Do Mosquitos Still Bother You?

[Erawan]

I've been here for about 5 months now and still they come for me! I've tried mosquito repellant - hah! Fat lot of good that did. So I've resorted to largely covering myself up to help avoid being bitten.

For those who say/think it's about 'smelling Thai', I've been eating a Thai diet, day-in, day-out, since I got here, but it's made no difference.

Ideally, I would be happy if mosquitos were wiped from the face of the planet, although I can't see it happening. It's not just the itching/pain of bites but the unsightly marks they leave, both when just bitten and afterwards. Is this something you just get used to and/or your body adapts to? 'Cos I'm still waiting!

Do you expats still suffer from mosquito bites? I'm just wondering how everyone else is faring...

[tuky]

Not sure why Erawan, but my wifes two little nieces visited us recently from Japan and they stayed at our house.

They got eaten alive and looked like a leopard with so many big red spots. However my wife, myself and our little dughter didn't even notice them.

Not sure why some are affected while others aren't, but take me to Australia and I get eaten alive. Even though i am an aussie myself.

[meom]

Except for the one mosquito that gave me dengue fever a couple of years ago I'm not bothered by them. I get bitten sure but it doesn't itch and doesn't give any major disfigurements, just a small spot that disappears within a day or two.

Used to help the gf who ran a shop in the market for a while. Lots of mosquitos at night so after a while you get used to it I suppose.

[doctormann]

I've been here for about 5 months now and still they come for me! I've tried mosquito repellant - hah! Fat lot of good that did. So I've resorted to largely covering myself up to help avoid being bitten.

For those who say/think it's about 'smelling Thai', I've been eating a Thai diet, day-in, day-out, since I got here, but it's made no difference.

Ideally, I would be happy if mosquitos were wiped from the face of the planet, although I can't see it happening. It's not just the itching/pain of bites but the unsightly marks they leave, both when just bitten and afterwards. Is this something you just get used to and/or your body adapts to? 'Cos I'm still waiting!

Do you expats still suffer from mosquito bites? I'm just wondering how everyone else is faring...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Someone advised me to stop drinking beer and drink Sprite instead. This is supposed to give you a lemon odour that the mossies don't like - similar to rubbing yourself all over with a lemon, I suppose. Doesn't work for me though and neither do any of the proprietary repellents. I think that it's down to the individual, as we all have different odours.

I think that eating predominantly Thai food does help as I have had less trouble lately (been in Pattaya 6 months). I find that I can go for 2 - 3 weeks without getting a single bite but then, for no apparent reason, I'll get half a dozen in one day. Most are just itchy but the occasional one gets infected and takes a long time to heal.

I also find that the up-country mossies like me a lot more than the urban variety. Whenever we visit my GF's family, out in the sticks, I find that it's open season on me for the local pests. I can only stand 2 - 3 days of it then I have to get back to the city. Could be that there are just a lot more of the little b*ggers in the countryside, of course.

I've also been told that mossies prefer European blood, as it's a different group to that of most Asians. Just how the little s*ds know this without taking a sample first escapes me - unless it ties in with the odour thing.

Anyway, it's no problem. Just follow the advice of the WHO and, 'avoid getting bitten'. Ha bloody ha! Just hope that none of those that feed off me carry dengue or malaria!

DM (feeling itchy)

[HarryHacker]

Mozies don’t worry me BUT those &lt;deleted&gt; red ants are my enemy. When one of them gets you, maybe as many as 6 bites from one ant.

Hate them....just thinking about them makes me

[bigalsouth]

I hate them but they love me - the wife says it is something to do with my blood being sweet. Whatever. I've been chewed wherever I've found mossies and it can make life very uncomfortable. Last year I found 'Ben's', 100% DEET spray, stings when you put it on and don't inhale (poison) but very effective for a few hours. I think it is an Aussie brand.

[Phil Clark]

I've been here for about 5 months now and still they come for me! I've tried mosquito repellant - hah! Fat lot of good that did. So I've resorted to largely covering myself up to help avoid being bitten.

For those who say/think it's about 'smelling Thai', I've been eating a Thai diet, day-in, day-out, since I got here, but it's made no difference.

Ideally, I would be happy if mosquitos were wiped from the face of the planet, although I can't see it happening. It's not just the itching/pain of bites but the unsightly marks they leave, both when just bitten and afterwards. Is this something you just get used to and/or your body adapts to? 'Cos I'm still waiting!

Do you expats still suffer from mosquito bites? I'm just wondering how everyone else is faring...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try losing some weight and then switch to Kloster Beer!

Joking apart, I do believe that being heavy on the garlic in your diet helps, although you may put off more than mosquitoes.

[paulfr]

Yeah they devour my Italian blood. I am itching my legs all the time and have several permanent grey scars where the healing was infected. So I have badges on my body to show for my first year in LOS.

