Ouch! Mosquitoes eating me alive

**MGtraildog** · 08-26-2012, 15:50

Need advice on mosquito repellant for upcoming trip. Im not sure but i think mosquito population is worse this year. What is best to spray on myself to fend off those devils?

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-26-2012, 16:46

My friends use various deet-free bug sprays, but I think they get away with that because mosquitoes don't like them anyway. I, on the other hand, am the tastiest thing in the woods for skeeters. I use Deep Woods Off and it keeps me sane. Also, if you spray Permethrin on hammock and bugnet, that will give your sleep system a total no-fly zone.

I forgot the Permethrin on my new BIAS Buginator bugnet this weekend. Though I didn't get any skeeters inside the net, the daddy long legs spiders felt emboldened to come in the bugnet. It's no fun waking up with a daddy long legs crawling down your neck. I freaked out my hanging partners with hysterical laughing in the middle of the night - those daddy long legs really tickle.

**ernesthemmingway** · 08-26-2012, 18:37

If youre sitting still, Ive found the thermacells to work very well. I used one for the first time sitting in a treestand during hunting season last year, and I wasnt bothered by mosquitos at all.

**FLRider** · 08-26-2012, 20:54

Permethrin on your clothing and Picaridin or DEET on your skin will keep the buggers away.

Personally, I prefer the Picaridin (20% concentration); it lasts almost as long as the DEET and works better on ticks while not losing any effectiveness against skeeters that I've noticed. Also, it doesn't melt nylon the way that stronger (98% and up) concentrations of DEET can--seeing as how most hammocks are made out of nylon, well...

Anyway, that's my personal experience down here in Florida, where we have biting arthropods from February to November (and sometimes in December and January, too).

**DivaB** · 08-26-2012, 21:05

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

those daddy long legs really tickle.

Yuck, Yuck, Yuck!! ...... did you have to say that?!?!

**SnrMoment** · 08-26-2012, 21:35

Tea Tree oil and Citronella. Works on mozzies & ticks. Bears find it tasty.

**Acer** · 08-26-2012, 21:40

We have more than ever in the history of record keeping in Indiana, West Nile Virus showing up all over the state than ever,,and I am sure same for Ohio cause of the mild winter and hot summer. And your next to state line..dope up good for skeeters this year and take no chances. the State warnings recommend using nothing but deet products to combat that particular skeeter.

**jbrianb** · 08-26-2012, 23:01

I've been reading a lot about catnip being more effective than citronella. I got some seeds and intended to plant some in pots along my porch where the mosquitoes get us in the evenings, but we adopted a cat and I decided not to do it.

Here's some interesting reading about how to use this plant to keep skeeters at bay, but then again, who wants to go hiking with a pack of 47 cats following behind. The racket they make can be awful, especially when a few of them get in a squabble about who's snuggling with the person in the euphoria-inducing bug net.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0828075659.htm

http://www.cherylsherbs.com/Catnip_and_Mosquitoes.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2312448_make...repellent.html

**Kattelyn** · 08-26-2012, 23:40

Multi layer approach works best. Permethrin on your gear and your clothes. Then dousing with the harsh stuff on the fabric that isn't permethrin coated, then a final layer on your skin of deep woods off / deet based. They are awful down here in Texas and there's been a state of emergency issued about west nile.