JC98

I'm going to India, and there are outbreaks of several viral diseases going on transmitted by mosquito bites. Please suggest effective mosquito repellent, esp for the face and sensitive skin. DEET applied on my face can make me pass out.

How about spraying your clothes and hats with OFF or some strong DEET based repellent, without putting it on your face? Would that work?

Heard Avon's Skin-So-Soft is supposed to be ok. Anyone tried this?

Wristbands?

Any things you can take--heard of vitamin B's, garlic, etc. NOt sure how effective they are.

I'm very proned to mosquito bites, so I'm trying to protect myself as best as I can.

Thanks!

Kathie

Deet-containing repellants with 30-50% deet are the most effective. There is a newer repellant called picardin which has also tested effective, though for shorrter periods of time, so it must be re-applied at regular intervals. You can buy sprays to put on your clothes containing permethrin which lasts through several washings. There are also items of clothing made by ex-officio that have repellant in them (hats, socks and such).

Nothing you ingest will make you less attractive to mosquitos, (though enough garlic and people will stay away)... Mosquitos are attracted to the carbon dioxide you exhale.

Avon skin-so-soft has citronella in it which has a minor effect of repelling mosquitos for a very short time.

KimJapan

I can't use DEET as I'm allergic...my skin actually becomes red, then cracks, then peels off when I use it. I use a great citronella mixture...got it in Thailand. It does work, but needs to be reapplied very often, like every 30 minutes or so. You might look for something like that at a natural foods store?

hawaiiantraveler

that's why I like to use Avon skin so soft....you have to keep applying it and it keeps your skin so soft while using it, but we did use some deet in siem riep

Kathie is right mosquitos are attracted to the co2 we exhale and also attracted to smelly feet....really,lol
took a course in Alsaka about mossies

wow Kim cracking....you need skin so soft

Aloha!

Kathie

Ah, HT, you must know then that Alaska is where they test mosquito repellants as they are renowned for having the "hungriest" mosquitos.

Mitch04

Sadly, those containing DEET are the best. But I suppose the good news is that I travelled from Hanoi to HCMC stopping off at Da Nang and Hoi An over a 10 day period, and also cruised 750km up the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers over 8 days from the delta to Siem Reap and never got bitten once. In fact, I can't even recall seeing a mosquito. I travelled in March April.

Mitch04

*LMFAO* Just notice you are going to be in India....*LOL* so my helpful advice about Indochina is useless!

hawaiiantraveler

some notes I dug up from my Alaska course:

Mosquito repellents and personal mosquito control

Mosquito repellents generally contain one of the following active ingredients: DEET, catnip oil extract, nepetalactone, citronella, or eucalyptus oil extract. Often the best "repellent" is a fan or gentle breeze as mosquitoes do not like moving air. Otherwise DEET is a highly effective repellent against mosquitoes, especially when worn in conjunction with light coloured clothing and a hat to cover the head. Higher concentrations allow for longer intervals between applications, but some health concerns persist over the use of pure DEET oil. It will at the least damage certain plastics, so care must be used when applying.

Other popular methods of household mosquito control include use of small electrical mats, mosquito repellent vapour, and mosquito coil, all containing a form of the chemical allethrin. Mosquito repellent candles containing Citronella oil is another method to keep mosquitoes at bay. Some lesser known methods use the cultivation of plants like wormwood or sagewort, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon thyme and the mosquito plant (Pelargonium) which act against mosquitoes. However scientists have determined that these plants are effective only when the leaves are crushed and used and applied directly to the skin.

There are several widespread theories about mosquito control such as the assertion that Vitamin B, in particular B1 Thiamine, garlic, ultrasonic devices, incense, bats, purple martins and bug zappers can be used to repel or control mosquitoes [11]. Whether these methods are effective at deterring mosquitoes or significantly reducing mosquito populations remains disputed.[12] Moreover, some manufacturers of "mosquito repelling" ultrasonic devices have been found to be fraudulent [13].

Although bats can be prodigious consumers of insects, many of which are pests, less than 1% of a bat's diet will consist of mosquitoes; bats mostly feed on larger insects such as beetles. Bats are known carriers of rabies, so care must be taken if attempting to use bats to control insects. Similarly, bug zappers kill a wide range of flying insects including many beneficial insects as well as mosquitoes; bug zappers are not effective at controlling mosquito populations.

Some newer mosquito traps emit a plume of carbon dioxide together with other mosquito attractants such as sugary scents, lactic acid, octenol, warmth, water vapor and sounds. By mimicking a mammal, these factors draw female mosquitoes toward the trap, where they are typically sucked into a net or holder where they collect. According to the American Mosquito Control Association [14], "these devices will, indeed, trap and kill measurable numbers of mosquitoes," but their effectiveness in any particular case will depend on a number of factors such as the size and species of the mosquito population and the type and location of the breeding habitat. The relative effectiveness of these newer mosquito traps is still being studied.

Treatment of mosquito bites

Visible, irritating bites are due to an immune reaction, i.e., hypersensitivity. This hypersensitivity is a reaction of IgG and IgE antibodies to antigens in the mosquito's saliva. Some of the sensitizing antigens are common to all mosquito species, whereas others are specific to certain species. There are both immediate hypersensitvity reactions (Types I & III) and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (Type IV) to mosquito bites (see Clements, 2000).

There are several commercially available remedies. A common treatment is direct application of calamine lotion, which may have a soothing effect, although its effectiveness is not medically proven. Other insect bite relief sticks are commercially available. Oral or topically applied antihistamines, and diphenhydramine (Benadryl ointment) in particular, seem to be particularly good at relieving the itch. Topical corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone and triamcinolone can help with more severe or inopportunely placed bites.

