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How to Prevent Mosquito Bites
As promised from yesterday’s post for How To Stop Mosquito Bites Itching, I’ve compiled a big list of recommendations and home remedies for mosquito repellent suggestions. A few things to note first:
- You pretty much have to stop breathing to not attract the attention of a mosquito, a big attractor for them is the carbon dioxide from your breathing.
- It also seems mosquitoes are attracted by scents like perfumes, sweat, body odor as well as body heat. Unless you stop using shampoos, soaps, deodorants and detergents–it’s hard to be scent free.
- From what I understand, DEET has proven to be the most effective mosquito repellent. DEET is pretty crazy stuff though, so if you’d like to try less harsh solutions, there are plenty of tips below for you to give a shot.
Something to keep in mind: Since some people seem to be a mosquito magnet while others around them don’t get a single bite, I have the suspicion that there could be a personal body chemistry factor involved. And that could explain why a remedy that works for one person, may not work for another.
I suspect that’s why some people swear by the Bounce sheet method, or the Avon Skin So Soft solution, while others have a different experience. Bounce nor the Avon SSS did a thing for me btw, but I did include them in the list below. I know a few people who SWEAR by them.
Basics for Mosquito Bite Prevention
- Wear light colored clothing, mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothes
- Keep your body covered as much as possible (including wearing a hat), although mosquitoes can find their way through the fabric–it does cut down on bites
Mosquito Bite Prevention Home Remedies & Tips
- Vanilla Extract: A few different recommendations for this one, each contradicting the other. Some say to dab Vanilla Extract on your pulse points, others say to rub it all over your skin & dab your clothes. Some say the cheap stuff is what you have to use, others say the real, pure Vanilla is the only thing that will work. Some say to apply it full strength, others say you can dilute it with water and spray it on. Play around with Vanilla to see what gives you best results–there are plenty of believers for this one as a mosquito deterrent so I think there’s something to it.
- Garlic: This isn’t a favorite thing to do day-to-day, but if you’re going camping or hiking through heavily mosquito infested areas, try a garlic powder and water paste. Apply to pulse points, behind knees, on shoes and ankles and a dab or two on your cheeks or somewhere on your face and neck. Remember–keep out of eyes. And maybe stay out of public places too
. - Essential Oils: Mix choice of essential oils with rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel, or distilled water and spritz on body or directly on cloth to rub on body (shake before each use). Or add a few drops in baby oil or olive oil then rub on skin. You can also apply drops along a strip of fabric (cotton) and tie around wrist. *Make sure to avoid mouth and eye areas when using essential oils.
- Citronella oil
- Lavender oil
- Catnip oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Pennyroyal oil *Seems to be strongly recommended
- Tansy oil *Seems to be strongly recommended
- Basil oil
- Thyme oil
- Cedar oil
- Tea Tree oil
- Peppermint oil
- Lemongrass oil
Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
Break off leaves and crush them roughly, rub them all over your clothes and skin. Toss the bruised leaves around the perimeter of your deck or patio. Also plant these in pots and arrange them around the patio. You could also infuse these in water and then use that as a spray.
- Citronella
- Lavender
- Basil
- Catnip
- Pennyroyal
- Tansy
- Marigolds
Commercial Products That Repel Mosquitoes
*(other than DEET items)
- Avon’s Skin So Soft (straight or mix 50/50 with rubbing alcohol)
- Bounce Sheets (hanging out of a pocket or waistband)
- Listerine (mixed 50/50 with household vinegar then sprayed all over body)
- Vicks VapoRub
- You can purchase citronella torches to stand in the ground or set on table tops
Household Hack
- Spray garlic powder and water all over the yard and bushes. Use a fertilizer hose attachment. Will need to be done bi-weekly (approx) or after a heavy rain.
Items to Eat
*Daily
Apparently the smell that comes out of your pores from a steady diet of the below deters mosquitoes. The items aren’t meant to be combined, they’re just different suggestions.
