Re: Mosquitos

[Jeanjean16]

Thanks for all the advice....once again I have woken up with a dozen or more new bites, some great big swollen ones. I have tried everything.. I was so concerned as to if my PMR would be problematic, that has been manageable, but the mozzies are really spoiling my holiday. I was hoping to go home rested and looking healthy. Instead I look as if I haven't slept for a week with a severe case of chicken pox. Never mind it's only a holiday 😂😂😂😂

[Hidden]

Oh dear jeanjean16, I do sympathise. I wasn't anywhere quite so exotic (Netherlands), but got 60plus bites in just under 48hrs. It was several mozzies in my bedroom I hadn't noticed in the day. So just check everything in your bedroom is closed and if you have to spray it liberally with repellant. Do the locals have remedies? Please kept an eye on them and if you can stay as cool as possible it might help (!). Good luck. 🌻

[Jeanjean16 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I am like the mosquito police at bedtime, checking everything, I spray, I have a plug in and I leave the air on on. Tobago must have the sneakiness kind of mozzies, they hide from me unti sleep.,

[Yellowbluebell in reply to Jeanjean16]

Is there anywhere you can get hold of essential oils because most flying insects dont like citronella or lemon

[Hidden in reply to Jeanjean16]

They are awkward things. They bit all down my right arms and face the first night. So I laid on my back and they got the rest of me. As ybb says and I mentioned yesterday...Citronella candles should help or get some lemons and zest them to get the oils out if the skin if no essentials oils available...do it standing in the bedroom so the oil hits the bed. Housekeeping will have dealt with worse!

[phebamom]

Avon Skin So Soft is a natural mosquito repellent. I have used it for 40 years as I don't tolerate the chemical sprays. Not the newer skin creams, but the original bath oil.

Also, plain Listerene mouth wash, the old orange/yellow stuff, saturate a cotton ball, and dab on the bites a lot. The Phenol in the mouth wash stops itching, draws out the toxin and helps it heal. I am so allergic to mosquito bites, ditto for fleas an chiggers. Nature hates me!

I have been through this for decades.

[Hidden in reply to phebamom]

I have heard that about Avon SSS. I think my bil told me they used it in his branch of the services. I had forgotten. Thanks for reminding me.

[Jeanjean16 in reply to Hidden]

I always use the Avon and usually it's enough. But I thinks the mozzies here are resistant to everything!

[Hidden in reply to Jeanjean16]

I hope they leave you alone for a bit now.

[Casia in reply to Hidden]

Avon SSS is used by the army training in the Highlands to prevent midge bites! Very effective.

[Purplecrow]

Obviously too late to help you on this vacation, but my Mosquito remedy is Vit B.

I take a Vit B complex tab daily, and feel more energetic for it. The bonus is that Mosquitos seem not to like me. I suspect smell of the Vit B does not attract them.

Good luck...J

[Jeanjean16 in reply to Purplecrow]

I also take bit D, but mozzies still love me....

[Blearyeyed in reply to Purplecrow]

That was what I was thinking , a always have a stick if Mosiguard repellent and take Brewers Yeast over the Summer or if I'm going somewhere with alot of gnat's or mosquitos.

Apparently , the smell , undetected by us ( a bit like taking garlic tablets ) is off putting to insects of all types.

It works when camping as well , if you put an open pot of Marmite on your dining table it reduces the amount of wasps that want to come begging. I also have a tiny water pistol for the ones that are particularly persistent.

There are some medications that you definitely can't take Brewers Yeast with that you can check on Healthline , and if you have Vitamin B injections you need to check how much you are allowed.

You can't take it with yeast allergies or Crohn's .

It can cause a little tummy ache or a headache when you start it for some people which usually goes in a few days.

You have to be careful as a Type 1 Diabetic that you check your blood sugars as it can lower blood sugar , my OH takes it and he actually got to reduce his daily intake of insulin as well with some careful checks as he began on it to get the doses right.

There have been studied showing that taken for 8 weeks by Type 2 diabetics and for those with high total cholesterol that it lowered test results , so you could possibly banish the bugs and potentially reduce the risk of diabetes and cholesterol on steroids when you take it if it's right for your individual health conditions.