Another commercially available remedy is oatmeal bath. Pour the packet into a warm bath and soak in it for atleast 10-15 minutes. If you don't have time or money to run by the store to get a remedy, try toothpaste. White, as opposed to striped, is recommended.

Another treatment is the direct application of a cloth soaked in very hot water - steaming, but not boiling [15]. The purpose is to trigger the release of all the histamine in the area at once, thus removing the source of the itching sensation until more histamine can be reproduced, about 8 to 10 hours.

Some doctors also say that applying Mylanta or another liquid antiacid is effective in relieving the itch and the swelling because it reduces the acidity of the anticoagulant chemicals in the insect's saliva.

Aloha!

JC98

Thanks, all, for the useful info, esp. Hawaiiantraveller's scholarly exposition on the subject!

marya_

Wow, as someone who tends to attract mosquitoes, I found that very helpful, hawaiiantraveler. Thanks.

kaneda

I bought some repellent in India a few decades ago. No idea but I sat down at a table literally covered with mosquitos and they cleared a semi-circle around me. No idea of what it was called.


Buy a can of mosquito spray and before you put them on, give your clothes a quick spray from a distance. I have found dead mosquitos on my clothing because of this.

If you get bitten, get some toothpaste on it ASAP. Fast enough and it doesn't even swell. Whatever you do, you will get bitten so keep taking the malaria tablets.

StanKase

I would say you might want to spend the $100-$125 and see a board certified immunologist. A good one would have 98% of the current products both over-the-counter and scripted to consider. Why ruin an expensive vacation? We have been to Asia 3 times and my wife has picked up her share of bites but not a "mass attack" the ruined the trip, but most annoying o 1 trip. I hesitate but I will say I have heard palm oil is effective but that is all I know? Citronella I hear works for some folks but not nearly as good as 50% DEET. If used for a week my immunologist told me I would have no ill effects unless my skin was alergic to it so I tried Ben's DEET and it was fine. He said the formulas with 20-30% DEET were just passable protection in his opinion. Another idea is buying, at a price, several camping type outfits (Jungle Jim /Safari looking) that are treated in the manufacture of the fabric, not sprayed on after, that withstand 8-10 washings and the fabric is so light it dry in 6-8 hours.But a shirt and slacks runs $150-$175 but it depends on your priorities. I hope some of this helps.

lcuy

I also can't tolerate Deet repellents, but I have found Skin so Soft works very well. I have mosquitos in my back garden and watch them come up to my hands, then back off after they get about an inch away.

One of my daughters swears by those coiled wristbands...she once forgot her repellent at a camp notorious for mozzies and it kept her bite free!

In India, the risks were greater than just annoying, so I used Skin so Soft on all my exposed skin and dabbed DEET stuff (Deepwater?) on my wrists and directly onto my clothing and hat.

The Avon SSSoft comes in nice little foil packets. Each wipe can fully wet you and has enough to reload every hour or so all day. I've found the oil works a lot better than the lotion or soaps.

Tere

I was in Goa a couple of weeks ago and bought there a very good mosquito repellent cream called Odomos which was recommended by many people who were in India before. It was very efficient and non agressive to the skin. You can buy it in any supermarket or drugstore in India.

Shanghainese

HT: I have printed out your advice for our Feb trip to the Big Island.

Lucy: Does the Avon SSS sting your eyes when one's forehead perspires? It happens with my sunscreen. And where does your DD get her coiled wristband, please?

hawaiiantraveler

Shanghai:

Avon also has a product with ASSS and sunscreen in one product.....check with your Avon rep or online(sounds like a commercial)

Aloha!

lcuy

I've never had the SSS drift into my eyes yet.

I've found the coiled bracelets at Bed, Bath & Beyond (but only in the spring & summer), Home Depot by the garden tools, and WalMart in the sporting equipt section. They usually come on a hanging card, sometimes 4 to a card.

PS:I think the DEET stuff we used in India was Deepwoods, not Deepwater.

alcook2

WalMart has the new Picardin-based formula "Off" (no Deet) in a plastic spray bottle. It is very effective, low odor and not oily. It worked for us against midges in Scotland this past summer.

ShubhaG

Hi, we in India use Odomos, available at any chemist or general store. It lasts for abt 3 to 4 hours and then needs to be reapplied. In rooms we usually use repellant 'mats' which are placed on a plugged in device and are usually very effective.Keeping your legs and arms covered helps as well, so long sleeveed shirts and trousers especially in the evening are best. I've noticed that mosquitoes hover around those wearing dark coloured clothes so wearing a lighter colour may be another option!

lskohn

Just paid $30 to local university hospital's "travel clinic" (plus the cost of the hepatitis A booster I needed) and consider it well worth the price. We're going to BKK and not going into malaria-prone areas near the border, Thailand has not had the dengue fever or polio outbreaks that India has, but the RN still urged use of Avon SSS or a repellant with at least 30% DEET. SOmeone like that would be your best source of info if you react badly to DEET.

RN also advised taking tylenol rather than ibuprofen, because one of the mosquito-borne viruses going around lowers platelet count drastically, and ibuprofen enhances that; tylenol does not.

Given how unpleasant some of the mosquito-borne viruses are, you really should consider seeing a professional. Our university's travel clinic, open to the public, is staffed with very knowledgeable nurse-practitioners, so the price is less than seeing an MD. There may be something like that where you are.