory:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2931910.stm

 

Sow how about one of these for in the boat?

 

http://themidgeatershop.shopkit.net/?gclid...CFUdGMAodE1495A

 

Gas powered, so not sure what the BSS inpector would think!