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28 July 2006

Ask Mecha: How do you keep mosquitos away? I'm going on a camping trip to northern Minnesota next week, and I hear the mosquitos there are fierce. →[More:]I'll be out there for almost a week, and aside from the usual repelants, which I'm definitely going to bring, I've heard of some other methods, like taking Vitamin B. Any suggestions?

post by: pieisexactlythree at: 15:51 | 24 comments

Pi, my roomie and I had great luck with citronella candles and ultra-high percentage DEET spray. but this was at 10,000' in Crested Butte, and I hear the skeeters in Minnesota are FIERCE.

People swear by stuff like OFF! Skintastic, well mebbe for gardening, but IME when camping in the backwoods, that stuff doesn't work at all.

smoke is definitely a deterrent, but I don't know how attractive the thought of sitting in campfire smoke is.

Another great tactic is to use light fabric, long sleeve shirts and convertible pants - in fabrics like this so you don't sweat your nuts off.

posted by lonefrontranger 28 July | 15:58

Keep good and clean if possible. The salt in your sweat smells like blood, and you'll get bitten considerably more if you have sweat/dried sweat on your skin.

posted by Specklet 28 July | 16:05

You're going to be battling black flies, too, and they go for the head/face.

Deet, yes. Long sleeves, yes. And look into one of those mosquito hat things. They may look silly, but who cares. You'll be in the wilderness and there won't be many people around to laugh at you.

posted by mudpuppie 28 July | 16:05

Yeah, you're going to want something with as much DEET as possible. Note that DEET melts plastics and synthetic fabric, so be wary on where and how you use it.

I've been using Cutter Advanced Wipes this year during backyard shenanigans, which seem to work really well. I haven't spent any significant time in the woods this season, though, so I wouldn't call them battle-tested.

posted by eamondaly 28 July | 16:05

Psssst.... I heard Eamon's into backyard shenanigans....

posted by matildaben 28 July | 16:10

Damn, if I'd known about that two years ago, I'd be able to say that I've had sex outdoors. We were both horny, but so were the bugs : (

posted by pieisexactlythree 28 July | 16:13

I snap a birch twig off the nearest tree and wave about as I walk. At night I sleep inside a tent where mosquitoes don't enter (never leave the flap open) and if you wanna hang out watching the sunset, those little buggers hate the smell of people who drink Gin & Tonic! True!

posted by dabitch 28 July | 16:19

I'm planning to bring a hammock and a mosquito net that ties around the whole thing. It worked great on Mt. Hood, but who knows if it's hardcore enought for MN.

posted by pieisexactlythree 28 July | 16:22

DEET is toxic, so have clothing full of Deet to wear, to minimize skin contact. Smoke helps. I recently tried putting a dab of toothpaste on a bite, and it seemed to help. There are commercial after-bite products, and I take Benadryl, in case I get bitten enough that I can't sleep.

I'm quite reactive to mosquito bites, which gets s little better over the summer as I acclimate, but only up to a point. I notice that some of the people who say they don't get bitten just don't react much to the bites.

posted by theora55 28 July | 16:30

those little buggers hate the smell of people who drink Gin & Tonic! True!

It is indeed true. It's the quinine in the tonic. Why, in the old days, all you could do to keep the malaria-ridden mosquitos away was to take quinine tablets.

posted by Specklet 28 July | 16:35

100% DEET. Yes, it's toxic, but on me, nothing else will do. It's not as though I use it daily, and I'm sure we've all been exposed to environmental toxins that have done far greater long-range damage than a few-times-a-year exposure to DEET. It's better than suffering with dozens of bites and a system-wide reaction. It's highly effective. I just try to avoid getting it on my hands, and wash hands well before eating.

posted by Miko 28 July | 16:36

I thought quinine treated the disease. I didn't realize it repelled the skeeters.

posted by mudpuppie 28 July | 16:36

Yeah, that's exactly it. My mum figured it out the hard way, she got malaria four times or something mad like that when they lived in Ghana. She never drank GT's.
I will not make the same mistake. Fill the glass please bartender. ;)

posted by dabitch 28 July | 16:37

That's actually why the gin and tonic was invented -- quinine was to repel insects away from British soldiers and officers who were busy occupying India. Gin, of course, was an easily produced alcohol. The gin and tonic combination dates from that time period.

posted by Miko 28 July | 16:38

I think I need a cite on this one.

posted by mudpuppie 28 July | 16:41

Wait. The India theory is well supported (quinine was taken in powder form, and was dissolved in gin to make it a bit less nasty tasting) but I think pup's right that quinine's just a treatment for malaria, not a repellent.

posted by Miko 28 July | 16:43

I've heard that too, Miko.

*puts on white linen suit, sips G&T*

posted by pieisexactlythree 28 July | 16:44

Yeah, from what I understand, quinine can be used to prevent the disease, but not the bites.

posted by mudpuppie 28 July | 16:46

Hmm. I always thought the quinine made you taste unpleasant to mosquitos.

But, quinine is definitely used to both treat and prevent malaria: scroll down to 6.5 Chemoprophylaxis. Chloroquine is a synthetic version of good ole quinine. (Really bad for your liver and eyesight, though.)

Hold on, these sites lists cinchona (the bark from when quinine is derived) as an insect repellent...

Also, pi, if you're willing to give it a try, this is less toxic than DEET.

posted by Specklet 28 July | 17:30

How about I just try ALL OF THEM!?!?!?

posted by pieisexactlythree 28 July | 17:55

pi from what I hear of the Minnesota State Birds, "all of them" is a very good answer.

and yeah, what eamondaly said about DEET melting plastics. don't get any on the tent.

the advise to keep the tent flaps closed at all times, and to avoid smelling like sweat as much as possible is golden as well.

enjoy your trip!

posted by lonefrontranger 28 July | 18:11

Vicks is your friend, my friend. (I've lived in Ghana where the skeeters are as big as elephants and as vicious as an ex-wife on the hunt for more alimony!)
Vicks...or any other strong minty balm/salve whathaveyou...i've even tried flexall for muscle aches and it works).
Rub exposed skin till tingly...and the skeeters stay away! Also good for skeeter bites. It makes the swelling and itching go down.
But whatever you do, for the love of all that is holy, don't scratch your crotch after you apply. Take it from me, i learned the hard way!

posted by ramix 28 July | 18:16

Mosquitos will go for the tastiest target. Steal all camp mates anti-Mozzy sprays/equipment and keep close to them.

:)

posted by seanyboy 28 July | 18:19

ramix lived in Ghana too? Small world! cool! where? my folks were in Accra. of course this was ages ago and I was just a twinkle in my mothers eye so ...

posted by dabitch 29 July | 03:36

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