Re: Vitamin B1 as a mosquito deterrent

Poll

What have you had success with in deterring mosquitos?

This poll has expired. Voting is no longer possible.
18 votes were received.

Only Deet works.	16		89%
Vitamin B1 has worked for me.	2		11%

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Greetings trekers!!

Has anyone out there had any real success deterring mosquitos by loading up on vitamin B1? Heading into GCT next week and am willing to try anything short of spraying poison (DEET) all over my body. Also, there are a couple of products out there like wristbands and little devices you can wear on your hip that have a small fan in them. I know that there is no real magic solution. Although I did see a guy one time that wore a full body mosquito net under his clothes. All that showed was the head net. That is pretty extreme.

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bigpapa
Greetings trekers!!

Has anyone out there had any real success deterring mosquitos by loading up on vitamin B1? Heading into GCT next week and am willing to try anything short of spraying poison (DEET) all over my body. Also, there are a couple of products out there like wristbands and little devices you can wear on your hip that have a small fan in them. I know that there is no real magic solution. Although I did see a guy one time that wore a full body mosquito net under his clothes. All that showed was the head net. That is pretty extreme.

Wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, and a hat. Spray a small amount of DEET on one palm, rub your hands together and apply a light coat of DEET to your face, neck, and the back of your hands. That should be all that is necessary to keep from getting bit.
The fabric of the pants and shirt should be a tight weave. DEET does not repel them, it only keeps them from actually biting. There is no need to put it all over you body or to spray large amount of it on your skin either.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
Wear long pants

Last time I tried that they bit right through them.

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eeek

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mrcondron

Wear long pants

Last time I tried that they bit right through them.

Mosquitos or biting flies?

I never have had a problem with mosquitos biting through my thick Levi's bluejeans.

With pants made with thiner and lighter fabric, yes – mosquitos have bitten through those type of pants.

Solution: I now apply permethrin-based insect repellant on those lighter fabric pants before I head out to a mosquito infested area.

(Otherwise, I just wear my Insect Shield® treated pants. )

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plawrence
Mosquitos or biting flies?

I never have had a problem with mosquitos biting through my thick Levi's bluejeans.

That's exactly what I was wearing at the time and they were mosquitoes.

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eeek

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plawrence

Mosquitos or biting flies?

I never have had a problem with mosquitos biting through my thick Levi's bluejeans.

That's exactly what I was wearing at the time and they were mosquitoes.

I guess then the mosquitos like you more than they like me. Never had a problem with mosquitos biting through my Levi's bluejeans.

I've had better (better than deet) luck with this:

http://www.amazon.com/OFF-70318-Off-Clip-On-Starter/dp/B001H1JJHG

and this:

http://www.amazon.com/ThermaCELL-MR-G-Cordless-Repellent-Appliance/dp/B0031ESIVK

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Hitech

I've had better (better than deet) luck with this:

http://www.amazon.com/OFF-70318-Off-Clip-On-Starter/dp/B001H1JJHG

Glad to hear it worked for you. But Consumer Reports didn't have too much success with it in their tests of the product:

Consumer Reports: Testers are bugged by clip-on repellent

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plawrence

Glad to hear it worked for you. But Consumer Reports didn't have too much success with it in their tests of the product:

Consumer Reports: Testers are bugged by clip-on repellent

Odd. I had much better results than they did. However, it may be that the effectiveness is mainly because it drives the mosquito's away. In their test they introduced them next to the test subjects. That may have interfered with how it works, I tested it by turning it off and taking note of the mosquitoes. It took a minute or two before they showed up. It also took a minute or two to start working well.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2011 12:00PM by Hitech.

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Hitech

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plawrence

Glad to hear it worked for you. But Consumer Reports didn't have too much success with it in their tests of the product:

Consumer Reports: Testers are bugged by clip-on repellent

Odd. I had much better results than they did. However, it may be that the effectiveness is mainly because it drives the mosquito's away. In their test they introduced them next to the test subjects. That may have interfered with how it works, I tested it by turning it off and taking note of the mosquitoes. It took a minute or two before they showed up. It also took a minute or two to start working well.

The other problem I saw with Consumer Reports test methodology in regards to this device is that they removed the device from the enclosure between their test sessions ("Between sessions, we kept the devices running but stored them away from the testers and enclosures"), which I think would decrease the effectiveness of the device.

Still, I think even after reading the instructions from OFF!®'s website regarding this device, it appears that it works best when one is stationary and not moving around too much, like when one is lounging around one's campsite or backyard.