Just having a piece of toast and Marmite might help for now .... Or if you are a really good shot the water pistol is very satisfying , plus you can use it on your OH when he neglects to put the kettle on!😋😂😂😂

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

I was going to mention marmite....but you can't tell which way it will go....B12 Vit again

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

What ?!! Love it or hate it!😋

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

Yep.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

That's why the Brewers Yeast supplement , it doesn't contain B12, as far as I remember.

[HeronNS in reply to Blearyeyed]

Actually I thought brewers yeast was a source of Vitamin B12 for vegetarians?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Vegans - my friend was panickstricken when there was the threat to Marmite in the UK!!!!

[Hidden in reply to Blearyeyed]

It does. As heron says veg goes use it for B12...yeast extract ..brewer's yeast...

I also use nutritional B12 flakes as an umami taste in stews.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

I agree that is what I thought , and it is in Marmite etc , but the brewers yeast supplement we got for my OH and that I now use is B12free , it seems to have every B but !!!

[Blearyeyed in reply to Hidden]

Yep , just doubled checked there are two types of brewers yeast , pure brewers yeast that does not contain B12, and brewers yeast fortified with nutritional yeast which is the source of B12.

Yeast extract spreads contain both , and that does deter insects , so I now know the reason that when I started using the same supplement as my OH I started getting bitten.

The nutritional yeast B12 must be the magic insect repellent. I better get back on the breakfast Marmite!!

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I make a very hearty vegetable bean stew in the wintertime and find a big dollop of Marmite added to the mix makes it much more interesting!

[Purplecrow in reply to Blearyeyed]

Yes, yes, yes, and doubled over laughing. My OH would not take kindly to being squirted for neglecting the kettle!

However, I believe heartily about the Vitamin B, it works for me!

Carry on...💃🏼 J

[Blearyeyed in reply to Purplecrow]

My OH is four years my junior , and so being my toyboy , I can use the excuse that I do on the children and tell him I'm teaching him to respect his elders!!😋😂😂😘

[Purplecrow in reply to Blearyeyed]

😅😂🤣OMG! That is great!! Toyboy! You must have a delicious relationship.. and he actually lets you teach him respect🤣😁

Not anything like the men who have been in my life! Thus, changing teams and making my own rules.😁!!

💜👏🏽💜 J

[Blearyeyed in reply to Purplecrow]

I'm taller than him too , he's surrounded by women with two daughters , he used to say he was happy we had male cats so that he felt less outnumbered , except the cats were traitors to the Male cause and sided with the people with the best snacks .

[Purplecrow in reply to Blearyeyed]

🤣🙏🏽😂

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purplecrow]

Is there lots of vit B in beer??????????????????

[Purplecrow in reply to PMRpro]

If not.....oughta be🤣😅🍺💜

[scats]

Think positive, at least you got to see Tobago! All I did was put a leg out from under the covers. We could always insist polka dots are in fashion!

[Jeanjean16 in reply to scats]

I like your style and I'm getting attached to my large red splodges of itchy flesh!

[scats in reply to Jeanjean16]

No choice but to be attached to them!

[Purplecrow in reply to scats]

BTW, I use an over counter antibiotic ointment with a pain component, to stop the itch, and to prevent infection from accidentally breaking my skin from scratching.

💜

[mcbouchon]

Hi Jeanjean16, l see that other posters have already suggested the Avon product. If you can source coconut oil, it's supposed to help, both as a repellent, and to cover bites, because of its anti-inflammatory properties. It does make your skin a bit greasy, but I have found on the occasions I've tried it that I didn't get bitten. Hth.

[Telian]

That’s awful and I do sympathise.

You’ve received lots of tips to help but re your PMR becoming a problem wouldn’t say so but your bites might be slower to heal because of your low immunity so don’t scratch them or they’ll become infected. Scratch around them if need be and cool them with ice.

Use a repellent spray on you! ... and take an antihistamine.

You could also get a mozzie net to keep the blighters out?

Hope you can enjoy the rest of your holiday.