bug repellant

[Tim]

As we are going on vacation next week (northern MN), am just wondering if there is any vitamin pill one could take as to ward off the mosquitoes, gnats and no-see-ums? I have heard that taking a dose of garlic or yeast can work, but am not a big fan of garlic and taking a teaspoon of yeast a day does not appeal to me a whole lot. Have also heard vitamin B1 will work because of the thiamine. We normally load up on bug repellent, however one feels greasy after doing so. If there is no easy way to ward off the bugs then so be it, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask.

For those who answered a previous post of mine, we bought a 9" ac/dc tv/vcr combo for my daughter for the trip. I thank you for the advice.

Tim

[vetspet(ind)]

i am a veterinarian and we proved back in the 80's that the garlic and yeast...activated and non...never repelled fleas....a lot of cos. made money at the pet stores with that one....absolutely did not help dogs in a double blinded study .....i have also tried avon skin so soft...some people claim it helps....never helped me....i hate the bugs...used mosquito netting when i used to go to ely minn....the black flies could be terrible up there....remember deet can wipe out plastic facings on fish graphs....i think fish can definately sense deet but i could be wrong....electronic devices were also popular in late 80's and early 90's....purdue did a double blind on them....used cats with e-collars...devised a cage with a grate so that if the flea jumped off due to the noise it could not get back on....3 types...the e-collar is used so that the cat can not pick off the fleas....they put 50 fleas /cat/ wk....1/2 cats had batteries removed (controls)....at the end of 6 wks the controls retained an ave of 96% of their fleas...the cats with the working collars retained an ave of 97% of their fleas!!!!!! and yet i had clients swear those collars worked...and even a local veterinarian i fish with sold them!!! i always wanted to ask him if he ever read the study his alma mater made...never had the guts....this is the type of hype most non deet products have...sound good until you use them....steve

[cisco]

US Army studies confirmed that DEET was the best repellant available -- however, be careful of DEET with kids. In fact, some sources suggest DEET may also be harmful to adults. Your best bet is to keep yourself covered -- which means you hope for cool or even cold weather. Good luck.

[Fin Addict]

You may be in luck. At least for myself, I have not been bothered by bugs at all yet this year. Stomping through heavy woods along the river for 2 hours this afternoon and no bugs. Hopefully you will miss them!

[RANGER]

Nothing is absolute, but I have used and continue to use vitamine B-1 and I believe it really does help. Take it, once a day, a week before going and all during the trip but keep some Deep Woods OFF handy.

Friends of mine invited me for a Canadian fishing trip about 11 years ago. I was taking 250mg of B-1, as I always had, and they weren't (7 guys). I didn't have a problem with bugs that week while they did. They asked what I used and I told them. Ever since then they take it EVERY trip. You'd think I was some kind of hero the way they feel about this discovery!

I can't help you with black flies - that's where the OFF comes in.

RANGER

[RANGER]

I use B-1, 250mg. I swear by it, so does 7 guys I fish in Canada with after I introduced them to it. Take 1 pill a day starting 1 week before going and every day of the trip. If your trip is next week, start them now.

As for black flies? I take along Deep Woods OFF, but, raw motor oil doesn't even work for these pesky critters!

RANGER

[wilfer]

Muskol repellent works the best for me. It comes in lotion and spray. Spray makes much less of a mess.

[slick2526]

Hey, Well my suggestions to use is muskoll or however you spell it. dont get stuff in air-sol cans. Believe the stuff you get it a normal bottle thats liquid, not lotion works the best.

[Nate W.]

On our trips to Canada we always use 100% DEET, but spray it on our clothes, not on our skin. I didn't know it was harmful to the screens on sonar units. I've tried all the other stuff, avon, garlic, etc. All it did was make me greasey and rank. Once we started with the 100% DEET we didn't have much trouble. We had a guide in Canada tell us once that the old time fur trapper-traders would cover themselves with bear fat. You could try it, but I doubt the bear will give it up without a fight.

[cisco]

DEET will ruin synthetics and plastics -- Don't spray the stuff on your clothing unless you wear nothing but natural fibres (cotton, wool, silk).

Adults can apply DEET directly to the skin, but be careful. More research appears almost daily to warn against DEET for adults but especially for children.