I recently bought screen doors for the sliding glass doors so we can have crosswind air but the mossies cannot get in. It has helped alot. Also I think the Johnson's Baby lotion my teerak applies to my legs in the morning and at night have helped too. But I still scratch a bit. DEET works somewhat when I am upcountry visiting family.

It is just one of those annoyances you have to fight if you want to live here I guess.

Edited April 7, 2005 by paulfr

[DJ Pat]

First month back they bothered me ( I went to London for Xmas) then after re-establishing my diet of lots of raw onions, garlic and shit-hot food they leave me alone.

[wolf359]

when I first arrived I got bitten to death, now I've been here a few months and got a tan no problem! my wife is the same. So is it down to skin colour?

[wolf359]

just remembered, buy yourself on of those electric bats not very expensive but great fun!!!

[donna]

Apparently eating Vegemite helps as it is high in Vitamin B which repels the mozzies. I don't know if that's true or not, but it sure is a good excuse for eating Veg.

[TizMe]

I eat lots of vegemite but the little buggers still eat me. Electric bats are good, but I find that always sitting with the fan blasting at my feet and ankles the best way of reducing bites.

[Gumballl]

I'm no expert when it comes to mosquitos, but the ###### pricks sure do love me. I think that mosquitos "see" on the infrared spectrum, and when they see a heat source, they usually go for it. This means that the blood circulating thru your veins makes a nice target for mosquitos. They may also be attracted to CO2 (carbon dioxide). Heavy breathing (which usually occurs after consuming lots of alcohol), means more CO2 being exhaled, and a sign for the critters to find you.

If you want to avoid mosquitos, here are some tips:

1. Empty all containers, pots, etc that may have standing water in them. I call these "mosquito hotels". They seem to be everywhere in Thailand!

2. Avoid using heavy amounts of cologne/perfume, and in general, smelling too sweet.

3. Avoid alcohol. (hey, I did not say this would be easy!)

4. Install a yellow light (also called a bug light), in lieu of a white light.

5. Burn incense, or other burning mosquito repellant.

6. If possible, setup a fan to blow directly in your direction.

7. Try to avoid thinking about mosquitos. If you worry too much about them, your blood pressure may rise, and that leads to more warm, juicy blood flowing thru your veins.

P.S. Dress up all you want. Some mosquitos can drill right thru some clothing, like socks, t-shirts, and even underwear!

[Ajarn]

These work great....

[bkk_mike]

Standard rules for avoiding getting bitten...

Don't go outside in the evening, especially twilight and just after where the mosquitoes seem to be particularly active. (exception for coastal areas - like Pattaya/Phuket/Samui - wind comes off the sea in the evening, and no mosquitoes out there, so coastal areas in general have a lot fewer mosquitoes than further inland).

If you do go outside in the evening, cover up. Denser material does seem to help - I have been bitten through a T-shirt before now, but never through a pair of jeans.

If you have pools of water, fountains, ponds, etc. in your garden, make sure there's fish in them to eat the mosquito larvae.

Have screens on windows and doors - and keep the doors and screens shut in the evening. (Easier if you have aircon obviously). Keep the interior doors closed also, and use bug spray in rooms occasionally as and when insects do get in.

As far as ants are concerned - never leave food out, clean dishes as soon as you finish eating, and put the rubbish outside. (My wife had big issues with rules in London on keeping rubbish inside the house until the collection date - because it's ingrained into Thais to throw it out asap so that the ants don't invade). And if you eat something that leaves crumbs you clean them up that night, not the next morning.

[siamesekitty]

I'm always getting bitten, I must smell sweet or something!

Seriously, I'm Thai but was raised abroad, I'm always making a fuss about the mosquitoes while my friends and family don't seem to have any problem! Maybe you build up some sort of immunity after a while?

[TizMe]

These work great....

I've got one of those but I don't think it does any good. All it does is attract more mozzies.

[RamdomChances]

My theory is that they bite everyone is't just some people react more to it than others.

I used to react badly when I first came here, had to take anit-histamine every day. Gradually though I've gotten used to them and now I just get mild itching and a lump for only about half hour usually. I also recon that there are loads of different mossies as if I travell over to my mates in Chinat (about half hour) I get eaten alive, they even bite through trousers/shirts there. we've even been to parties there and had to come home as even my wife and mother-in-law get affected by them

Edited April 8, 2005 by RamdomChances

[Neeranam]

My theory is that they bite everyone is't just some people react more to it than others.

This is, off course, what I think too.

I don't get bothered by them unless one is trapped in the bedroom at night.

There is a very good cream call 'plaitenoid' made from the Thai herb Plai.

After a bite, this stuff gets rid of the itch in a minute - wonderful stuff!

[ThaiPauly]

Yes I hate the littleF###ers. But they LOVE me. I have one of those gadgets that Ajarn pictured, put in the bedroom at night but it has limited success, I got bitten 10 times on Wednesday night.

