any such thing that really helps? when i was at Tuolumne Meadows, it wasn't bad at first, but as soon as the sun set, it got real bad! lol so i was wondering if there was anything at maybe a Bass Pro Shop that anyone was familiar with? are any of you guys users of DEET? i have it, but only used it once (on my clothing)...

so what's the best trick for mosquitos?

any help would be appreciated

Mosquito clothing has to be made very small. It's really not worth it--you just can't get the mosquitoes to stop flying around nude.

those SOB's!!!

i just read (for an "after bite), to use Benadryl in a spray form.

I have had good luck with simple net hoods worn under a hat. Easy.

Lots of options:
http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Insect-Hat-Dorfman-Pacific/dp/B000PUCMNS

However, there is an Australian option for blowflies that might be a little bit interesting:



Probably someone has figured out how to hang citronella from a hat, so that could also work.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
I have had good luck with simple net hoods worn under a hat. Easy.

Lots of options:
http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Insect-Hat-Dorfman-Pacific/dp/B000PUCMNS

However, there is an Australian option for blowflies that might be a little bit interesting:



Probably someone has figured out how to hang citronella from a hat, so that could also work.

Those are candles? The wicks appear to be a bit long.

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eeek


Those are candles? The wicks appear to be a bit long.

Corks. But I understand that you can buy citronella bracelets. Can't believe that they are very effective. Might work to hang citronella products from your hat. Altough an argument could be made for a head-mounted citronella candle, I would not recommend it. Could also substute those old fashion sticky fly paper things for the corks. Would require extreme care putting on and taking off.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
Would require extreme care putting on and taking off.

One word: wind

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forrestranger
i just read (for an "after bite), to use Benadryl in a spray form.

Possibly. I suspect it is not well absorbed into the skin. If the itching is really driving you to distraction, consider a rub on cream form of diphenhydramine ( I think the Over the Counter form is 2%) or even a sunburn treatment that has benzocaine as an ingredient to the affected areas. DEET is not an insecticide, just discourages the skeeters from landing and drilling. DEET comes in 100% strength but apparently is not needed as that can be effective in the 10-20% range.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter

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forrestranger
i just read (for an "after bite), to use Benadryl in a spray form.

Possibly. I suspect it is not well absorbed into the skin. If the itching is really driving you to distraction, consider a rub on cream form of diphenhydramine ( I think the Over the Counter form is 2%) or even a sunburn treatment that has benzocaine as an ingredient to the affected areas. DEET is not an insecticide, just discourages the skeeters from landing and drilling. DEET comes in 100% strength but apparently is not needed as that can be effective in the 10-20% range.

Using both forms at the same time isn't recommended. I'm not sure what that really means, although I suppose using a topical form in the afternoon followed by a nighttime dose of allergy medication isn't a problem. I tried figuring out how much of the stuff is actually in a tube of the topical medication, and I doubt it's much. While the typical adult oral dose is 25-50 mg, I've heard in some countries the legal dose is up to 200 mg.

Personally I use the Benadryl Itch Relief Stick. I brought one with me on my backpacking trip in 2007, and it didn't take much space in my bear canister. It also has zinc acetate, which is supposed to protect the area, especially if there's oozing. It's just a liquid with a spongy applicator.

http://www.benadryl.com/#/Adult_Products/Extra-Strength-Itch-Relief-Stick/

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Frank Furter
DEET comes in 100% strength but apparently is not needed as that can be effective in the 10-20% range.

My recollection is that research has shown that the lower concentration ranges scale (not necessarily linearly) as far as the time period that they remain effective (relative to the 100% stuff) until another application is needed.

http://www.amazon.com/SWP-MAXI-DEET-ODOR-SP719/product-reviews/B001ANQVXQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

i purchased this a couple of years ago, (95% Deet) but have never used it.. i guess it's suppose to be really good.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2009 03:27PM by forrestranger.

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forrestranger
http://www.amazon.com/SWP-MAXI-DEET-ODOR-SP719/product-reviews/B001ANQVXQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

i purchased this a couple of years ago, (95% Deet) but have never used it.. i guess it's suppose to be really good.

I purchased some 100% DEET (Jungle Juice) in 1979 for a trip to Alaska. Although it seemed to disolve some plastics and many paints, it still worked this summer in SeKi. Probably shouldn't keep it around that long, however. There are some combinations with sunblock that seem like a good idea.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter

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forrestranger
http://www.amazon.com/SWP-MAXI-DEET-ODOR-SP719/product-reviews/B001ANQVXQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

i purchased this a couple of years ago, (95% Deet) but have never used it.. i guess it's suppose to be really good.

