Mosquitioes bites

[danbo]

Has anyone any advice on:

a) repelling mosquitoes

I have been told to try taking a Vitamin B complex (or eating loads of marmite or vegemite).  Apparently, this creates an aroma which mosquitoes dislike - no idea if it works.

treating bites

An application of menthol immediately after receiving a mosquito bite works well - but only if "caught" early.

Ta

Dan.

[Wei]

get some insect repellent spray. try johnson wax .. its unscented so u don't go out smelling funny..  

[flackjacket]

Try Jaico, a roll on made in Belgium but can be bought many places in Thailand. Contains Deet. Have a scratch free day!!

[wolf5370]

Most Deet free mossi-repellents are mostly citrus juice (lemon/lime). So in theory you could make your own - mix it with moisturiser though so its not sticky

[Rinrada]

Malaria Facts and Medication

Bite prevention

Mosquitoes feed between dusk and dawn. The mosquitoes tend to respond to light in their feeding habits and are most active in low light hours after dusk and in the hours prior to dawn.

FEMAIL mosquitoes will take a BLOOD MEAL just before laying their eggs, which are laid at night. It is therefore important that repellents are used between dusk and dawn to prevent being bitten>>>more>>

http://www.travelhealth.co.uk/advice/malaria.htm

:cool:

[MaiChai]

Here is what I know:

Mosquitos don't like yellow light, smoke, or fast moving air.

To stop getting bitten at night when you sleep, position a fan to blow over you all night.

Try putting long sleaved shirt/trousers on in the evening, more difficult for the mosquitos to bite through.

If you are sitting around outside in the evening drinking and socialising, try burning some coconut husks; these make lots of smoke.

For some reason, mosquitos seem to be attracted to people who sweat alot; maybe its the moisture or something given off by sweating. This is typically a problem with people new to Thailand who are not used to a hot climate and who have not acclaimitised yet.

Sit crosslegged on a seat etc, mosquitos seem to love biting ankles/below the knee.

Mosquito nets are still very useful in this modern day and age, especially if mosquitos are able to get inside your house/bedroom.

Get rid of any standing water outside that mosquitos can breed in.  

Put mosquito meshing across any vents that are open at night, particularly those concrete blocks that are often built into bathrooms; this will stop the mosquitos coming in at night.

Regularly fumigate your rooms with insect repellant; we do it in the day, close all the windows in the room, spray all the dark corners, and leave the room for a couple of hours so that all the pests can die.

Learn how to sense when a mozzie is going to bite, and then kill it before it bites.

Finally, you get mosquitos in large number at certain times of the year, and the government pays for treating peoples homes with a smoky chemical that comes out of a noisy hand held machine. The whole of our village gets done several times a year; they come around each house and smoke out the whole house and any out houses.

[Nat]

I've heard that mosquitos are attracted to sweat. Have also read somewhere that a study was done where subjects put their feet in a tank full of mosquitos and that people with strong foot odour had the most bites! Moral of the story: always have clean feet  

On a serious note I find mosquito coils helpful and a good smearing of RID.

Nat x

[naja]

Many years ago I was told that body odour ,dark clothing and carbon dioxide were the main human attractants .Smelly feet ,smelly armpits,smelly crotches would all attract the mok-e-toe ,as the Thais call them .

Not all mosquitoes are active in the periods stated in the posts.It depends on the species,the temperature etc.Some species ,esp. those in rainforests and mangroves[mangals] are active during the day.

It is evident that MaiChai has had a great deal of experience in dealing with the biting beasts,and her advice should be followed.

So  ,to reiterate, if outdoors at night,have a fully-clothed clean body bathed in RID or citronella ,resting and smoking over a mosquito coil.

[Roger13]

Hi Everybody,

In my experience from living in Africa for many years.

Dawn & Dusk are the times of the

MALARIA Mozzies

I understand that Dengue Fever Mozzies

are active thoughout the day.

And Dengue Fever is I think a greater Danger

just now in Thailand.

I did meet some Expatriates in Africa who relied

on heavy doses of Vitamin B - especially when

going on a trip to the Bush.

I always thought that Mozzies were attracted

- at least Initially to the Carbon Dioxide that we

breath out - which can explain why they can be

seen in clouds circulating above OTHER peoples heads

- funny I can never manage to see those over

my head ...

I follow the routine of Spraying rooms heavily

- usually before going out and leaving the

House closed up for a couple of hours.

