Electronic mosquito repelants

imported
#1

Has anyone experimented with the clip on, battery powered mosquito repelants. They claim 75 ft omnidirectional adherent to the little buggers. Just curious thanks!

Kris

#2

I haven’t used it myself, but I have heard that it really doesn’t do much.

There is little that will repel the mosquitoes and other flies on the trail. Sometimes you just have to suffer through it.

bearbait

#3

I’ve heard that these work great! My mother swears by 'em, although I have no first hand experience. Has anyone else tried this?

Dawgtrekker

#4

I read some horrible accounts of bugs on the Trail in last year’s journals so it was one of my biggest “fears” going in. I never met or heard of anyone using the electronic devices to repel mosquitoes.

First I carried a bottle of Ben’s deet. However, I used it sparingly and only in the worst mosquitoe infested areas. I applied it to my arms, neck and exposed legs. One guy I met used it everywhere and got some serious raw sores where his straps rubbed it in his skin…ugly! I did spray my clothes and gators with permethian for a few weeks.

My mother who lives in the country and works in the yard a lot sent me a guest book entry telling me to use the dryer sheets. Then a friend sent me a box of them on the Trail. Me and another guy I was hiking with at the time used them but were’t sure how much they contributed since there was other stuff we had on. Later my Mom wrote me and said it didn’t work as well in the hot weather when the pests were at their worst.

Pre-hike Liteshoe put me on to catnip oil which she and I both ended up using. I applied it to my ballcap and never applied it or anything else on my face. I was never used it on the face or neck. Liteshoe used it on her exposed areas and said it really worked. Trouble was it was like $40 for an ounce or so and it does have a peculiar odor that is noticed when you walk near other hikers. But it did work for me.

One guy I was hiking with was using Avon Skin So Soft until they got so bad it was ineffective.

I have to mention that some people attract mosquitoes more than others…I seemed to have been one of the lucky ones except for the Walkill Natiional Wildlife Preserve just before Vernon NJ. They were miseable there…the only wildlife we saw that day. They were so thick you couldn’t stop to apply deet until you got past it.

Let’s hope they’re not bad for you this year.

Skeemer

#5

The electronic mosquito repelants are absolutely worthless, and anyone who says otherwise is making money off them.

:happy

Tha wookie

#6

where would one find cat nip oil?

burn

#7

There is a proven mosquito repellant out there. It’s called Cold Weather. Operates in two devises, Fall and Winter.

steve hiker

#8

Catnip grows around many homes and you can find it along the AT in certain spots. It is a herb and it really has a very potent smell. Look it up on the web and ask some herb knowledgeable person in your area to help you learn to identify it by smell and also by sight. BTW, if you walk up on a plant, you can smell it—it is that strong. You do not have to break the leaves for the oder to be there, but when you do, the odor is ever stronger. It’s called catnip because cats love it and it drives them crazy (they will play and play with a catnip ball).

You don’t need to by catnip oil. I find it hard to believe that catnip oil sells for so much since catnip is so common. Just get a bunch of the plant, dry it, and carry it along with you. Rub it on you when you need it. A little moisture added will bring out it oils/smell.

I’ll tell you what might really work well—and that is Eucalyptus oil, soap, and plant. You can buy plant sprigs in an floral shop. It also has a sort of potent smell. Fleas will not stay around a home, which has eucalyptus sprigs in it. So I suppose other insects will also have a dislike of it. You might want to give it a try and use some of the soap which will not only keep you clean, but also keep the bugs off of you.

Lemon eucalyptus is sold and I’ve used it. It works, but wears off after an hour or two. You can buy it at Wal Mart.

Supposely Vitamin B1 makes you taste bad to insects and they will leave you alone if you take Vitamin B1. Other types of Vitamims may also help. Onions and garlic also may repel them if you are a big eater of them. I love my onions and take my vitimins and insects don’t seem to bother me too much.

Don’t forget long sleeve shirts and long pants and headnets. When all else fails, there is Winter, late Fall, and early Spring when it’s cold, cold, cold----but no bugs.

See you out there. :cheers

Maintain

#9

burn, I have not had very much success with catnip in the past, but you can usually find it at a local pet store, seems a little easier than finding the plant and drying it if you ask me, and carrying the plant with you on a hike doesn’t seem very fun either. I’ll take the bottle.

clong:boy

clong

#10

The following is a message I saved from Liteshoe last January. It is where I sent away for my oil.

Here is one source. (A google search reveals more. The main source is
an organic farm in BC, Canada.):

http://www.herbalremedies.com/catoil2floz1.html

The research is convincing!
"Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in
catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten
times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET � the compound
used in most commercial insect repellents. Research was done using
so-called yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) � one of several
species of mosquitoes found in the United States � researchers says
catnip should work against all types of mosquitoes.

                   According to research findings, nepetalactone

is about 10 times more effective than DEET because it takes about
one-tenth as much nepetalactone as DEET to have the same effect. Most
commercial insect repellents contain about 5 percent to 25 percent
DEET. Presumably, much less catnip oil would be needed in a formula to
have the same level of repellency as a DEET-based repellent.

                   The finding was reported at the 222nd national

meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world�s largest
scientific society, by the same Iowa State University research group
that two years ago discovered that catnip also repels cockroaches.

                   Research was conducted by, Entomologist Chris

Peterson, Ph.D., with Joel Coats Ph.D., chair of the university’s
entomology department, led the effort to test catnip�s ability to
repel mosquitoes. Peterson, a former post-doctoral research associate
at the school, is now with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service, Wood Products Insects Research Unit, in Starkville, Miss.

Skeemer

#11

Skeemer wrote: “One guy I was hiking with was using Avon Skin So Soft until they got so bad it was ineffective.”

I would rather be bled dry than smell that stuff. I don’t know how well it works at repelling mosquitoes, but it certainly repulses me. :x

I’ve had good luck with a product called Cactus Juice that’s a combination sunscreen and bug repellant. I’ve only used it out in the yard, not in any swamps, so I’m not sure how effective it is against a really thick swarm.

Ardsgaine

#12

If Eucalyptus works, then there’s another use for Dr. Bronners Eucalyptus soap–that’s 82 uses now!

Kyle

Kyle & Lisa

#13

up in scotland they swear by avon skin so soft! it keeps the midges away. those things are flying pirahnas with stealth!

not sure bout the eucalyptus oil (as much as i LOVE the smell of eucs…)

Bloody Cactus

#14

I have felt the force of the midges up north. If it were possible to hold my breath for 2 days, that would probably be quite effective. As it’s not, I guess the soap will have to do.

Ross

P.S BC, did you hear about that contraption recently invented to do away with the midge problem? It’s a receptical that emits a staedy flow of carbon dioxide. The midges are attracted from up to 200ft away (or something like that). They are then sucked in and fried. Not very pleasant but has done wonders for Scottish campground tourism in the midge season.

Ross - England

#15

Thanks for all the responses on this subject, tha wookie had it right on the electronic gadgets, they are completely useless. Did a little more research and found this article which discusses some of the remedies talked about above. http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931
Does not however mention the sheets! looks as though DEET is the answer but the concentration seems to be more of an individual thing.

Kris