- Garlic
- B1 Vitamins
- Brewers Yeast
- Lemons
Proven False
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My grandmother always used vinegar to repel mosquitoes. She rubs it on any exposed parts of her body. Sure, SHE repels everyone else, but she claims that it works. So I guess if you don’t mind smelling like a walking pickle…
With 30 bites I have alot to test these methods on. Some are after the fact and are red and swollen. so far vapor rub did not work, The Calamine Lotition is brief relife and feels really good on the swelling. The nail polish was working great but I have sensitive skin soooo omg get it off get it off owie owie owie. Tape still waiting it seems to be doing something guess it’s keeping the air off it. Wet soap rubbed on seems to be working and the antipresperant deorderant is working faint itch left but at least I don’t have to peel it off my skin. Toothpaste kind of works. Ice pack is brief relife buuuuut it probably just prolongs the agony since it stops the blood circulating. I’m gonna try a hot bath to get the posien to cycle out which makes me wonder if nicane will work. Also sending the boyfriend out for oragel I know theres a limit on how long I can use it but i don’t care at the moment. S
sooooo mesirable can’t sleep and one got my nipple T_T boyfriend did not even get one bite while sleeping next to me,. Makes me want to call up my best friend and ask if I can borrow his nephew who is the only person fleas and mosquitos think is tastier then me. I’m goign to try some of the prevention methods I had an awesome wall plug it that worked for mice/rats, spiders and other bugs/insects but the noise bugs some people that I live with. Bought the machine cheap at Fred Meyers 4 about $15
I swear by vitamin E. I start taking it a little before mosquito season and as long as I take it at least 3-4 times a week, I never get bit. If I stop for some reason, I’m ok for a couple of weeks, but then I get eaten alive.
To avoid getting bit in the first place, when walking say, down a trail, hold your breath. When you have to exhale do it over your shoulder and take a couple quick steps then hold again. Mosquitoes use CO2, moisture and heat (in that order) to find their host in the first place. I have used this method for years to separate myself from my breath-cloud and it really works. It won’t eliminate all encounters but will severely cut down on them. Once bit, use heat topically — it really works! I just use a bic lighter and let it burn for a few seconds until the metal gets hot enough (not TOO hot) and then hold it on the bite until it cools down. They sell little penlight-sized heaters expressly for this purpose btw. Search online and you can find them for around $10. They recommend holding it on a bite for 20-30 seconds as soon as you notice it. After that, no itch, no swelling… at least with most people, even we who are swelling-prone victims! Good luck!
To prevent flies, take a damp cloth a sprinkle some salt on it and wipe your dining table with it.
In case you burn your tongue drinking hot liquids, put some grains of sugar on the sore-spot; this should help in providing instant relief.
Good tip about burning your tongue but what does this have to do with repelling mosquitoes?
Use baby-oil instead of cleansing-creams – they serve the same purpose and is a cheap alternative.
Baby oil is pretty dangerous in the shower & bath & just makes for more house work, Soap is cheap & nnot oily.
Dip your hands in lemon-juice to whiten your finger nails.
Spray off or if it stings use aloe vera to smooth it and go outside and you will be fine.
Hi, Does anyone know the name of a vacumn device that you put on a sting to suck out the venom. I have seen it working and it works really well with out painful or smelly side effects. It works on ant type of sting.I have forgotton the name of and where I can buy one.
Can anyone help.
That vacume sting suction tool is also used for snake bites ,camping section at walmart
The item you are looking for is called “The Extractor Pump”, though it’s main selling point is a suction device for snake venom, it also lists various other bites ie insects. It is to be used right away after bitten.
I am part of the mosquito magnet club too since childhood. My husband introduced this device to me but I havent used it yet as it was in a cupboard at home….. I just returned with the bottom half of me bitten like crazy from camping- oh the itch! I am using it a day later but it is probably too late…not getting fast relief and it’s purpose is to suck the poison out right away.
I take Vit B’s regularly now – not sure if that works..dont think so – I have also tried bee pollen bf the season and I think it might have worked? every yr seems different for me…this year I was surprised as it has been some time since I have had very itchy red swelts from bites. I have tried all sorts of remedies that left me dismayed and still itchy. The latest find is Aboriginal Gold cream I picked up from my father in law who sells Unicity products… handy family! He said put it on asap once bitten. It seems to work for me so far…
Came home so itchy I immediately internetted, found this site and tried a very hot bath covering my legs entirely and put on the cream after. It has subsided – the heat did make the itching worse as I waited. It seemed better when I came out and then applied the cream I forgot to take camping
Currently I still feel some subtle discomfort and will reapply cream or may experiment on the various bites with different solutions from this site that I havent tried yet.
I was in Asia recently and only got one bite there and used the cream immediately and the itch went away. Unfortunately, while at the airport I obtained three bites on my feet and the cream was in the luggage as it is bigger than what is allowed on your carry ons these days.. hence no cream for over 15 hrs but when I got into the luggage applied right away – it took a few applications and was fine after that.
After reading another comment in this list, I now wonder if the plug-in insect repellent put in my room not only helped with mosquitoes in there as I never got bit, but perhaps it got into my clothes etc and I carried the scent with me. I saw even some natives with welts from bits! I was so happy not to have to endure this on my vacation. Next time I go, I should investigate what it in this repellent.
I hope everyone can find the treatment that works for them…
not fun at all when you are suffering
Empathically yours…
My grandchildren and I are mosquito magnets. This year we started taking one Vit B1 a day. I live in the Florida Keys. No bites yet. When going into the marshes, we take one tablet in the morning and one at noon. Works great. Can’t believe we suffered all those years.