I use candles and rings, spray, garlic tablets, thai food.

Unfortunatley right behind te wall in the farm behind my house is a stagnent pool. Need I say more.

What I want to know is What purpose they serve other than to annoy mankind?

I Hate Cockroaches too but I have never been physically hurt by one.

So can someone answer WHAT PURPOSE DO THEY SERVE, apart from being part of insects or other animals food chain? Perhaps that is the answer!

But I would love to know anybody elses thoughts on the matter

[CMguy]

My theory is that they bite everyone is't just some people react more to it than others.

Not true.

Mosquitos pick out their prey with their keen sense of smell, also they are adept at picking out individual prey from their scent, we all smell different and mossies have their preferences.

I have a love hate relationship with them... They love me and I hate them .

somes of ways to avoid them are listed in previous post, but I will add a couple of important ones.

Hygeine is very important ! stay clean, pay particular attention to the feet. Mossies are particularly drawn to the smell of feet I know its hard to stay clean in a hot climate when you sweat all the time, but try. Here is an interesting Link

Isn't funny that only the female mossies will suck you dry.

Wear light color clothing. They don't hunt by sight but they like to hide near dark surfaces...if they hide near your clothing they will often find you a very convienient meal.

I also wonder what useful purpose they serve on this planet, anybody know?

[Neeranam]

Hygeine is very important ! stay clean, pay particular attention to the feet. Mossies are particularly drawn to the smell of feet  I know its hard to stay clean in a hot climate when you sweat all the time, but try. Here is an interesting Link

I always thought that mossies like the smell of soap.

That's what the locals in several countries told me.

[Ajarn]

These work great....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've got one of those but I don't think it does any good. All it does is attract more mozzies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Attraction = death

I've been using them for a few years, and my experience is that they work great. Clears my house of any mozzies within a couple of hours. Never tried them outside, though, and maybe that's what you're referring to? That might make more sense that their effectiveness might be diminished when there are millions of replacement mozzies around. In the house, once you've shut the doors and assuming decent bug screens with no holes, you will become mozzie-free in short order, in my experience.

[ThaiPauly]

Ajarn, how many of those things do you have in your home? Do You hang it up or leave on the floor?

[joinme2leave]

YES, they still bother me but NO, not a single bite (!!!) within the past 2 months (whereas hundreds of bites the first 3 months of my stay).

[Ajarn]

Ajarn, how many of those things do you have in your home? Do You hang it up or leave on the floor?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've got two. One in the main living area, one in my office (extra bedroom). They are both on the floor.

During the day (mostly early morn), when the doors are open, the mozzies come in to hide until it gets dark.

The 'pop' 'pop' of the mozzies getting zapped is such a sweet sound

[Lourens]

I've found the miracle cure! It's called citronella balm and I bought it at a beauty shop in town. It contains an oil that comes from lemongrass and repels those mozzies like magic. I have seen citronella candels and all kinds of other citronella products in South Africa and have been looking for these in Thailand for a long time until I found this balm. It was a happy day. No more bites at all.

I have a stagnant pond next to my house and went out there one early evening to see what the mozzie situation is. Nothing! The pond contains frogs and fish and I suppose they eat the larvae.

My next project is to plant lemongrass as this also seems to keep insects at bay.

By the way: Citronella Balm is also a dog and cat repellant. I applied a little smear of it on the front steps of our house where the dog sleeps against the screen door and he hasn't been back since. (He's still around - just not on the steps anymore.)

[ThaiPauly]

I've found the miracle cure! It's called citronella balm and I bought it at a beauty shop in town. It contains an oil that comes from lemongrass and repels those mozzies like magic. I have seen citronella candels and all kinds of other citronella products in South Africa and have been looking for these in Thailand for a long time until I found this balm. It was a happy day. No more bites at all.

I have a stagnant pond next to my house and went out there one early evening to see what the mozzie situation is. Nothing! The pond contains frogs and fish and I suppose they eat the larvae.

My next project is to plant lemongrass as this also seems to keep insects at bay.

By the way: Citronella Balm is also a dog and cat repellant. I applied a little smear of it on the front steps of our house where the dog sleeps against the screen door and he hasn't been back since. (He's still around - just not on the steps anymore.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[ThaiPauly]

Whoops, that response went wrong.

Lemon Grass- I have it all around the fences in my garden, about 50 plants I would guess, but its no good unless you cut it fold it up and place it near where you are sitting outside.

My Protection when sitting in my sala is therefore:

I Bunch Lemon Grass

2 Mosquito Coils

2 Mostiquto Lemon grass sticks

1 Zap Bat

1 Deet Spray repellant

and

1 Astrounaught Suit !!!

Does it work- does it h##ll They still get me

Ajarn You Open Your Doors?

I would NEVER do that, only when going in and out, I HATE them withaa passion,

Still nobody come up with a reason for their existance?