I purchased some 100% DEET (Jungle Juice) in 1979 for a trip to Alaska. Although it seemed to disolve some plastics and many paints, it still worked this summer in SeKi. Probably shouldn't keep it around that long, however. There are some combinations with sunblock that seem like a good idea.

What I've heard about DEET is that it's extremely stable and that there really is no shelf life for it. If you've got it in some other preparation, then the other stuff might break down. 100% DEET should still be effective even after 30 years.

http://www.deetonline.org/faq.php#q20

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Q: How many years does a DEET repellent remain effective? What is the shelf life of DEET?

A: DEET is very stable and is effective indefinitely as a repellent. For this reason, the federal government doesn't require an expiration date on product labels. But manufacturers of repellents say that the feel, smell and appearance of their products may change after about three years. This does not reduce the DEET's ability to repel mosquitoes and ticks but may make the product less appealing to users.

thanks everyone! great info!

Buzz Off ! (...is a line of clothing Ex Officio makes you might want to look into)
You can Google it, or look at some online retailers who sell some of the line marked down, such as Sierra Trading Post.
You also can read reviews of Buzz Off clothing at Sierra Trading Post (and other sites) by people who have actually used it (I have not).
I looked at Sierra Trading Post, and I see some favorable reviews of it...

Listing of mosquito repellents, they should know in Mississippi:

http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/14,957,93.html

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

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Frank Furter
Listing of mosquito repellents, they should know in Mississippi:

http://www.msdh.state.ms.us/msdhsite/_static/14,957,93.html

From that site:

"Twenty years of testing of more than 20,000 other chemical compounds has not resulted in another product with the effectiveness and duration of protection of DEET."

Tight weave long pants and tight weave long sleeved shirt. No knits as they can go right through a knit. Spray some DEET into the palm of you hand, rub your hands together and spread that dose over any exposed skin. No bites. Be aware that DEET does not repel them, it only keeps them from biting. They may land on your skin but will leave very quickly. Inhalation is a bigger problem than biting.

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Old Dude

Good to know.
I noticed the ink on labels on the squeeze bottles had been dissolved by the DEET or whatever vehicle it was in. It seemed to make some plastic surfaces(like the hiking sticks) sticky, suggesting that it was dissolving them. Nevertheless, seemed to work well.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

On my recent trip I used the combination of Permathrin on my clothing and hat along with a liquid DEET product for exposed skin, both purchased at REI. While mosquitos were slightly annoying at Young Lakes I had a total of one bite on the wrist over a period of a week. Long pants and long sleeved shirts were the rule for skeeter month.

Jim

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mrcondron
Tight weave long pants and tight weave long sleeved shirt. No knits as they can go right through a knit. Spray some DEET into the palm of you hand, rub your hands together and spread that dose over any exposed skin. No bites. Be aware that DEET does not repel them, it only keeps them from biting. They may land on your skin but will leave very quickly. Inhalation is a bigger problem than biting.

One theory is that mosquitos and other biting insects locate their meal by detecting carbon dioxide. Some theories are that most insect repellents just disrupt that sensing mechanism. In that case they might just land on someone's arm and can't tell the difference between a blood meal and landing on a tree branch. The research on DEET seems to be really complicated, and the CO2 theory seems to be shot down, at least for DEET. Apparently some recent research suggests that DEET actually does repel insects because it's unplesant to them.

I remember Hartz had a flea/tick control spray that included DEET. I used it on my dog without any ill effects, but I heard they finally took it off the market after several pet deaths. I heard one of the problems may have been that the users sprayed way too much.

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mrcondron
Tight weave long pants

I know they go right through jeans.

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mrcondron
Tight weave long pants and tight weave long sleeved shirt. No knits as they can go right through a knit.

Ok, help me out here. I agree that a mesh laundry or shopping bag has little value, but isn't mosquito mesh essentially a knit cloth with larger pores than most fabrics??

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Frank,

They can't pass through it but they can bite through it if it is touching skin.

Jim

So do you want to look like the guy in the picture? I'm talking about the tight weave nylon pants that may or may not have the zip off legs. The weave is about as tight as ripstop nylon tent fabric.

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Old Dude

well, i found a place that sells pants that i wanted to buy, but their sizes only went up to a large, and my big fat behind is an XL. good golly, one more reason to lose the weight. lol