I HAVE JUST BEEN READING THE LETTERS ON THIS SITE AND THE ANSWER TO CHRIS ABOUT THE VACUMN DEVICE IS CALLED ASPIVENIN IT DOES WORK. MY HUSBAND SCRATCH’S THE TOP OFF THE BITE AND THEN SUCKS OUT THE POISON HE GETS A LOAD OF BLOOD OUT OFF HIS WHERE AS I JUST GET CLEAR FLUID OUT OFF MINE BUT ONCE DONE THEY STOP ITCHING.I NOW LIVE IN SPAIN AND I BOUGHT MINE IN THE UK BUT I DO BELIEVE YOU CAN BUY THEM ON THE INTERNET. I BELIEVE THE BEST CURE IS NOT TO GET BITTEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. I TAKE VITAMIN BI AND USE TEA TREE OIL IN BABY OIL AND RUB OVER EXPOSED AREAS WORKS FOR ME.
You know, when you get bitten by mosquitoes daily..(like me)…it means you have a higher cholesterol then others… you eat a lot of sweets and mosquitoes love blood that is sweet.
I have very low cholesterol and rarely eat sweets – and still, I am “the” mosquito magnet. I have been told it is because I have rare blood. I don’t know if that is true, but it kind of makes sense!
I’ve also heard that it could be because we have a lot of iron in our blood….
As for having a lot of Iron in the blood to ward off Mosquito’s it is not true for me. I always have very low Iron. I can go outside and I feel like they see me coming because I immediately start itching. I loved the Skin So Soft lotion but, it seems to be hard to find or maybe I just haven’t took the time to find it.
I’m diabetic and when I have a high sugar level I hardly ever get bitten yet all my friends get bitten. So I don’t think blood sugar level affects being bitten.
Mosquito’s love what we breath out Carbin. That is why they bite. They don’t like the smell of vanilla. Put some in a spray bottle and spray youself. No bites.
What you could do to lower your cholesterol is exercise, cut down on sweets like soda, brownies, candy…and so on
I’ve tried bounce, only to find that the mosquitoes really liked the bounce. I just tried it – unfortunately I had dark clothing on in the yard. I’m going to try the listerine and vinegar and see how that works.
To the person who wanted the devise for sucking out poison from insect bites, I bought one years ago at Eddie Bauers Expedition Outfitters..in the USA. They must have an online store.
Bettie
Here is the definitive cure all:
1 part used motor oil
1 part dog (or cat) feces
1 part pickle juice
2 parts radio active waste
mix it all together and soak a hundred dollar bill in it then smear it all over your body.
Not only will you repel all mosquitos, gnats, chiggers, and bugs but no human will come near you plus you’ve disintegrated $100 in the process. Congratulations your now just as smart as everyone else on here that ‘knows’ what works!
How very clever Toby, but I think I’ll stick with the more pleasant alternatives. No one here claims they “know”, just sharing tips with each other that we’ve either come across or that we found helpful.
This year I am buying a cheap bottle of listerine and not putting any vinegar in it either. I am spraying me, the patio and whatever i feel necessary to keep the mosquitoes away. I am also going to spray my little dogs with it when they go out.
I hear it works well, will let you know. Vitamin E makes sense too.
There are 35 species of mosquitoes in Alaska. (Two carry West Nile Virus) I have been skeeter bait for as long as I can remember. I’ve tried everything I can think of to keep the buggers from biting me. Short of bathing in DEET every day, here’s what works for me.
Clear the area where you live or work of debris that might serve as a catchment system for water. (Rain, snow, sprinkler, etc.) The tiniest pocket of water is enough for a female mosquito to lay up to 200 eggs and that’s 200 more mosquitoes than I want to deal with.
Use a mosquito control product similar to Mosquito Dunk in the spring to keep snow melt and rain puddles from harboring larvae for up to 30 days. Mosquito Dunk your bird baths, water features, fish ponds, or any other garden container than holds standing water. Even clogged rain gutters! Flip your child’s wading pool over when not in use and don’t overwater your lawn.
In areas with large swarms of mosquitoes, purchase a Mosquito Magnet or similar apparatus and let it run all summer long. One placed on either side of the area you are trying to protect from infestation will save you and your pets from biting insects all season long.
Wear light-colored, tightly woven cotton clothing and a head net when outdoors. Stay indoors at dusk and dawn whenever possible.
Make sure to keep window and door screens in good repair to keep from giving biting insects easy access to your house.
Buy Buzz Off brand clothing to wear while working outside.
When barbequing in the backyard, set up a screen tent to hide in while waiting to flip those burgers. Put a screen tent over your picnic or patio table as well.
