Insect Bites in Phuket?

[CGW]

After 41 years in SEA, over 30 spent in Thailand there is little that hasnt bitten me - they either like you or they don't, if you have type O blood they will like you, I have type O ???? 

I never wear anything to prevent bites as most of the crap on the market either doesnt work or is more harmful than getting bitten, avoiding going out at sunrise and sunset helps & keeping house clean, doors closed, that way you don't have to spray noxious poisons in your house.

If I do get bitten "Zambuk" works for me, Systal cream which is an anti-histamine sometimes works also.

I do keep Anti-histamine tablets in the house, once or twice a year I have to take when something new has discovered me! 

Keeps the imune system working ???? 

 

Zambuk - Thai.......

[dode57k]

So many old wives tales around treatment/deterrent for mossies...The only sure way to protect yourself is DEET.  If you are bitten then use hydrocortisone cream in conjunction with anti histamine tablets. Those who say citronella, garlic, skin so soft etc work don't have a big problem with bites anyway. There have been many tests done to prove this.

[yogi100]

3 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Mosquito saliva contains an anti-coagulant. There are more links I can post if you still think I'm wrong.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4028456/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8699461

https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0006439

No, it makes sound sense what you say. They'd have quite a job sucking blood clots up that long little nose of theirs.

[LosLobo]

1 hour ago, dode57k said:

So many old wives tales around treatment/deterrent for mossies...The only sure way to protect yourself is DEET.  If you are bitten then use hydrocortisone cream in conjunction with anti histamine tablets. Those who say citronella, garlic, skin so soft etc work don't have a big problem with bites anyway. There have been many tests done to prove this.

Old wives tales indeed!

 

Here is one, inter alia, "The only sure way to protect yourself is DEET"

 

Actually the CDC recommends another five repellents:

Picaridin

IR3535

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)

Para-menthane-diol (PMD)

2-undecanone

 

https://www.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/index.html

 

I have successfully used two of the above.

 

Actually agree with you about citronella and garlic but Skin So Soft (Bug Guard Plus Expedition) contains IR3535 and is approved by CDC ????

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

20 hours ago, Psimbo said:

Eat some raw garlic every day- it will disperse through your pores and they don't like it. i eat tons of it and hardly ever get bitten.

 

Also wear long sleeved/long leg loose fitting clothing around sundown. (Planters Dress as it is commonly referred to (and for good reason).

Make sure your GF eats garlic too. Just saying.....

[Lacessit]

Get a female companion who attracts mosquitoes. If there is a mosquito in the room, they go for my GF every time. She has what the Thais call "sweet blood".

[Tongjaw]

Spray your room before you go out at night. If there is a gap at the bottom of your door place a mat down spray that too. For your legs try a spray called OFF, I buy mine in Big C but think Tesco sells it too. It’s in an orange can and it works for me. 

[IslandLover]

14 hours ago, stevenl said:

I never had any sand flies issues here, sounds much more like bed bugs to me.

Not everyone is affected by sandflies.  I'm particularly allergic to their bites.  Other people never seem to get bitten (lucky them).  I've travelled the world and encountered them on many tropical beaches in various countries.  The fact that the original poster claims he/she was bitten on the legs sounds like sandflies to me.

[IslandLover]

21 hours ago, tifino said:

another way to relieve yourself from having to itch:

 

 - any numbing creams, such as Numit, Oraleze, Toothache Drops, even Sensodyne Rapid

- are all better than nothing in case you don't want to smell of Tiger Balm...

 

 

even E.D. PE creams can now have a legitimate excuse for being found on you, by the wife  

 

(all the above are different versions of benzocaine/lignocaine etc etc stuff) 

 

I found Golden Cup Balm far more effective in stopping the itching from insect bites than Tiger Balm.

 

https://www.goldencup.co.th/

[CGW]

2 hours ago, Tongjaw said:

Spray your room before you go out at night. If there is a gap at the bottom of your door place a mat down spray that too. For your legs try a spray called OFF, I buy mine in Big C but think Tesco sells it too. It’s in an orange can and it works for me. 

You like your "pesticides" I would rather take my chances and get bitten than spray the house and my body with them, I used to use OFF many years ago until I left a can in the car which leaked on the dashboard and melted the plastic, what's it doing to your skin body? may be worth reading up on the negatives? if your happy using it - up to you..................

[Tongjaw]

40 minutes ago, CGW said:

You like your "pesticides" I would rather take my chances and get bitten than spray the house and my body with them, I used to use OFF many years ago until I left a can in the car which leaked on the dashboard and melted the plastic, what's it doing to your skin body? may be worth reading up on the negatives? if your happy using it - up to you..................

Your concerned about spray on your legs but you leave aerosol cans on your dashboard in a hot country? 

Anyway thank you for your concern. I enjoy going out at sunrise and sunset and leaving my windows and doors open for fresh air. 

 

[emptypockets]

On 4/8/2019 at 5:19 AM, Joe Mcseismic said:

Actually, mosquito saliva does the complete opposite to what you claim. It is an anti-coagulant, it stops blood coagulating so that they can feed. Mosquitoes can't suck up clotted blood.

And sand flies don't bite as such.  What they do is 'spit'a strongly caustic liquid onto the skin that dissolves it so they can 'drink'.  By the time you feel the effects they are long gone. I hate them with a passion. About the only thing you can do is keep the air around you moving by using a fan as they are tiny and the breeze might keep them at bay. I've still got scars on my arms from 30 years ago after a few ' bites ' became infected. 

