mosquito repellant needed!

[norfolklass]

my plot runs along the boundary fence on our site and the other side is a marshy wood.
obviously the water level is a bit higher at the moment so the mossies have turned up, and apparently I'm their most favourite thing to snack on ::)
didn't notice until I happened to spot one with its nasty pointy thing buried in my arm â€" how very dare it >:(
can anyone please recommend a good repellant and / or something nice to rub on the bites to reduce the swelling and stop the itching, they're driving me mad...
am thinking herbal or organic, rather than chemicals from Boots.
thanks!!!

[norfolklass]

[Doris_Pinks]

NL,
Citronella Oil used to be plastered on me by my Mum as a child, still like the smell, and it kept the mossies away from me!

There is a body lotion made by Avon, that people swear keeps them away..I can't remember the name of it though.........skin so soft?

For my bites (have red rotten ants on the plot) I use lancane cream, calamine would be a more natural option or how about lavender oil or teatree?  Might be worth googling ;D ;D

Hope this helps!
DP

[froglets]

If you have dosh to spend, Trevarno Skin Care do this extra care cream.

http://www.trevarnoskincare.co.uk/products/for-extra-care.php

I bought some after visiting theri workshops while on holiday in Cornwall last year when my skin was going through a particularly sensitive patch.  I've used it to calm the itching on mossie bites & it works, although you have to keep re applying it every few hours.

I love their soaps, especially when everything else is setting me off - bliss, but definitely a treat or Chrissie pressie request.

[Emagggie]

Norfolklass, did you know that mossies hate the smell of garlic! You can also rub it neat onto a bite to prevent infection, then eat the rest of the clove raw. Also lavender is said to instantly repel them. If you want a repellent for when you are sitting out in the evening (raucous laughter), tie together some dried lavender,peppermint and catnip and secure with thin wire. Light the bundle and keep it in a jar nearby.
Bites don't generally bother me too much, but this year I've had some stinkers!

[markfield rover]

I too have to check the Avon one as daughter off to Cuba and her mate to Borneo and it has been
highly recommended by those who know .

[OliveOil]

We used to use Skin so soft - avon on the horses for midge bites rather than mozzies...  Mum uses a product called jungle formula for mozzies and seems to work ok.  Generally find if mozzies like the taste of you they will attack no matter what... some people are luckier than others - just eat plenty of garlic.

[mc55]

I use the jungle formula stuff - but it contains DEET which is pretty nasty.

Eating marmite (B12 ?) is supposed to keep them at bay - certainly less toxic

[Jeannine]

The Avon stuff is excellent  as a preventative, they don't seem to like it.I was eaten alive by mozzies in Canada and that helped keep them off me, however if they do bite the absolute very best thing I would stake my pay on is to carry and Afterbite pen in your bag, I call it my itch stick.It is like a felt tip pen with an ammomia solution it. If you get bitten dot the area with the stick, it takes the itch away and seems to stop it getting bigger,It stings, but the sting feels good. I would never be anywhere without it. XX Jeannine

[Trixiebelle]

*** Furiously scribbles down all these ideas***

I have horrendous reactions to mosquito bites, I swell up like a balloon   ::)

[Mrs Ava]

Plenty of gin and tonic.  Mossies hate the quinnine in the tonic.  hic.

[Emagggie]

Oh well that's the one for me then. ;D

[adrianhumph]

 Hi all,
             The original Avon product that was well known as an insect repellant was called Avon wellbeing dry skin relief. This seems to have dissappeared from the Avon list now, It is available from E-bay, just search for the product name. This was from my own experience a brilliant repellant.  ;D The product now available from Avon is called skin so soft repenishing dry oil body spray. This appears to work just as well, the main difference is that it is more perfumed, so as a man  ??? you may smell a bit girlie, but if it works , who cares.

                                                                      Adrian.

[sand]

The Avon product is Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray - the Soft and Fresh version (green bottle) currently half price at £2.50 a bottle if you can get an Avon rep (or even on-line?).

It really does work and I'd rather wear that then DEET anyday.

Apparently they issue it to the marines in Scotland - if you can believe what you read in the newspapers ::)

Sand

[cambourne7]

Norfolklass, did you know that mossies hate the smell of garlic! You can also rub it neat onto a bite to prevent infection, then eat the rest of the clove raw. Also lavender is said to instantly repel them. If you want a repellent for when you are sitting out in the evening (raucous laughter), tie together some dried lavender,peppermint and catnip and secure with thin wire. Light the bundle and keep it in a jar nearby.
Bites don't generally bother me too much, but this year I've had some stinkers!

In which case i am safe ate 2 bulbs roasted last night :-)

I save the tops/tails and any left over bits of garlic to add to water for when i water my compost bin once a month as this gets rid of nastys.  So i dont get swarms of flys above the heap like last year.

[Trixiebelle]

Apparently they issue it to the marines in Scotland - if you can believe what you read in the newspapers ::)

Sand

AAAAWWWWW  ;D They're all hard on the inside but soft on the outside  ;D

[cambourne7]

there forcasting a frost that will kill some of the mossie off :-)

see i told you its really november   ;)

[norfolklass]

b****r!
just bought some Avon magic potion ::)

[Trixiebelle]

Interesting but morbid fact (courtesy of National Geographic - July):

3,000 children die of malaria (spread by mosquitoes) in Africa EVERY DAY - one every 30 seconds. Awful  :(

Whenever it's someone's birthday or at Christmas I always buy presents from Oxfam: Donate money towards either an allotment or mosquito nets and the recipient of the gift gets a card saying what the money has been donated to.

http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/

[Deb P]

You can also use the 'cup of tea' method mentioned on this thread recently on mozzie bites..............
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,32472.0.html

[norfolklass]

You can also use the 'cup of tea' method mentioned on this thread recently on mozzie bites..............
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,32472.0.html

blimey, thank goodness it's not horseflies on the loose!!!

thanks, will try the cup of tea thing, my left arm looks as if it's got red marbles sticking out of it >:( and they're still itchy...