My mom is going to Thailand in January. We were wondering if she will need mosquito repellent . . . Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Mosquitoes are around in January but much less than in the wet months. I suggest that your mother buy the mosquito repellent in Bangkok instead of bringing one from abroad. I've used repellent from other countries and it didn't seem to work as well as the locally produced stuff. There are some natural repellent sold here, made from lemongrass and other herbs, which are very effective and kind to the human skin.

Mosquitoes are around in January but much less than in the wet months. I suggest that your mother buy the mosquito repellent in Bangkok instead of bringing one from abroad. I've used repellent from other countries and it didn't seem to work as well as the locally produced stuff. There are some natural repellent sold here, made from lemongrass and other herbs, which are very effective and gentle to the human skin.

Hanuman, what is the brand and what sort of stores do you buy it in? I'm interested for my next trip. (Mosquitoes love me.)

Hi Marilyn,

There are several brands and the main ingredient is "Citronella Grass Oil". You can buy it at most drug store but in my case my wife got it from the Jatuchak Market(weekend market). Just ask for a mosquito repellent made from natural extract.

Marilyn -

You might want to check a health food store for a natural repellent. We found one made of different natural ingredients - cloves, lemon grass, other that not only had a great scent, but actually worked pretty well.

Pricewise, it was a bit more expensive than what you find in deet products (about $9), but if it work - again, a Health Food Store. Check them out.

Repellants containing lemongrass and citronella repel mosquitos for 20-30 minutes in test conditions. Only those repellants containing deet (25-35% is optimal) are effective in repelling mosquitos for hours. Repellants containing deet are available in Thailand as well as in the US.

Depending on exactly where your mother is going she may encounter very few mosquitos or she may encounter more. As there are a number of mosquito-borne diseases, it's wise to take effective precautions.

Consumer Reports published a nice article on repellants a year or so ago. It reviewed the scientific literature and presents it in a straight-forward way. You can likely find it on the web.

Depending on where you are, bug bites can be a real problem. My wife and daughter seem to be magnets for mosquitos so we tend to go with the tried and true which means a DEET based repellant. Since the stuff is so strong and has a distinct chemical smell, we try to buy a roll-on type which avoids getting it on your hands or inhaling it. Fortunately, with a high level of deet, you don't need to use much. Just two or three rolls on each arm and leg and never on your face.

Thank you Hanuman and sandi.

Kathie, you are a fount of educated and practical advice as always.

dywong, I use a product called Cutters which has the usual maximum percent of DEET. They make it in a push-up stick, which is even better than a roll on in my opinion. And if the mozzies are buzzing around my head at night, I do put a few dabs on my ears and cheeks.

I don't know if there's anything to it but I received an email recently about the many uses of Bounce. This, of course, is the anti-static, fabric softener in the form of sheets that you'd put in your clother dryer. According to the info I received, Bounce repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season. I've been wanting to try it out but with the long, hot, dry summer that we've had in Western Canada, I haven't had the opportunity. Worth a look???

There are all kind of rumors of mosquito repellant "folk remedies." None have held up to research, including ingesting large quantites of garlic or B vitamins, using Avon Skin-so-Soft, or Bounce. Again, the research is clear: the only commercially available repellants in the US that are effective for more than 30 minutes are those that contain deet. (There is a newly developed repellant that looks promising containing autan which is not yet available in the US.)

A concentration fo 35-35% deet will protect you for 6-8 hours. The repellant must be applied to all bare skin, as the repellant works only for up to 1-2 cms away from the application.

There is also a spray containing pythereins that can be used on your clothes and lasts through multiple washings that will keep mosquitps from biting through your clothes. (By the way, don't use deet on clothing.)

I make my own repellant in a large quantity by buying 100% DEET from WalMart's sporting goods department and mixing it with isopropyl alcohol in an 8oz. squeeze bottle. 2 oz. DEET and 6 oz. alcohol make a 25% solution. This is enough to last a month if you don't waste it.