We are trying to decide between visiting Viet Nam or Thailand. One of the items to be considered are the seasons and locations of high levels of mesquitos.

Mesquitos find me fair game even though I
regularly use Deet.
Any help posters can give me would be greatly appreciated.

I was in SE Asia twice last year, once in Feb and visited Thailand and Cambodia and once in Nov/Dec visiting Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

The mosquitos found me equally delectible in all countries!

I keep myself covered in deet 24/7 as well and still manage to get bitten. However, people love to take me camping because the mosquitos leave them alone while they feast on my blood.

Good luck!

When in Thailand, the locals had a formula for mosquito control that worked better (and wasn't as toxic to us) than the DEET we brought. It was some sort of lemongrass concoction. Can be bought at the grocery/pharmacy or perhaps provided by your hotel (about 1/2 of ours provided it).

Not that it will help you make your decision, but may make you more comfortable when at your destination.

Additionally, we did not have problemw with mosquitos in Bangkok, only the less urban areas (everywhere else).

Lemongrass is certainly the way to go. The local mosquitoes seem to consider DEET to be a sauce to be enjoyed with your blood.

Didn't have any issues in BKK, but they ate me alive in Phuket this past March. Never had any problems with mesquitos in my three trips to Vietnam.

Yeah, I think the pollution in Bangkok keeps the mossies away! Still love that city!

it may depend on what are of Viet Nam and Thailand you are planning to travel to. I found Sapa in Viet nam to have a fair share of mosquitos but not Hanoi.
In Thailand in a couple of weeks ago Bangkok was ok but Kanchanburi had a few.
Check out the weather reports for rain.

Starel,

I just returned from Vietnam last Sunday, and I have been bitten more times in my backyard than in the entire 2 1/2 weeks we were there! The only place mosquitoes were even at nuisance level was on Phu Quoc, where I did use Deet at sundown. We were lucky in that the rainy season really hadn't started, so that may have helped, but overall I wouldn't rule out Vietnam (in the spring, at least) because of mosquitoes.

Eat Marmite (yeast extract aka vegemite in Australia), every day mozzies hate it (as do some people!) It really does work.

That's a new one - marmite as an insect repellent! Would it work more effectively if you smeared it on your exposed skin instead of consuming it?

I'm sure the ant and cockroach population will love it!

wow I just google marmite and mosquitoes and I don't believe my eyes!

While it has long been an "Old Aussies Tale" that eating marmite repells mosquitos, careful research has shown that nothing you eat whether it be marmite, garlic, B vitamins or anything else is effective at repelling mosquitos. However, eating large quantities of marmite has been found to be an effective people repellant. ;-)

Marmite is rich in B vitamins, notably B12 so maybe that helps against them? Take a box of Vitamin B complex on holiday and try it out?

The best way to avoid mosquitos is to close all windows at twilight and spray around. Also cover up when going out in the evenings (I have even given my outer clothes just a very quick spray with fly killer and later found a dead mosquito on them).

Yipes! Don't spray "fly killer" on your clothes. There are sprays made specifically for putting on clothing which are effective, they contain pyrethin and last through several washings. Use all insecticides and repellants as directed. Also note that 100% deet should not be used on your skin. For application to skin, formulas that have 25-50% deet are best.

Marmite! as the advertisements say "you either love it or hate it!"

I always seem to get bitten more in the first few days of travelling than towards the end. Anyone else have this experience?

Hi

I got a bit chewed up when I went to Samui a couple of weeks back but then again I always get bitten. I bought one spray for sensitive skin but when I put it on I guess I got some reaction as I got reddish in the skin and very hot...when taking a closer look at the bottle is seemed like it contained a lot of DEET. But I bought some mosquito repellent lotion and that seemed to work on me. Good luck

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

I want to thank all the responders to my mesquito question. We will try to visit in the dry season, take along Deet, buy lemongrass lotion and Vit B etc, etc, and bring along caladryl for the "what ifs."

I am going to give a little different advise for protecting against mosquitoes than is given above.

The number one attraction to a mosquito is the CO2 that your body gives off.

While in an infested area of course cover up as much as possible especially the top of your head and your feet(believe it or not smelly feet really attracts a mossie).

Use a repellant with deet in it or I use Avon skin so soft. Works great for me.

I also sometimes use Bug Off clothing that you can buy online or in sporting stores. The bug off clothes have worked really well for me and I live on a mountain with a forest preserve in our back yard and in the wet season we have tons of mosquitoes.

Aloha!

My husband drinks lots of vodka and they never seem to bother him

I do like the vodka idea!