For night time protection I do not like the smoke

from Coils - I prefer the Electronic machine for

Mats and Liquid.

Mai Chai

I would really like to "Learn how to sense when

a mozzie is going to bite, and then kill it before it bites."

- I only ever know After it has Bitten - some lessons please ???

Roger

[Brian]

Sit crosslegged on a seat etc, mosquitos seem to love biting ankles/below the knee.

I find the only way to completely protect my ankles is to wear socks and shoes. they just love my ankles and feet.

But I find Jaico is the best roll on for outside. And that the electronic Raid Liquid is best for indoors.

BTW: I think I remember the RID cream being banned in Australia because some of the chemicals in it were not safe to wipe on humans.. This was a few years back, so maybe they changed the formula.. But then maybe they just sent all the supplies to a country with less stringent rules (like LOS)..

[Brian]

From Detroit Free Press

Consumer guide: Mosquito control

BACKYARD BATTLE LINES: A guide to keeping summer pests at bay

June 2, 2002

BY ALYSON WARD

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

Pardon us. We hate to ruin your picnic plans or interrupt your Sunday morning on the porch swing. But in case you hadn't noticed, it's mosquito season.

If you haven't been bitten yet, just wait.

Unless you're an entomologist, you probably want to ensure that you and mosquitoes stay in opposite corners of the yard. But now that the dangerous pesticide DDT is banned and those violent bug zappers are out of style, what's a mosquito hater to do?

Here are some tips for summer mosquito avoidance. We've talked to bug experts to find out how various methods work, and we've learned that there are eco-friendly elimination options.

Follow this guide and you won't have to wing it.

Choose your weapons

There are several options for getting rid of mosquitoes:

Mosquito-trapping machines: These are fairly new. They're a couple of feet tall, not much bigger than a bread box and expensive. (Most are $450-$1,400.)

Mosquitoes are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide, which is why we humans are so attractive to the insects. The machines emit a moist cloud of carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes gather around, thinking it's a food source, and they're vacuumed into the trap, where they dehydrate and die.

Harsh? Maybe a little. Effective? Absolutely. These devices can protect a fairly large area, your backyard, for instance.

The good news is that only biting insects (mosquitoes, black flies and so forth) have receptors that draw them to carbon dioxide. The beneficial beetles, moths and ladybugs aren't attracted to the trap.

Cheaper machines use electricity. Pricier ones run on propane.

A few brands to get you started: Mosquito Magnet, Lentek Mosquito Trap, Mega-Catch Mosquito Trap, Dragonfly Mosquito System.

Larvicide:

Avoid infestation by getting to the mosquito eggs before they hatch. Try some Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, also known as Bti or mosquito dunk. This is a bacterium that kills mosquito larvae. You can buy it in briquets (often doughnut-shaped), then toss it into standing water, where mosquitoes love to breed.

Remember: By "standing water," we don't mean a pond, necessarily.

"A turned-over flower pot that has a minuscule amount of water in the corner is enough to breed thousands of mosquitoes," says Dotty Woodson of the Texas Agricultural Extension office.

Look for brand names like Aquabac, Bactimos and VectoBac. The best news about Bti: It kills only mosquito larvae. For pets and humans, it's harmless.

DEET repellent: Sometimes your best option is to keep the mosquitoes off you. And here's the stuff to do it: DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient you'll find in repellents such as Off! and Cutter products.

"There's no doubt about it; that stuff does work," says Susan Maggy, who's in charge of public education for the American Mosquito Control Association.

In the past, people have fretted about whether the chemical is a health hazard, but in 1998 the Environmental Protection Agency declared DEET safe for all ages, as long as people follow instructions for use.

Citronella: Citronella oil is the trendiest mosquito repellent on the market these days. At any store, you'll find all varieties of citronella candles, citronella incense, citronella wristbands.

"Citronella can be a very effective repellent," says Dr. Mark Lacey, director of technical and field services for the National Pest Management Association.

The only problem is, you have to stay close to the candle to feel any benefit. So for a backyard party, you'd need to have citronella burning all over the yard.

"If you have citronella candles sitting all around your deck and you are 50 feet away playing horseshoes, those citronella candles aren't going to do any good," Lacey says.

If everyone's huddled around a picnic table, a candle or two would probably do the trick.

If there's much of a breeze, forget about citronella. The mosquito-repelling smoke will be gone with the wind.

