Bring bug spray!
 

Had email from daughter spending summer in Florence begging us to bring bug spray with us this week -- man-eating flies and misquitoes she says. Also it is very hot (no surprise) but she is sending me home with her extra shorts as she bought several skirts to wear!! She and roomies have tried all citronella products, but to no effect:(

It might be a well kept secret, but Avon's "Skin so Soft" is the best stuff for bugs. They have a pattened formula which they refuse to disclose, and people have been using it for years. We take nothing else, and never have problems. Try some.

If she doesn't want to wait, you might want to suggest that she check the local pharmacy for a European bug spray/lotion called "Autan" (I think that is the spelling). It's packaged in red and light yellow. We bought it while we lived in Prague for a trip to Africa and it WORKS! It is sold over the counter.

Does anyone know of a skin product that contains a lot of "Deet" and where to get it? I've heard that's the most effective to ward off the critters. Ken.

I'd like to know about that Deet product, too. Carol

Why bring a spray from home? You can find plenty in Italy. Hot in Florence? Its been the coldest and wettest summer since the Renaissance (I'm not kidding!)

It is usually much better to buy insect repellant in the country or region where you are using it. Don't bring any from the USA, buy it in Italy. And why can't daughter buy her own in Florence?

I had heard that Avon's Skin So Soft was a miracle worker, so I took it for my summer in the Canadian Prairies.<BR><BR>I might as well have gotten naked and lay next to a puddle. I was disappointed it did me no good. For my other friends, it worked for a short period of time (but those mosquitos were probably on steroids). The smell of it is better than most though.<BR><BR>The only thing that did work was a repellent with a high concentration of deet. There was some kind of death solution we used, and it worked to a degree. I lost a third of my brain cells though.<BR><BR>There was a recent article that compared several kinds of mosquito repellents. The results were that deet based repellents worked best, and for the longest duration. Some other types worked, but for only about 30 minutes.

DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide)is the active ingredient in many insect repellents, and apparently, the higher the percentage, the more effective. It is MUCH more effective than citronella. Hiking shops tend to sell the really strong formulations (up to 100% but I've not tried these!).<BR>

DEET is the only chemical that has been shown to be effective in "repelling" biting insects that locate you by chemoreception (it does nothing to help with greenheads and deerflies, which are sight hunters). The Skin-so-Soft thing is an urban myth - with one small exception: due to its coating properties the oily lotion does provide minimal protection against the very small flies knows as no-see-ums. There is no "secret formula" - in fact, Avon recently changed the formula to include a small amount of weak and ineffective repellant (it had none originally) just to try to get a little more sales. Permethrin-based products will kill insects, and can provide protection against ticks, but they really do nothing for mosquitos and black flies. All of that is based on the results of dozens of clinical trials, many of which I have read.<BR><BR>Those wishing to get the facts, as opposed to the hype, may wish to start with the article "Mosquitos and mosquito repellents: a clinicians guide", which appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine 128:931-940 and is available on-line at http://www.acponline.org/journals/an...8/mosquito.htm. Though much of this paper is very technical the pertinent points are easily understandable to the lay person. It also lists over 100 technical references for further reading.<BR><BR>Ruth: The IUPAC has recently changed the name, but I can't remember what they changed it to and I'll always think of it as N,N-diethyl-metatoluamide as well.

To those that are more sensitive to mildly toxic products, try to choose a spray or lotion with low doses of DEET, especially on children. There are new products called Cactus Juice that you'll find in any organic nursery that really work and contain no DEET. I use them on the weekends when I work at a nursery in Texas. Trust me, being outside in the heat and humidity (lots of rain this year) has got everyone on a west nile virus alert. I use the Cactus juice repellent and it works for at least 5 hours. <BR><BR>Info about DEET http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/deetalert.html

In regards to Avon Skin-so-Soft I believe that it contains some citronella oil. No secret forumla. Much better on the skin than DEET though. :|

I just read an article in the paper that if you eat bananas, bugs will be attracted to the scent in your skin.<BR>Although I haven't read anything recently, I also recall that mosquitos object more to those who eat garlic.<BR>If the sprays and lotions don't work, try eating more garlic and avoid bananas.

Locally I read that the best non-DEET repellant is made by Burt's Bees; assume those products are available throughout US, especially at natural food stores, etc. It's sold at a number of places here in Pgh.