Vitamin B as Mosquito Repellent

There has been quite a bit of discussion about the role of Vitamin B in mosquito avoidance. Taking large quantities of vitamin B unfortunately does not decrease the number of mosquito bites you get. Such an apparently simple solution to mosquito avoidance is appealing, but careful scientific trials have failed to show any mosquito repelling effects as a result of taking oral vitamin B, including B1.

*There is some evidence that the use of B1 will make any bites feel less itchy, but it does not reduce the risk of diseases spread by biting mosquitoes.

I have read the Therma Cell does not work at higher elevations

Deet works but it is nasty stuff, i had some on my leg and it ate the plastic off of the inside of my car, it also stripped the color off of our table cloth at camp.

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ryanmj
Deet works but it is nasty stuff, i had some on my leg and it ate the plastic off of the inside of my car, it also stripped the color off of our table cloth at camp.

DEET is nasty on certain types of plastics (due to a chemical reaction with them) but has been found to be extremely safe on human skin when used as directed. But I wouldn't spray on DEET. It's hard with an aerosol application of DEET to apply it on your skin carefully. The aerosol mist tends to travel where you don't want it to go.

Instead, use DEET in a liquid or lotion form.

I'll also second Mike's (old dude) recommendation to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat. And better yet, a shirt and pants that has been treated with Permethrin insect repellent.

But DEET is safe (when used properly) and it's effective (unlike Vitamin B1). I wouldn't hesitate to use DEET when necessary.

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plawrence
I'll also second Mike's (old dude) recommendation to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat.

Yeah, less bites but you drown in your own sweat.

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eeek

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plawrence
I'll also second Mike's (old dude) recommendation to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat.

Yeah, less bites but you drown in your own sweat.

Meester Eeeek, by long pants The Old Dude means hike-on pants, not your PJs.
You want a hiking pant and shirt that is a tight weave. Then they won't get thru.
If you slow down and take breaks in the shade, you won't sweat out Twinkie filling...
there's lots o trees in Yosemite... take advantage of them.

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I take lots of vitamins (per doctor's advice) including B1 and they still get me almost every time (except this last time in Yosemite when I used 3M Ultrathon). It has 34.34% deet.

My husband purcahsed the OFF Clip-on fan. Looked like a big dork with the blue medalion on, but he swears it worked. It has 31.2% metofluthrin. I did sit and hike next to him a lot, so perhaps it helped me too

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chick-on

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eeek

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plawrence
I'll also second Mike's (old dude) recommendation to wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat.

Yeah, less bites but you drown in your own sweat.

Meester Eeeek, by long pants The Old Dude means hike-on pants, not your PJs.
You want a hiking pant and shirt that is a tight weave. Then they won't get thru.
If you slow down and take breaks in the shade, you won't sweat out Twinkie filling...
there's lots o trees in Yosemite... take advantage of them.

If I go any slower, I won't get from the car to the trailhead.

The Off clip-on is probably more effective when stationary. However, it has worked well enough for me while hiking. But that may have something to do with the speed at which I was traveling

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Hitech
The Off clip-on is probably more effective when stationary. However, it has worked well enough for me while hiking. But that may have something to do with the speed at which I was traveling

Normally mosquitoes have to be pretty thick to bother you while hiking.

General rule o thumb:
- Mosquitoes - bug da crapola outta you when u standing still
- Black Flies - bug da crapola outta you when u moving

(which is why we hate Black Flies way more than mosquitoes)

I have used the ThermaCell thingading.... and ended up chucking that baby into the gar-bage.

Deet deet deet

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chick-on

Normally mosquitoes have to be pretty thick to bother you while hiking.

General rule o thumb:
- Mosquitoes - bug da crapola outta you when u standing still
- Black Flies - bug da crapola outta you when u moving

(which is why we hate Black Flies way more than mosquitoes)

I have used the ThermaCell thingading.... and ended up chucking that baby into the gar-bage.

Deet deet deet

Have you (or someone you know) tried the new Picaridin-based insect repellants?

Since Picaridin supposedly doesn't damage plastics or synthetics, it could prove to be a good alternative to DEET if it's as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitos and other insects.

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bigpapa
Greetings trekers!!

Has anyone out there had any real success deterring mosquitos by loading up on vitamin B1? Heading into GCT next week and am willing to try anything short of spraying poison (DEET) all over my body.

If you want to avoid DEET, there is a relatively new alternative to DEET that has shown to be also effective in repelling mosquitos, Picaridin. Picaridin has been approved for sale in the U.S. since 2005. And unlike DEET, Picaridin doesn't damage plastics.