Exclusion: This seems basic, but try putting up barriers so mosquitoes can't get to you. Close the screen door. If you have a deck, consider putting up screens. The more barriers you put up, the less likely you are to encounter mosquitoes. Protect the area where you're most likely to hang out.

Citrosa plant: Some people say the citrosa plant will repel mosquitoes because it's genetically engineered to contain citronella oil. It doesn't work, at least not enough to make a difference. When the citrosa plant was tested, mosquitoes landed freely on the plant's leaves. Apparently, you can get mosquito relief from a citrosa plant if you crush it up and rub it on your body. But this doesn't seem worth the effort.

Bug zappers: At their peak in the 1980s, the violent zappers, which attract bugs with ultraviolet light then electrocute them with a loud pop, are a bit passe. And it's just as well: "Bug zappers don't attract mosquitoes," Lacey says.

Research has shown that these zappers kill mostly moths, beetles and beneficial insects. Mosquitoes make up only a small percentage of electrocution victims.

Bats: Bats eat mosquitoes, and many people believe a bat house or roost in the backyard is the solution to mosquito elimination.

That's not exactly true, Lacey says. Bats eat more moths and beetles than anything else. Mosquitoes are only a small part of a bat's natural diet, and although inviting bats to live in your yard isn't a bad idea, it won't get rid of your mosquito problem completely

[danbo]

Thanks for the replies everyone - I'm off to mosquito country (Isaan) in a couple of days - I'll give them (anything!) a try.

I have found clothing an effective barrier in the past, but it only needs an hour's lapse from vigilance and the little (surprising how little) buggers strike.  

My problem is that I react badly to the bites - red welts, itching (a bite on the bottom of the foot - sheer bloody torture).  I may attract more bites due to my "farang aroma", i.e. sweat, but Thais must be bitten as well, and they do not seem to suffer the same effects.  Is it possible to build up a tolerance ?  

Also, how high can mosquitoes fly ?  I'm on the 10th floor in BKK and they still get to me.

Ta

Dan.

[Nat]

Positive that RID hasn't been banned in oz as you can still buy it any chemist and supermarket - so they must have changed the ingredients. However, I find that when I do put it on my face it sometimes stings - guess that's not a good thing!  

[Thetyim]

I used to have a #### of a time with mozzy bites when I first came here but now the buggers don't bother me at all.

So Yes you do build up a tolerance.

Took me several months thou.

[Rinrada]

Gin Tonic with lots of ice.

Best way to get rid of Mozzies (and always works)

First of all go into the bar after dark on a hot sweaty night and order a large Gin and Tonic with ice and lemon(must be a large 1)and wait for the little buggers to arrive.

If they dont latch on immediately order another(but no ATM cards please) large G&T consume and wait.

Repeat operation again and again until eventually the  little bloodsucker is about to make contact (listen for the unique sound)

and then chuck the empty glass at it -always works.

[Pinkster]

good eveninginig

i try to bite little mosquittoo back. i chase and attempt bite back. this way they leave alone. mosquittoo not like human bite.  

[MaiChai]

I forgot to mention that my father died of malaria in Africa when I was 7. I'm over it now, as it was a long time ago.

[Roger13]

Learn how to sense when a mozzie is going to bite, and then kill it before it bites

Hi Mai Chai,

Can you give some lessons please?

Roger

[MaiChai]

Well you will find that Thais listen out for the little pests, or are sensitive enough to feel the wind from their wings or can feel the insect landing on the skin or trying to pierce the skin. If you think you are just about to be bitten, slap yourself in the area, if there is no mossie, then no harm done, if there is, then you probably killed the pest before it was able to draw blood. The same can be achieved by sliding your hand over any skin you think is just about to be attacked; it may just be a drop of sweat, which has the same feeling.

Another tip is to create some moving air around any exposed skin such as your legs. Swinging a shirt or piece of cloth around does the trick here, or point an electric fan at your legs/feet. Sitting cross legged above ground has the added benefit that you can see your legs, so if you see one land, you can swat it.

Sometimes, the mozzies are really small and difficult to see, especially in falling light.

Something I found unusual that took some getting used to was Thais slapping me. They would slap you, and you would think "Why did he hit me?". Then you would realise that they had spotted a mossie landing on you and were trying to kill it!

A thing I have found difficult is when driving; if you are being bitten on the foot of the leg thats operating the aceelerator peddle, its difficult to do anything about it!