[Gunga Din]

I've never seen so many mosquitos as when I spent several days hiking across the Alaska tundra. For best protection, put your outer layer of clothes (long pants/long sleeve shirt) in a plastic bag and apply a small amount of deet. The deet will cover all the clothes and repel mosquitos. Then apply deet lotion to your hands. Last, wear a sun hat (baseball hat) with a mesh net over your head/hat.

Like Cisco mentions, deet will break down synthetic clothing. However, we wore fleece top to bottom and by putting a small amount in a plastic bag and storing our clothes in the bag when not in use, we never noticed any negligle affects to the clothing. We also used minimal amounts of deet because out fleece clothing was thick enough to prevent bites.

[oldpaint]

Talked to my dad about what the old timers did,he was in a lumber camp during the depresion(Escnaba). Said he just let them bite ,I myself am very glad we have deet!
OLDPAINT

[OLDPAINT]

For you Upers sory about my spelling (Escanaba)

[jeff reed]

Are you kidding Cisco?? The U.S. Army confirmed that Agent Orange was an excellent plant killer too, only problem was Agent Orange couldn't tell the difference between the plants and the people that applied it. Same goes for DDT. Just because a U. S. Goverment Agency confirms it doesn't mean it is certified safe. Anything that messes up plastic sonar screens, I dont think I want to put on my skin or clothes. I'll guess I'll take my chances with Muskol and Skin so Soft.

[Starfish]

Sorry to break it to you, Jeff, but the active ingredient in Muskol *is* DEET. (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide, or something like that). Not to be confused with DDT (I forget what it stands for, something like diethylene diamine tetraacetic acid).

[jeff reed]

Thanks, guess i wont be using it either. Bought a never used bottle about 8 years ago but always use skin so soft. Smells a lot better. Maybe I'll try that B-12 vitamin.

[RANGER]

CORRECTION!!!

That's 100mg of B-1, not 250mg. I was thinking of another item. SORRY.

RANGER

[cisco]

Read the whole of what I wrote -- Do you see the word "safe" anywhere?

[wngdamr]

try using some absorbine jr. on your hat and the back of your neck;works very well for gnats and n o see ums. it's not that unpleasant and not oily.Minn. mosquitos--good luck! A friend said he swatted one near Detroit Lakes that had 2 wood ticks on it!

[Greg P.]

Here a tip I can't believe nobody else mentioned.

Wear white or light colored clothing. It WILL make a difference. Mosquitoes are much more attracted to dark colors. I have seen many demonstrations of this point.

I also use Muskol. I prefer the small bottle, beacuse the excess spray from the aresol can leave marks on certain surfaces, like your dashboard, graph face, seat covers, etc.

I don't like to over apply Muskol, so I start with a small amount and add if needed.

I have never tried the vitamin thing, but I may give it a try.

With the right kind of clothing, a little bug lotion, you should be able to tolerate just about anything. Mess head nets work well if they are really thick.

Also, I have seen some real nice, thin mesh jackets used for bow hunting in warm weather that would seem to work well and not get too hot.

Good luck,
Greg P.

[what bugs?]

I always tell my wife, and fishing buddy, what bugs?, toughen up the 'eyes are biting. Or if they aren't I tell them they are about to start!! Seriously on my yearly trip to Lake O Woods i truly believe nothing is better than OFF Skintastic for mosquitos. Deet may be equal or better but a guy supposedly died after applying about a half can of 100% deet spray. (heart attack) Don't know if it is true and I still use it, usually BEN'S. This does work but why risk it? Also if you find a dragonfly on the water pin it to your hat. They eat mosquitos about as much as bats do and it seems to keep them away!!! Plus you can trade up your dragonfly for an Kesslers old fashion sweet. When done driving boats of course!!

[RANGER]

Jeff,

That's B-1 NOT B-12. 100mg per day (6667% RDA). It won't hurt to try it and then let us know what you think about it. I will tell you this - those guys I go to Canada with will NEVER go there without B-1 again, NEVER!

RANGER

[AquaMan]

Light up a Romeo & Juliet or a Hemingway Long-Story. Either one of these fine cigars works for me. :-)

As for the DEET, Studies have shown that LARGE amounts will concentrate in the livers of lab rats. I use it, however sparingly, for the nats, noseeums and mosquitoes. Muskol in the squirt bottle works the best.

I have yet to find a good repelant for black flies. Light(white or kaki), longsleeve shirts, pants and netting is the only thing for Alaskan and Canadian backwoods bugs.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~