There's still debate whether Picaridin is as effective as DEET as an insect repellant, but numerous of studies have shown that it does work (unlike Vitamin B1).

So look for an insect repellant that uses Picaridin instead of DEET, like the following that are sold on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Picaridin-based insect repellants



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2011 03:51PM by plawrence.

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plawrence

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bigpapa
Greetings trekers!!

Has anyone out there had any real success deterring mosquitos by loading up on vitamin B1? Heading into GCT next week and am willing to try anything short of spraying poison (DEET) all over my body.

If you want to avoid DEET, there is a relatively new alternative to DEET that has shown to be also effective in repelling mosquitos, Picaridin. Picaridin has been approved for sale in the U.S. since 2005. And unlike DEET, Picaridin doesn't damage plastics.

There's still debate whether Picaridin is as effective as DEET as an insect repellant, but numerous of studies have shown that it does work (unlike Vitamin B1).

So look for an insect repellant that uses Picaridin instead of DEET, like the following that are sold on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Picaridin-based insect repellants

I got a Picaridin based repellent at Target for our last trip. It worked well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2011 06:56PM by hotrod4x5.

I have never used vitamin B1 for repellant so I can't comment on that. However, I take B complex and 400 mg B2 every morning for other reasons and since I started that, the mosquitoes tend to leave me alone. The only problem is that they are excreted in urine so after the B is eliminated from my body I will get attacked. It may work for me because of my personal body chemistry and how it interacts with the B or maybe it also has something to do with other things I take. I guess that I could have my family try it and see if it works for them.

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bigpapa

Greetings trekers!!

Has anyone out there had any real success deterring mosquitos by loading up on vitamin B1?

No. Double-blind studies have shown that Vitamin B1 is not effective as a mosquito repellant.

Here's a link to a short news article on the ABC News website from last year discussing a number of folk remedies and their effectiveness (Including Vitamin B) for repelling mosquitos: ABC News: Mosquito Mythbusting: Will the Real Repellents Please Stand Up?

(Oh, and bad news for beer drinkers. That article states that there are some studies that do show that drinking beer helps ATTRACT mosquitos.)

I'd be careful taking a ton of vitamins, they can do more harm, than good. I was never bothered by mosquitos until my Mammoth camping trip, of last year. If you wear anything clingy to the body, spray your clothes too. I was bit by these nasty things all the way through knit leggings, that I love to wear (instead of jeans). They bite through your clothes, I was amazed, I'd never been bothered by mosquitos, until then. I thought I was one of the lucky few, that doesn't get bothered by them, 'cause I usually am!?!?!

I found that Deet (Off Woods, I think) wasn't really helping either...helped some, but wasn't great.

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Red Lipstick
I'd be careful taking a ton of vitamins, they can do more harm, than good. I was never bothered by mosquitos until my Mammoth camping trip, of last year. If you wear anything clingy to the body, spray your clothes too. I was bit by these nasty things all the way through knit leggings, that I love to wear (instead of jeans). They bite through your clothes, I was amazed, I'd never been bothered by mosquitos, until then. I thought I was one of the lucky few, that doesn't get bothered by them, 'cause I usually am!?!?!

I found that Deet (Off Woods, I think) wasn't really helping either...helped some, but wasn't great.

I started taking the B complex and B2 because studies show that they help reduce migraines and my doctor suggested that I try it. I am only taking a regular amount of B complex and only 400 mg of the B2 which is not really high. I can say that for me it did help with the migraines and seems to stop me from getting bit at least for a period of time. Like I said it could also have something to do with my body chemistry and/ or one of the prescriptions that I take for a medical condition and not just the B's.

Unfortunately when I use Deet my skin blisters and peels off so I am always looking for something else to use. I have never tried Picaridin so I should give that a test.

The mosquitoes on the Cascade Canyon trail in the Tetons can drill right through jeans. Deet doesn't even seem to stop them.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16033124


"Vitamin B is often recommended in the popular media as a systemic repellent against mosquitoes. This information is especially prevalent on the Web. The results of a small number of published studies suggested that vitamin B complex supplements are not effective as repellents, but these studies were limited by the use of very few human subjects and only 1 species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti. We extended this work with the use of larger samples of human subjects and with Anopheles stephensi as the test organism. We tested whether ingestion of vitamin B supplements under various regimens affected the attractiveness of volatile skin components transferred to glass vials. Although there was substantial and consistent individual variation in attractiveness, we found no effect of vitamin B supplementation."
"

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

I'm not sure why anyone would use DEET or Vitamin B1 to fend off these amazing and beautiful little creatures