And as a last resort… hose yourself down with a bug repellant containing DEET, but be sure to wash your hands carefully before eating, drinking, or handling food.
If you have done all you can to eliminate all possible water sources on your property and still have a mosquito problem… you may have to go further afield to find the source of your infestation.
Mosquitoes that breed in permanent swamp habitats will travel 1-2 miles in quest of a blood meal. Mosquitoes that emanate from floodwater habitats can cause nuisance 10-20 miles from their breeding source. Call your local health department for suggestions on how to deal with mosquito breeding ground sources beyond your realm of influence.
thank you very much peoples! im going to thailand in 5 weeks and cant wait to tri some of these things:)
Regarding Jane Williams advice on lowering cholesterol, Exercise can not bring down any persons cholesterol reading. Watching your Diet is the only answer.
Regards Dr Tommy Plunkett
I received an email saying the Original Listerine (the yellow antiseptic kind) will repel them. Just use as is, do not mix with anything. You can spray on you, or in the yard or on your deck to keep them away.
I personally haven’t tried it yet, but I plan on going out & getting a bottle this week! I will try the B1 as well, Thanks guys!
I just wanted to let everyone know that spraying yourself in Listerine is not the most pleasant thing…it’s very sticky and unless you aren’t gonna be touching anything, I wouldn’t recommend spraying it on your body or any surfaces that require alot of touching or handling…i’m not sure if that’s why you recommend using half with vinegar, does that take away the stick-factor?
One thing to remember about DEET is that while it is a very good repellant, it also melts plastic.
I am a ham radio operator and know several hams who have applied DEET, then picked up their handleld radios… and then found that the plastic faceplates become marred from the DEET.
Just sayin’.
About the listerine spray… of course it takes away the sticky factor. You should use rice vinegar and probably fill 3/4 of the bottle with the vinegar. It may not smell great but it definately takes away the sticky factor. i just tried it.
I am a total magnet! My bites are actually flashing like disco lights since I’m also allergic.
For the home and the bedroom you can get these things that you plug into the electric socket. Some of those look like a light bulb and you put a tablet thing in them and it gives out a smell that keeps them away. Some of them use oils. The nice thing about these things is that you can always buy refills and you can have one of those in each room, since I guess most of us become victims when we are sleeping at night.
I’m trying this for the first time now but I’ve heard from quite a few of my friends that this works. One of my mom’s work colleagues was in Spain and her you daughter was so terribly bitten (she looked like she had the chicken pox!), they bought these things you plug into the socket and she wasn’t bitten again!
I’d like to note that where I am originally from (Iceland) we don’t have mosquitoes, as I am living in Austria now this is the first time I really have to “deal” with this horror!
Good luck to us all in our fight against those buggers!
o.k. Vera so where do i get one of these plug in thing a majiggies and what are they called
Actually, I have found that when I lowered my sugar intake I wasnt bitten as much, as Im usually a major magnet..and its true, they love sweet blood. Watch what you eat..it may help.
I don’t eat sweets at all and I get eaten alive so that is not always true.
Yea i dont eat any sweets either and ever since i was a toddler iv got bitten head to toe it becouse we have a rare blood type is usually the reason we get bit if it isnt the sweets reason
The only rare blood type I know of is AB negative, and if unless you are super smart, I don’t think its the rare blood. More of the chemistry going inside your body. People react differently to everything.
Actually it’s O that’s rare. That’s why a lot of Red Cross wants O blood types….
Actually, the Red Cross wants type O blood because we’re universal donors, and can donate blood to any blood type recepient…
I’ve already stated but I’m diabetic. A healthy human being has a sugar level of 5.4 and if they eat loads of sugar they might get up to 6.5 to 7.
On the other hand because my body doesn’t produce insulin, it’s now under control but when I first got diabetes I had a sugar level of 28, that’s 5x the healthy amount of sugar in my blood. And yet mosquitos never bit me, they always bit my friends and I was never bitten. At lower levels like 8 or so I still don’t get bitten so I don’t believe blood sugar is a main factor.
You really mean keep it off your PRIVATE PLACES don’t you – not you Public places!!
DEET works best and you can buy 100% DEET over the counter, just be careful with it. Best for clothes, try to avoid 100% on skin. Lower concentrations are available for skin use.
Dr. Don I meant stay out of public places in terms of: you’re going to stink like garlic so you might not want to hang around groups of people.
What he means is, vampires will stay away from him
lol sorry =[ I’m going off topic.
btw, people said the scotch tape method works really well for itch, but it doesn’t at all for me…
I just tried the listerine in a spray bottle, I tried spraying it on the lawn and it didn’t work at all. Maybe if you put vinegar with it it may work, but the plain Listerine doesn’t work.