Gosh, hope all this doesn't sound too trivial!

[naja]

Nat,you should not put any insect repellent on your face.DEET-most popular repellents contain it-could enter your system via the mucous membranes.

Brian-'BUSHMAN' insect repellent is available in oz.Powerful and effective.Every time I go to Thailand I take a few tubes with me.

I've noticed that asians[filipino ,vietnamese and chinese],particularly women react most serverely to mozzie bites.Or is because the welts become discoloured and are thus more prominent?

When I was a young student , I was paid by a research organization to sit out in the bush from late afternoon until early evening and catch all the mozzies that were going to bite ,or had bitten, me.Reasonable money and easy work except there was the remote possibility of contracting murray valley encephalities.No worries.

Since living in the tropics,and doing a lot of field work ,i've already managed to pickup ross river fever,but not dengue fever,thank you very much.But then most people in the tropicswho work out in the bush would have at least one mozzie-borne viral disease in their system.

[wolf5370]

Its wierd. If we go out unDEETed - me (falang), my wife (Thai), my son (falang) and my two daughters (falang-noi) - My wife will not be bitten (she's only been bitten twice in the 5 years we've been married!), I will get bitten a couple of times, my daughters as their mum will be unscathed, and my poor son will be bitten to pieces.

He is 14, wirey and hardly sweats at all. I am Michalin man and sweat a fair amount in summer (but not perfusely), my wife does not sweat ever. We all take umpteen showers a day during summer - i.e. everytime we come in after walking somewhere. Basically, we are not a sweaty family, and wash several times a day in mossie season. Why do they pick on my son and not me?

Maybe it is because I do not eat meat - the rest of them do. Maybe they can smell the difference in myblood chemistry or something? ???

[note: he is also pecked by birds, bitten by dogs and was attacked by a monkey once too!]

[Nat]

Hi naja

Thanks for the advice, but now I'm petrified as been doing this all my life! Any other areas where it shouldn't be applied? (keep the response clean   )

Nat

[naja]

Nat,methinks i cried wolf, or whatever.

i have not heard of anybody dying from applying deet to the face-i use to put small amounts on my cheeks myself.However, doctors warn mothers,at least here in northern australia,that they should not put too much on their young kids. i've yet to find out if

this medical advice is given because kids will touch their arms and legs and then put their fingers in their mouths or is it given for some other reason. can deet move through the skin?

perhaps the best course of action-use deet sparingly.

[naja]

What determines a person's attractiveness to mosquitoes has puzzled medical entomologists for decades- no one knows.

there are a few web sites that mention current research on this problem-sorry, i didn't note them.

[Thetyim]

In todays issue of Bangkok Post (Friday)

"  Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation."

[pschef]

In todays issue of Bangkok Post (Friday)

"  Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation."

I think the creams are for prventing the bites, new one on me banana skin for treating a bite. Must try it, if there is just one mossie it will find me. I must admit now after 10 years not so much, plenty of very good repelants available in Thailand. ???

I will post a list later, my brain not working too well just now

[MrSam]

I don't know, but I've been paranoid of mossies since I got dangue fever back in February. Much to my surprise (and the doctor's), I got it here in BKK, and a week after I got out of the hospital, my mother in law got it. Not a fun little fever those bastards spread, but I'm still here. Can't give much advice on how to repel the suckers though. I don't usually get bitten by them.

[pschef]

I don't know, but I've been paranoid of mossies since I got dangue fever back in February. Much to my surprise (and the doctor's), I got it here in BKK, and a week after I got out of the hospital, my mother in law got it. Not a fun little fever those bastards spread, but I'm still here. Can't give much advice on how to repel the suckers though. I don't usually get bitten by them.

Thats not only from bites, if you live in an area you can get it by contact. Just dont kiss your mum to often, just joking. But its a very contagious thing, a bit like a cold. Take care mate ??? Bye the way the ones that give you that are almost invisible, and you dont feel the bite. Sorry :cool:

[ahddub]

Any thoughts about the mosquito coils versus Citronella candles/torches?  Are citronella products available in Thailand?

[wolf5370]

Don't know about the Citronella candles/torches, but the coils work great. When I first came to Thailand, I brought with me some of those plugin mossie pads - they are basically a plug with a heater attached that warms a pad soaked in Citronella. Don't know how well they protected the plug socket, but they did didley to protect the rest of the room!