insect repellent

[almostnormal]

i'm not sure this is the right forum for this, but here goes anyway. i'm in need of a bit of advice because i really need to figure a way of keeping the bugs away. i'm a bit wary of using tropical strength deet, but the ordinary bog standard insect repellents don't seem to work. does anyone have any suggestions? any help gratefully recieved!

[eeyore]

if you do use deet make sure you keep it off your camera / bins and anything else made of plastic

you can get those little sonic repellers which work quite well for midges though not for cleggs and ticks - and of course you cant use them if you are surveying b/flys or d/flys

i generally dont bother - i dont think i taste very nice , probably due to all the alcohol in my blood - but my ex used to use oil of citronella (make sure you get the weak body annointing sort - not the strong arroma therapy version) which worked okay tho you dont want to get it in your mouth or eyes.

[rlchew]

After years of being bitten by midges in the Scottish Highlands, I tried "Avon Skin So Soft" following a recommendation by Wolfhill (by the way where is he with all those wonderful photos?).

Anyway, this year it worked .... well, 99.99% as I returned with only 2 bites rather than looking like a small pox victim as I did last year.

It also worked well at Westleton Heath last Saturday night whilst Nightjar watching.

Richard

[almostnormal]

darn it i'm allergic to avon stuff....makes my skin itch so that's no good. sigh. and citronella doesn't work. thats what i started with. whats really annoying is thats what my friend uses and she never gets bitten. i'm already using ordinary deet, and it doesn't seem to do that much. oh dear....maybe i'll just resign myself to a life of being a moveable feast. but thanks guys.

[eeyore]

you could try reppellents based on neem oil - my mum uses that with reasonable results - i think she gets it from harrods horticutural website - tho there are doubtless many other suppliers too

[Paul mabbott]

I think if you're looking for someting to deter all 'bugs' () you won't be successful - probably need to take an armoury of different odours for different insects and other invertebrates. Alcohol per se doesn't always work but you see few insects around pastis or ouzo, or drinkers thereof! Some people say that Havana cigars or cigarillos are good but not much use when you're sleeping ....

[almostnormal]

Originally Posted by eeyore

you could try reppellents based on neem oil - my mum uses that with reasonable results - i think she gets it from harrods horticutural website - tho there are doubtless many other suppliers too

yee gods, harrods?? i work in conservation! however will take this on board and have a look see for neem oil repellents.

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

I think if you're looking for someting to deter all 'bugs' () you won't be successful - probably need to take an armoury of different odours for different insects and other invertebrates. Alcohol per se doesn't always work but you see few insects around pastis or ouzo, or drinkers thereof! Some people say that Havana cigars or cigarillos are good but not much use when you're sleeping ....

just want rid of the midge/mozzie/cleg bugs. short of using a bubble i think that its going to have to be a multi pronged attack....i can see this getting a chapter in my book....think i'm gonna call the mis-adventures of a field worker.

[eeyore]

i generally use a portable mozzie net while i'm sleeping - but i think sarah was thinking of while doing survey work so that isnt going to help - tho i suppose you could try it wandering round like a giant mozzie net ghost just make sure somebody gets a pic for wab

[almostnormal]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i generally use a portable mozzie net while i'm sleeping - but i think sarah was thinking of while doing survey work so that isnt going to help - tho i suppose you could try it wandering round like a giant mozzie net ghost just make sure somebody gets a pic for wab

you can actually buy a sort of net jacket with a hood, but they were designed for midges and would be useless against the mighty cleg!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by almostnormal

you can actually buy a sort of net jacket with a hood, but they were designed for midges and would be useless against the mighty cleg!

andy rouse used one of those in finland and described it as the bigest waste of money out - apparently within 30 mins there were more midges inside his midge proof suit than outside

by the way that's harrod horticulural - nothing to do with harrods