Wow, I love this! When I was a kid we always used dryer sheets and they worked, and we smelled so good!! Now that I work in a state park and am around skeeters all day I realize the best thing to do is stand near a child in dark clothes. Yep, I use children to feed them so that they don’t want to eat me!
vitamin b? I am going to start to try that one!
This is sort of pet related, but a vet told me that giving your pet (I have cats) a few brewer’s yeast and garlic tabs (they sell them in the dog section the pet aisles) repels mosquitos and other nasty bugs. I can’t say this is ironclad, but I haven’t had to pull a tick off one of my outdoor boys in years. Worth a try.
Garlic and onions are both mildly poisonous to cats. I would recommend you stop doing that.
im curious to why theses mosquitos only bite my legs…i do not have any mosquito bites anywhere else and i think this is odd. iv never seen this before besides on me..maybe someone knows why or how to stop it. thank you
what you do is put lavender oil and eucalyptus oil together to make a spray and you spray it all over your body and any kind of bugs will stay away because of the strong smell!!
u can use some kind of chinese smoke. works like a charm. the problem is that it smells like citarage
Safest way to avoid the mosquitos is the wind. If there is no wind in your back yard or patio, try to get a couple of hosehold fans and startegically place them to get a nice breeze all over the place. Mosquitos cannot fly thru the wind.
We bought a bug zapper. We’ve had a bug zapper for at least 4 years and we live in the country. I think it cost us around $99.00 on sale. But boy its worth the investmet. One friend says she didn’t want one cause someone told her it attracts bugs..Thanks my friend I sure hope you’re right.
she thought that those bats would do the trick to get rid of mosquitos..NOT !
While my neighbour has bats living in between the walls of her house.
we sit on our deck in the evening and we don’t get bothered by mosquitos. We also burn citronella. So between the strategically place bug zapper and the citronella we are mosquito free.
My neighbour comes here in the evening for her glass of wine, knowing full well that she won’t get eaten alive.
We also use listerine as a bug repellent for our horses and it works like a charm. Our neighbour feeds garlic gloves (pre crushed she buys at a store) puts it in the oats for the horses. badda bing it works great.
So I figure if I take the garlic everyday it would help us…AND IT DOES. I suspect anything with an antiseptic base will work. We also use anti bacterial soap (for dishes and pine sol mixture for mosquito spray) We tried it on the horses first. When I don’t see those tails swishing around madly I know I’ve hit paydirt.
I wonder why God created mosquitos?????
hugssssss
Diana
Mosquitoes are terrible in the Hlll Country of Texas. Alot of moisture from so many trees and plants, etc. And if humid weather sets in….forget about going outside. They will literally eat you alive. I heard Bounce drier sheets might help and boy do they. If they are heavy around us while out and about…I rub the sheet over my skin and clothing, even shoes and then put back into my pocket or belt. I no longer have to hid in the car at the park while everyone else enjoys. Try them…..they work well! Keep a box in all your vehicles, won’t have to worry about leaving them at home then. And when the smell goes out of them…throw them in the laundry, not the trash…they will still work for in the drier when washing clothes. And the box in your vehicle, smells it up nicely too!
Your list is very impressive, ut what works for me is baking soda and water. just mix until pasty then apply to bitr area, while it is drying it will cool down the bite area and decrease the itchy feeling.
Just a quick note that DEET also removes nail polish – so don’t use it if you want your nails to look nice!!
I really hope some of these things work! I can’t stand the bites anymore!!!
baby lotion works really good and fast
diaper rash cream is very soothing for bites from fleas or mosquitos
Just tried the Vicks Vapo Rub idea. Been itching all day with bites from several days ago. It worked!! And, it’s also the cheap grocery store knock off rub to boot! Crazy relief! Try it!
My husband got bitten on his cheek tonight and was afraid that his face would swell shut like his arm and hand swelled last week from a massive bite. He tried washing it immediately with soap and water, aviding scratching (which is really hard to do), rubbing a thick paste of baking soda and water (just to make it sticky), rubbing with hand liquid soap, icing it with an ice cube wrapped in paper towel, hydrocortizone cream and finally 2 benedrils and a tylenol… and his quarter sized bite mark has shrunk to a small red mark. Phew!
I have a “Mosquito Shoo” Geranium plant. The idea is you pick some of the leaves, crush them by wadding up and rolling around in your hand to start releasing the oils, and rub on your skin. My husband is a mosquito magnet, and I’ve tried it on him a few times. I try to rub in on pulse points first, and then I just make a few good swipes up and down the arms, legs, and neck. The smell is similar to citronella, but it’s a fresh, botanical smell–none of that yucky chemical-ness about it. It’s supposed to be all or part of what Citronella is made from anyway.
So far, it seems to work!! Not 100%, but bug spray never is for us either.
