Mosquitoes

[judydawn]

If they do get you, aloe vera helps enormously here - I have used it on the kids and myself and it gives relieve pretty quickly.  Plant yourself some and have it on tap.

[Greyhoundmum]

I'm the same and have the type of blood that mozzies love, I find it easier to cover up if t all possible and rather than spray the aero guard on my skin I put it on my clothes aswell.  I have also tried the sunscreen with insect repellant which wasn't too bad.

[Wonder]

If we are planning to be outside I also spray all the furniture before and and that seems to help quit a bit.

Judy we have a big aloe tree and I do breaks bits off now and again but don't find it gives much relief. We did buy some herbal cream in Thailand that works a bit. My bites also swell up and can still be itchy two weeks later when I got hot, they are particularly bad on my feet. DS was allergic to them when he was small and would end up with huge welts, thankfully he grew out of the allergy, he still gets bitten like me but doesn't suffer as badly.

[Cuilidh]

Have you tried taking antihistamines after you get bitten to help calm down the reaction?

[meganjane]

That's interesting reading about Lemon Eucalyptus. I must try it! I haven't found citronella works terribly well. Often it's a combination of essential oils that work. Mozzies love me too.
I put a paste of carb soda on my bites to stop the itching.

I also asked Megan Jane if she did citronella candles, but she said not yet.

Marina, I probably won't make them as you can get them from Bunnings and places like that in big buckets. I couldn't make them for what they sell them for.

[Cuilidh]

Thanks MJ - I would have preferred yours, of course, but I guess I can settle for Bunnings instead (if I HAVE to!)

[judydawn]

My plant is only the small variety Wonder, I have other aloe plants as well but don't use them.

[meganjane]

I always thought that aloe vera is only a reasonably small plant.

Sorry, Marina. I don't usually recommend a place like Bunnings....

You can get them at your local garden/outdoor shop, I'm sure.

[Wonder]

We have an aloe tree and when you break the leaves it has a liquid that looks the same, maybe it's different and that's why it has never worked on me??

Just checked with DH and around the base of the tree we have standard Aloe Vera plants as well - he said it's these leaves I've tried using before, I assumed they were off the tree.

[Rogizoja]

I've found a shotgun really does the business - blasts the little beggars to kingdom come  . 

However, failing that, a chemical option is to get a spray that contains DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide if you must know). There are lots of these varying in concentrations from 25% up to 100% - choose the strength that best suits you. DD used it on a school expedition to Peru and it worked a treat.

Another good option is to fire up one of those ultra-violet bug electrocution gadgets - I love the bzzzt accompanied by a little spark heralding another mozzie's departure to the fields of Elysium.

[Aussie Brenda]

I remember reading up about those ultra-violet bug devises, apparently they don't get many mossies, the females are after blood so they can breed.

[dragongirly]

It doesn't matter what I wear here - I get eaten through my clothes and end up with enormous bites.  I love my lavendar oil *grin*.  But everyone else here is right - don't wear dark clothing and try and avoid dusk outside as that is when I find the little monsters are prolific.

There is a repellent that I have here which I can't unfortunately name as it's in Thai, but it's quite good.  I will be bringing some home with me that's for sure.

[Tasty]

I would love to find a suitable insect repellant too. I bought a bug zapper last year but it was useless, except for moths.

I also bought a citronella candle in a coconut shell...this one: http://www.myrtleandtuppence.com.au/family-range/smack-that-mozzie-candle and I think it's effective as well as some natural insect repellant from those guys. I didn't get bitten but still uncomfortable seeing mozzies close by. Must find it again as I went to the park for 5 mins yesterday and got bitten!

[meganjane]

DEET is an effective repellent, but many people are allergic to it as it's quite toxic. Natural repellents need to be re-applied frequently.

Love the coconut shell candle!

[Rogizoja]

KayC - I just spotted this on BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20669080) and thought of you  Yet another way to deter the pesky critters.