 | Home > Expedition & Overland > One bite too many! |
 
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Having just been bitten within an inch of my life by gnats, mossi’s and midges, I had to call an end to our lovely evening under the foxwing in Wareham Forrest.
| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5816   
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I get bitten to
 . (40 mozzie bites on my legs alone during a trip to Provence three weeks ago, Mrs Grenadier - 0). I’ve never found a lotion or spray that really works. In Kenya it was recommended we eat some raw garlic, (apparently it comes out in your skin), and I honestly wasn’t bitten much, but clearly that’s a little anti-social for a camping trip. I also noticed that the dirtier i became on ops/ex, the less I was bitten. Again, anti-social. I’m sure others will offer up a better remedy that dirt and bad smell but I either use what I can and put up with it, or wrap/net up. What do work well are the many cooling/anti-itching creams and lotions at Boots etc. Normally better to avoid the something unpleasant in the first place than deal with it after the fact, but no one wants to sit in a pub beer garden wearing Deet aftershave, a neck-high boiler suit and head net, so sometimes a cure is better than prevention.  Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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22nd Jul 2020 9:29pm |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4209  
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We have terrible midges here at home. For a couple of months a year it’s impossible to sit outside in an evening. Tried everything over the years, proper products, old wives tails etc. The only thing that works is deet. Just don’t get it in your eyes or on anything plastic. Horrible stuff really. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
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22nd Jul 2020 9:34pm |
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| familymad Member Since: 13 Dec 2011 Location: Bucks Posts: 3481  
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/4282934/...l-marines/ 1951 80" S1 2.0
1995 110 300TDI 1995 90 300TDI |
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23rd Jul 2020 5:05am |
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| Tim in Scotland Member Since: 23 May 2007 Location: The Land that time forgot Posts: 3753
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 Normally we suffer really badly with midges in this area, they appear to have emigrated south as we’ve not had any yet since lock down started...... Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed! |
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23rd Jul 2020 5:41am |
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| Harry.O Member Since: 25 Jul 2014 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 713 
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The Avon Skin stuff helps with the midges but there's also some another called Smidge that Midge that seems to help. Unfortunately nothing stops them totally other than covering up.
For mozzies in particular and whilst living in West Africa where malaria was an annual occurrence we used Jungle Formula as a roll-on (it does contain deet) and citronella candles if stationary in the evenings. Mosquitos are attracted to blue, black and red colours so avoid wearing those clothes in really bad places. A mate swears by marmite for breakfast every day, allegedly the mozzies dislike the smell of yeast on your skin but no idea if that has any scientific backing. 2005 Td5 110 Hardtop 1989 300Tdi 90 Soft top 1992 200Tdi 90 Truck cab with Land Cruiser axles |
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23rd Jul 2020 6:26am |
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| Muddybigdog Member Since: 11 Apr 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 1017 
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Smidge is pretty good for some people but not others, instead of DEET based products try products with Picaridin instead, much safer, although like most products may not work for everyone. Strong fan blowing and a net is 100% proof, but does spoil any serenity Jumped ship to reliability - Mitsubishi L200
Puma 90 XS - Sold D3 - 2.7 S x2 (both Sold) Freelander 2 HSE - Sold Freelander 1 - Sold Disco 2 - Sold |
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23rd Jul 2020 7:18am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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I don't have a solution to your problems only an experience.
Years ago while on holiday in Rhodes (Greece) S.H.M.B.O. and myself went on a boat trip to Simi another Greek island, now this place had mossies' that put the scots variant in the shade, before the trip we had been warned and advised to use a local anti mossie spray which contained Deet. This was no match for the blighters, we sort refuge in a local café and were lucky to find a local who could speak English, they directed us to the pharmacy, the lady behind the counter didn't speak English but knew what we needed by the use of hand gestures and pointing at the bites, reaching under the counter she pulled out a card which in English stated did we need something to stop them biting and did we need something to stop the itch? after giving her the international thumps up and nodding she called the pharmacists who pulled three bottles off the shelf and made up two concoctions in two spray bottles, and by the use of hand signals and printed cards told us what to do with them. We used the anti bit stuff before leaving and you could see the blighters avoid us when we left To stop them biting the liquid smelt of deet, garlic and citronella , to relieve the itch we had been given Ammonia distillate which from experience as an apprentice at ICI, not only paralyses the lungs but also clears the head if you have overdone the night before. Ammonia Distillate is banned from sale to the public except in household cleaners. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to us off.
Richard |
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23rd Jul 2020 8:07am |
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| LoveTheMud Member Since: 19 Feb 2015 Location: Weybridge Surrey & Pontefract West Yorkshire Posts: 411 
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Being of the age where most of my knowledge comes from TV and films, i remember the doctor No 007 film, and there being something in there about the little blighters being attracted to the salt in our skin. Normally I get bitten to death, but this year, nothing at all, and the wife seems to be covered in them.
I have been eating more garlic than normal as im cooking much more (wfh), also eating much more healthily. But the biggest thing i think it might be is, I've changed my deodorant from a luxury type one, to a cheap vegan type non-aluminium, deodorant, and being vegan, its crap... I stink and not even the flies come near me |
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23rd Jul 2020 10:53am |
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| Pilgrimmick Member Since: 16 Nov 2015 Location: Highlands Posts: 582
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I believe that marmite and garlic both help, let’s face it who would want to eat blood with marmite and garlic.
As said above skin so soft does work, but you have to be very generous with it. Smidge is good but expensive, deet very good but With all sorts of drawbacks. I have also heard that vitamin B is good, but cannot remember the science behind it. 80" 1948 Lightweight V8 Bowler Tomcat 130 Station wagon 90 300tdi (Santana PS10 pick up) Range Rover L322 (Ful fat) |
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23rd Jul 2020 11:21am |
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| AMBxx Member Since: 24 Jul 2016 Location: York Posts: 1031 
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My wife finds that walking next to me is enough to save her - large clouds above me, nothing near her at all. I'm a bit like the smelly kid in Peanuts.
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23rd Jul 2020 12:05pm |
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| ickle Member Since: 22 Jul 2010 Location: South Vendee Posts: 1782 
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We've been using a home made concoction that seems to work well - here at least, a base oil of almond, then citronella, geranium, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus essential oils, into a spray bottle then applied after showering and smells nice too!
If you do get bitten, try a little toothpaste dabbed onto the bite and left - stings for 20 seconds but takes the itch away for good. As others have said, a fan blowing under the table at night, citronella candles, mozzy net and fan at night and touch wood I'm still bite free this year. Keith |
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23rd Jul 2020 2:02pm |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5843 
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Giant kick ass flame throwers and here's me and the Mrs think of relocating to Scotlandshire 1999 Defender TD5 110
Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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23rd Jul 2020 2:27pm |
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| strang Member Since: 16 May 2012 Location: Happy Valley Posts: 1380 
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You can't beat an SLR with wooden fittings! (showing my age.....) Euro-Leafing to infinity and beyond..... |
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23rd Jul 2020 6:16pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17384 
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I can remember the excitement of getting an SLR instead of a Lee Enfield .303 ! Now that's showing my age!
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23rd Jul 2020 6:29pm |
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