My friend Neil swears by eating garlic and onions all year long. The combination keeps mosquito and ticks away while he picks blackberries at the Lake of the Ozarks in summer-time: but it also wards off influenza and colds in the winter-time. No one wants to get close enough!
Haha. Had to comment on the cholesterol and sweets comment. I am the person everyone loves to have outside around the fire because I attract all the mosquito’s in the entire woods and my cholesterol is lower than normal and I don’t even eat sugar!! While watching your sugar intake and lowering your cholesterol is good this will NOT keep mosquitoes away.
A few things that have already been mentioned – don’t have any standing water around for them to breed; take brewers yeast — this works because it contains B vitamins, namely B6 which is a vitamin that has been recommended by nutritionists since the 60s for prevention of mosquito bites, but the taste is not mild! Mixing it with orange juice works well. But the easiest way to stop mosquitos from biting you is internally by taking vitamin B6 -You can start by taking 25-50 mg three times a day to get it into your system. It’s cheap (100 tablets for $2.50 or so) and easily available at any chain drug store – AND it WORKS.
All great tips….mine is a South African repellent spray called “Tabard”. It contains Deet but doesn’t stink and works! Have tried every tip there is and although most can be effective this spray provides 100% protection, they absolutely hate it and won’t come near. The war continues….good luck soldiers!
I’ve heard of the South African repellent TABARD. Just got back from South Africa and brought some works like a charm. Will try Galic everyday and Vit B. Hope these will help once I run out of TABARD, do you know if we could get it in the USA. If so where…
i counted 25 mosqiotoe bits all over my legs i cant stop itchin im like a mosqitoe magnet
This sounds strange, but when sitting outside one can eliminate mosquitoes completely if you have access to a fan. Blowing a fan on you and your company prevents bites altogether. We were outside playing games being eaten alive, brought out the fan and pointed it at ourselve, not another bug. Amazing, but true.
you could also use fish oil.
Was just wondering, does fish oil really work? I take cod liver oil everyday, so it’s SIMILAR to fish oil. Haven’t gotten as many mosquito bites lately, I’ll admit, only one or two, but then again it’s not yet the mosquito season, which is when I usually get the bulk of them, so can’t say that fish oil really works. Anyone else use fish oil? I also used to give my dog fish oil with her meals everyday for her fur, but stopped now since she’s starting to develop food allergy so I have to determine what’s the cause.
Dear Fellow Bug Sufferers>
I live in Asia where the buggies are 5 X the size in North America.
The BEST remedy if you have gotten bitten is TIGER BALM> very soothing mentholateum and helps healing along with taking away the itchiness.
Am still trying to figure out now NOT to get bitten> DEET works well sometimes and have sprayed some on a sarong and covered myself with the sarong at night.
Also sprayed some on the bedsheets> seemed to help>
Good luck to all> will try the B1 advice!
I used Homeopathic remedy Apis Mel 30c . It is a good anti mosquito repellent. Works well with Vit B1 and Garlic. Have a good mosquito-free holiday.
Dr. Ronnie Lalloo
Have you ever noticed ‘beer’ drinkers don’t get bitten as much as ‘non beer drinkers’? Must work like brewers yeast. My ex’ pointed this out to me about 30 years ago.
I used to drink lots of beer and still attracked the little buggers! Not so sure beer works.
I’M currently on holiday in Thailand.
I have been taking b1 vitamins for the last 2 weeks and covering myself in 100 per cent DEET and this morning i woke up with 6 bites over my lower legs.
Sometimes you have to just surrender to the flying devils.
somtimes it’s not mosquitoes, cos lots of bugs and flies like to bite us so unless you actualy see the mozzi then cant be sure, anyone who has been bit by a sand fly will know what i’m talking about they make a mozzi bite seem like a tickle from a baby. Anyway, my friend says that she is a vegatarian and because of that her blood is ‘cooler” But she says that meat eaters and those who eat little or no veg are most at risk, and one day we where out in the woods and while we where all slapping and scratching she was ok,
regards
I take garlic pills every summer. I have since I was a child, because mosquitoes have always been very attracted to me, and living in the south, that can be quite a pain. You can find them in the vitamin isle at any store, and you get the same affects of eating garlic, or applying it to your skin, without any of the yucky smells.
I loved these – I’m extremely allergic to mosquitoes so if I get a bite, I itch like crazy! Just wanted to let you know I linked to this (and a few others!) on my weekly link roundup. Thanks for the great tips!
I wanted to note that I take vitamin E every day of the year (for other reasons) and am still plagued by mosquitoes. I’m apparently so attractive to them I can get multiple bites by just being in the shade for more than 10 minutes in the middle of a sunny afternoon. I’ll see if any of these other suggestions are effective for me.