Why use a product that contains DEET. This is very powerful and toxic stuff. I used it on a trip to India for malaria protection. If you are not fighting bugs that carry malaria go for something a little less toxic. If you have to have it, I found mine at a local outdoor store which sells camping supplies. The product I used was REPEL 100 which has a very high ratio of "DEET" (95%). For a lower dosage try 3M Ultrathon Insect repellent. The actual name for DEET is N.N-diethyl-meta-toluamide

While in Finland--we all were bothered by flying insects except this one man. He said he was taking vitamin B shots. Could that be a good deterrent to mosquitos?? Or just another myth?

okay i'm getting scared<BR>are mosquitoes a problem in late september/early october,....or have they disapated by then?<BR><BR>where can i buy aon's skin so soft?<BR>do i have to order it?

Thank you for all the ideas. Carol

http://www.cactusjuicetm.com/<BR>

Mosquitos love me. Products with DEET are the only thing that work for me. Try Cutters in stick form. It works just like a push-up deodorant. The advantage is that you can apply it to your arms, legs, even face, without getting it on your hands. This is very convenient if you are dining al fresco or for middle-of-the-night-without-turning-on-the-light application. I have found it very effective and not to harsh on my skin. I also think you inhale less of it than in liquid or certainly spray form.

putting on baby oil after taking a shower works well for me. I never get mosquito bites.

Try garlic pills the work great for pets now there is a study going on with people the effects of garlic as a bug repellent. story was on CNN yesterday

If mosquitos love you, don't put on any perfume. They seem to love it as well.

Marilyn: Did you get Cutters in the US or overseas? Thanks. Carol

Carol -- I have always bought my Cutter's in the US, at an outdoors store like REI. You may have to do a little looking to find the stick form, but I swear by it. I don't know if it is available in Europe, but since I NEVER leave home without it...<BR><BR>I have been in situations where no one else is getting bit, and I'm being eaten alive. Eating garlic has NO effect on this attraction I seem to exert on 'squit's. And I never wear perfume (oddly, my husband thinks all perfume smells like bug spray). I don't even use scented hand lotion in mosquito territory. So, DEET it is, and thank god it exists!

Personally, the Skin So Soft does not work on our family. And we tend to forget to bring anything and so end up with bites and then we are on the hunt for some form of relief creme. It is now a big joke in our family...every time we travel overseas we have to bring home mosquito bite creme from whatever countries we visited. One of those silly traditions you come up with out of necessity:)

Thank you Marilyn. Carol

We spent a week at Chincoteague Island,VA, notorious for mosquitoes, in early August. I bought Skin So Soft on the recommendation of the pharmacist on the island - do NOT use this product! Well, don't use it for mosquito protection, anyway - it's great for apr&egrave;s sun emollient and it smells great. But the first night I slathered it on all members of the family, and as we left the house, between the front door and the car to go play mini-golf and get ice cream, we all four combined got 26 mosquito bites. It was as though the Chincoteague mosquitoes made a beeline for that Skin So Soft.<BR><BR>Lovely smelling stuff. As far as I'm concerned, it's USELESS against mosquitoes.<BR><BR>Back to Cutter's or anything with loads of DEET. And with all the dead crows around Northern Virginia right now, I'm tempted to slather the stuff on daily as part of my routine.

Autan and Off are two eurpean products, both containing Deet, that can be easily found not only at pharmacies but also at supermarkets (they are cheaper at supermarkets than at pharmacies!). They come in a rather wide range of fprmula, stronger or lighter, suoted for kis or not, spray, lotion or roll-on. All these are toxic, though, so they are not suited for extensive use. A good alternative are lotions, creams or sprays with "cistronella" and geranium, they work well enough for a while but have to be applied every hour or even more often. Yet they are my choice for kids, since they are not as toxic. Also, in emergency you can use plain basil leaves: crush the leaves and smear them on the skin. B vitamin works also, but it also causes a nice effect: you get FAT!

Jungle formula is 75% DEET (available in Scotland).Autan is only about 5%.

Autanspray, Florence may have experienced the coldest and wettest summer of the year 2002, but the original post is dated 6/06/2000!

Frank:<BR><BR>Italy is neither a jungle nor a siberian steppe. We have relatively few and weak mosquitoes and Autan or even plain itronella and geranium lotions work well enough for them.

The very best repellent that I found in Italy is just called "OFF". It is a clear liquid and very effective. I was surprised and pleased to find it here in Australia too.......both Italy and Oz carry it in most supermarkets.<BR><BR>Carole

I just got back from Rome and Florence and with all the rain out there, the bugs are killer. My best freind who isn't allergic to anything that she knows of, got bit by something in Rome and the welt was as big as a baseball on her calf the next day. She said it hurt like hell too. Bring the bugs spray with you for sure!!!!