[Nurseynutcase]

From personal experience - anything that bites just loves me - I take an antihistamine daily and use avon skin so soft.  If I do get bitten I use the green tiger balm.

 

with regards to an earlier poster with the light bulb thingy there is now available on the market something called 'bite-away'.  Basically it heats the bite up to 54C and the itching stops immediately.  It is available on Amazon.  Not tried it myself but a friend of mine swears by it.  It is cheap and works on batteries.

 

Also if you do have mossies in room you could try turning the A/C down to 16C for half an hour - this makes it too cold for the mossies to live and then they die!!!!

 

 

[emptypockets]

21 hours ago, madmitch said:

If you've been swimming in the sea it could be caused by sea lice. Very common on certain beaches, especially Karon.

Except sea lice don't exist.  I,  or rather my daughter learned that first hand.  So called sea lice are actually broken off stingers but still active,  parts of jellyfish. At least that's what the doctor told us as he treated the daughter for an irukanji sting.  Treated is probably the wrong term as it was life support consisting of a space blanket and massive doses of Valium as a pain killer in until the effects of the venom passed. 

I don't expect anyone not having livedl in tropical northern Australia to have a clue what I'm talking about. 

[emptypockets]

21 hours ago, madmitch said:

If you've been swimming in the sea it could be caused by sea lice. Very common on certain beaches, especially Karon.

There are sand flies in Isaan.  They don't need a beach to live. 

[stevenl]

11 hours ago, IslandLover said:

Not everyone is affected by sandflies.  I'm particularly allergic to their bites.  Other people never seem to get bitten (lucky them).  I've travelled the world and encountered them on many tropical beaches in various countries.  The fact that the original poster claims he/she was bitten on the legs sounds like sandflies to me.

Look at other posts from Phuket people.

 

No sandflies here.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

Except sea lice don't exist.  I,  or rather my daughter learned that first hand.  So called sea lice are actually broken off stingers but still active,  parts of jellyfish. At least that's what the doctor told us as he treated the daughter for an irukanji sting.  Treated is probably the wrong term as it was life support consisting of a space blanket and massive doses of Valium as a pain killer in until the effects of the venom passed. 

I don't expect anyone not having livedl in tropical northern Australia to have a clue what I'm talking about. 

So sealice don't exist, and then you explain what sealice are.

 

Your explanation is correct, they do exist.

[IslandLover]

10 hours ago, stevenl said:

Look at other posts from Phuket people.

 

No sandflies here.

In your opinion.  And I repeat, not everybody is bothered by sandflies.  You, and those saying there aren't any sandflies on Phuket, obviously aren't.

[IslandLover]

12 hours ago, emptypockets said:

And sand flies don't bite as such.  What they do is 'spit'a strongly caustic liquid onto the skin that dissolves it so they can 'drink'.  By the time you feel the effects they are long gone. I hate them with a passion. About the only thing you can do is keep the air around you moving by using a fan as they are tiny and the breeze might keep them at bay. I've still got scars on my arms from 30 years ago after a few ' bites ' became infected. 

Me too

[stevenl]

14 minutes ago, IslandLover said:

In your opinion.  And I repeat, not everybody is bothered by sandflies.  You, and those saying there aren't any sandflies on Phuket, obviously aren't.

No, not in my opinion.

 

They're not here. Fact, not opinion.

[IslandLover]

11 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Except sea lice don't exist.  I,  or rather my daughter learned that first hand.  So called sea lice are actually broken off stingers but still active,  parts of jellyfish. At least that's what the doctor told us as he treated the daughter for an irukanji sting.  Treated is probably the wrong term as it was life support consisting of a space blanket and massive doses of Valium as a pain killer in until the effects of the venom passed. 

I don't expect anyone not having livedl in tropical northern Australia to have a clue what I'm talking about. 

You are correct that what is termed as "sea lice" are actually bits of jellyfish which are invisible to the naked eye.  The stings are felt instantly and are very painful.  They generally cause a rash, but not enormous lumps like sandfly bites.  The sea around Koh Lanta is full of them but I don't remember them much on Phuket.

[IslandLover]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

No, not in my opinion.

 

They're not here. Fact, not opinion.

Would that be alternative facts? ????

[faraday]

Didn't know that about Sea Lice, so looked it up.

 

 

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/sea-lice

[IslandLover]

44 minutes ago, faraday said:

Didn't know that about Sea Lice, so looked it up.

 

 

https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/sea-lice

Yes, that's correct.  They are jellyfish larvae, not bits of jellyfish.

[dode57k]

On 4/8/2019 at 11:53 AM, LosLobo said:

Old wives tales indeed!

 

Here is one, inter alia, "The only sure way to protect yourself is DEET"

 

Actually the CDC recommends another five repellents:

Picaridin

IR3535

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)

Para-menthane-diol (PMD)

2-undecanone

 

https://www.cdc.gov/features/stopmosquitoes/index.html

 

I have successfully used two of the above.

 

Actually agree with you about citronella and garlic but Skin So Soft (Bug Guard Plus Expedition) contains IR3535 and is approved by CDC ????

 

 

Yes I'm aware of the recommendations but my point was about what works for EVERYONE. Skin so soft may indeed contain IR3535 but for the many people who have used it and it has proved to be ineffective these recommendations mean nothing. I'll expand on what I said earlier..there are many deterrents on the market which work for some people. However for those of us who are bitten regularly and have reactions to every bite (swelling, fever, pain etc) it's been shown in many tests that Deet should be the weapon of choice. For myself I've discovered that Picaridin comes a close second and it's a cleaner application