Vanilla water works really well. You can use the imitation to save on cost. It can be sprayed everywhere on the body. We use a 50/50 mixture and it helps with those pesky deer flies too.
Even though I take a high quality B megs vitamin and fish oil cap, those never help me.
Hubby is severly allergic to mosquito bites, is bites swell up golf ball size if he is caught out without some type of repellant.
What can we do to relieve his swelling and redness? Thanks for any and all help!
I keep getting bit at night in my bedroom. I have no standing water, no plants, windows shut, ac pan in attic dry. Room temp 72*. I just can not figure it out and the buzzing in my ear to wake me from a deep sleep and find I have been bitten. Please advise
“Unless you stop using shampoos, soaps, deodorants and detergents–it’s hard to be scent free.”
Sorry, you won’t be scent-free if you stop bathing, etc. In fact, it is likely you’d be even more attractive to the critters, since they are designed to seek out the natural odors of a big mammal. But one thing you would repel–other people!
I think what works varies per person, and then there is also the placebo / superstition effect…
I’ve tried just about everything (except the ones that involve also repelling people) and I’m still tasty to them. Maybe they are after my rare AB- blood. I really doubt they have a preference though, they are just trying to nurture their eggs.
The one thing remaining for me to try is to cough up the money and try a Mosquito Magnet. I’m about to try that.
Just come back from Italy, had at least 30 bites by day 2. Started mixing tea tree oil in with my shower gel and body lotion then spray with a commercial fly repellent I bought in Italy. No more bites!
normally i am attacked by mosquitoes, to the point of absurdness. Its now june and has been very wet, rain almost everyday. So far i’ve only been bit once this season and i couldn’t figure out why, i was amazed and shocked. The only thing i can come up with is that i’ve been taking Fish oil omega 3 supplements for the last month and it must be working. its the only thing i’ve done differently this year. Amazing! I’m sold on fish oil!
Thank you all for those wonderful tips. I get eaten alive by the little buggers. In one evening alone I got over 180 bites and just on my lower legs too for some reason. My egs sweeled up and I ended up having to go to hospital. I have tried alot of the cures above but think the one abou having a fan switched on near you along with vitamin B might just do the trick! Fingers crossed!
My father always had a fool proof mosquito repellant when he went fishing in areas known to be bad… a cigar. He never got bit.
I swear by daily garlic in your meals. My husband and I put garlic on practically everything (even rice and grits and eggs [we're from the deep south])- whether its garlic salt, garlic powder, or fresh garlic. We never have any problems with nasty ’skeeters when sitting out by the pool of our friends’ home, while they have to light citronella candels and torches to ward them off, unless they’ve added garlic spice to their meal that day. Because it works so well for us we figured too that it would work well for the dog, so she always gets a meal of scraps that’s cooked with garlic, and on occasion I’ve added it to her one can of wet food she has each day to supplement her dry food (unless of course she’s getting a healthy serving of our dinner – then no canned food). She too experiences no problems with mosquitoe bites and it seems to work well regarding fleas as well. I normally only treat her once a year for fleas and ticks, usually about July, with something from the vet or BioSpot, and even though my cats are indoors, they too get one treatment each summer – we haven’t had a flea outbreak in 8 years. The cats occasionally get the garlic treatment when we grill particular meat they enjoy – otherwise they don’t care for scraps; but they sure enjoy the fish, beef, pork and chicken from the grill spiced in garlic!
Mosquitos like me. Alot. Skin-so-soft orignal (oil or lotion) works for me in regular situations. Does not work for everyone. B vitamins work if you remember to take them. My husband put fans in the ceiling of our front porch. Thought he was crazy. But it does keep the mosquitos down and feels good in the heat of the day. Benadryl spray or vinegar works on bites. Benadryl tabs at night to sleep. Garlic is good but never for dogs. It can accumulate in the liver or kidneys (I forgot which) and can cause problems down the line. I have given my animal brewer’s yeast flakes in their meals (cats and dogs) and have not had a flea problem since. Have done it for over 15 years and I live in the country. I tack bounce dryer sheets around the porch and mosquitos are still there. Good luck everyone. The battle goes on!!!
I use patchouli oil, works great and smells wonderful. My son was getting bit a lot and I started rubbing it on his exposed areas and clothes and no more bites, plus when I hug him he smells so good! I also take the B Vitamins and E and I rarely get bitten.
I wear patchouli a lot and I still get bit. It just goes to show you that everyone is different and there are no perfect remedies. I take omega 3’s everyday for cholosterol. Maybe it would be so much worse if I didn’t take the precautions that I do. I know B’s work because years ago I tried high doses of B complex and it worked. Sat by a duck pond full of mosquitos and they didn’t touch me. Two weeks before they were all over me. I hate to take high doses of anything anymore. Maybe I’ll try the B-6 as someone suggested in this link. Years ago I read that dark complected(sp) people are more attractive to mosquitos that light complected. I’m olive and tan easily. My husband is fair. I get bit much more than he does. Has anyone ever heard this before and is there any truth in it?
try rubbing vodka on all exposed skin. after it dries there is no odor so you can use it on the kids, too.
For relief from mosquito bites, I’ve heard applying Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer draws out the venom. I’ve never tried it myself.
This is completely off the subject, but I’ve heard using that to make a paste also helps if you’re allergic to bee stings.
Some useful tips, thanks to all. I have found that eating a banana before venturing out at dusk is a surefire MAGNET for mosquito bites, since they ordinarily leave me alone.
Ahh I eat lots of bananas.. and they still bite me .. but the skin comes in handy now for the bites lol..
Well having woken up with a large lower lip.. right side of chin and bridge of nose. . not to mention swelling left arm and finger… I am again searching the net for a solution.
I have tried.. rubs, scrubs, creams, plug ins, nets, sprays , roll ons , ensure windows are closed.. have two ceiling fans..and as of yet.. nothing.
But someone on one site said to rub banana skin (Inside of course) on the area.. and have to say that this worked on the arm and finger… too late for the lip and face though.
Sadly I am one of those people that they love.. and they leave me with a nasty reaction…
Might make a solution of lavender and vinegar or witch hazel and see if that spray works.
Darn pesky things… thanks for posting everyone… well worth hearing what others have to say.. Last week was toothache research this week mosquitos grrr! Good luck all
I just tried the deodorant on my daughters VERY itchy bites and it worked instantly! Thanks for the tips
Good to read all the tips, and sad to know so many of us suffer! My life as a mosqui-magnet did not change, but my life as a scratcher did: it took a few years but i NEVER NEVER NEVER scratch a bite, not once. Sometimes I look at them hard (psychological warfare) but I don’t even touch’em. And they do go away much much faster, and itch much much less. But it really takes a lot of training, if you get bitten as much as I do and most of the people contributing to this site do. good luck everyone…
Vitamin B1 is the best thing I have found,(recommended to me by a dermatologist). You need to take a high dose, 800mgms just before going outside. Some brands work better than others, and use it as fresh as possible, not the half used stuff you have had at the back of the cupboard for a year! Vit B1 does not build up in the body so it is safe to take, it will need to be repeated every 4hrs. I wear socks and pants, preferably pants tucked into socks, because they sometimes get me round the ankles but never anywhere near the top half of my body. If I am squatting (gardening for instance) I never get bitten anywhere because my breath keeps them away, but standing, my head, (as yours) is quite a distance from my feet, so as I said they sometimes get me at the other end.
Whilst I was in India, the locals told me that eating so much chilli helps stop the mozzie bites.
Chilli is an antiseptic for the blood. apparently they smell that shit and don’t bite.
seemed to make sense, as every morning when my girlfriend and I woke up under our net, I was covered in bites, and she was fine (She had been there for two months, eating the local cuisine) but the biting seemed to calm down after a while.
I’m a mosquito magnet, and very allergic to the damn things. Every time I get bit by a single mosquito I get so sick with the same symptoms as the West Nile Virus and they swell up something terrible. One little bite within 24 hours turns into a massive, red, hot lump anywhere from the size of a golf ball to the size of a baseball in diameter.
The only thing that I have found to work for me to help minimize the swelling, itching, and duration is if I scrub it with hydrogen peroxide within minutes of being bitten. I make sure I have at least one bottle in the house, and keep one in each truck in case I get bitten when we’re out somewhere. Might not work for everyone, but it helps me so I figured I’d post it.
I hate the effects garlic pills have on me, but I think I’m going to buy some and start taking them to help this year as we’ve had a lot of rain, and I know this is going to be a bad mosquito season where we live. Also need to figure out a remedy to help protect my little 3 month old puppy, thinking about giving her garlic in some canned food and see if she’ll eat it and hope it will help. Told my hubby housebreaking her is going to be hard if I can’t keep her and I from being eaten alive at night and in the morning when I’m supposed to take her out.
Lol some of the ideas in this forum are pretty extreme. I agree that prevention is the best if they are a pest at your home but if you cannot realistcally control them by just reducing their breeding areas, nets, sheets and curtains on doorways slow down movement throughout the house. If you are going outside wear clothes covering your whole body. If you cannot wear clothing over your whole body then using an invisible barrier such as a non-toxic insect repellant on your skin is probably the best way. In south america when clouds of mosquitos came and killed everything the natives covored their skin with mud which sometimes they also treated with certain insect repelling plant ingredients. So, PREVENT or COVER UP the skin or USE REPELLANT. Obviously the smellier the repellant it might work better but not all species react the same.