Mosquitos

[nrshida]

Unfortunately not a discussion of the wooden wonder this time!

I seem to have a very nasty reaction to mosquito bites to the point of getting blisters which look like cigarette burns. I think I have a tasty blood group to them they are not as keen on Mrs. Shida. But now we've got Tiny Shida too and I'm starting to worry they'll go for him as well.

I wondered if anyone had any positive experience and hence advice about effective mosquito repellent or systems?

We live in a multistory appartment so throwing green stick on a bonfire / BBQ isn't practical. Also tiny Shida is only one year old. I've read about Deet but don't know if there are any health risks.

In Greece we've used those plug in things with the blue blocks which seem to work but I couldn't read what was in them etc.

Any advice appreciated! 

[zack1234]

Screens over windows

[danny76]

I get bitten incessantly by the little buggers. they no longer seem.to make a noise any more either

[TopGear]

  My wife bought some repellant with 30% deet, the warning label says not for children under 12 years old.  We do have some 5% deet stuff that is for kids.  But children under 2 your not supposed to used it more than once per day.  I'm not sure what the health risks are though, maybe tiny shida would grow fond of German iron? Scary stuff.
  As a side note, are you sure they are mosquito bites?  My wife had a bunch of ant bites this spring and they are just as you describe. Much more itchy than a mosquito bite and does blister.

[MiloMorai]

Get a zapper, stop producing so much CO2 and wash more often.

Blood type – Depending on the type of blood you have, you secrete different scents. Studies have shown that mosquitoes are most attracted to Type O blood and least attracted to Type A. No changing your blood type either.
http://www.mosquitnoband.com/why-do-mosquitoes-like-me-more-than-anyone-else/

[Bizman]

Screens are good, you might even want to get those Orient style mosquito nets over your beds. Aside of looking quite romantic they also are totally nonpoisonous. Air intakes should also be kept dust free, moist dust is a perfect nursery for many insects.

Citronella has been claimed to be a quite harmless natural repellant, but candles containing it are only meant for outdoor use which makes me a little suspicious. I wouldn't spread any chemical, natural or artificial, on a baby's skin, only on clothes. We once had fabric stickers soaked in citronella oil, used them on doorways, clothes, bedposts etc. The plug-in thingies have been reported to emit something not so suitable for children.

I just heard on the radio that about 10% of people seem to tempt mosquitos more than average. Some foods might make you smell worse in the nostrils of mosquitos. Also, check your personal hygiene products if their odour mixes with your very own substances to a love poison to mosquitos.

Vodka is good for mosquito blisters, both externally and then also internally used. The latter only for adults when they don't drive.

Insect eating plants might give you some sadistic pleasure moments when feeding mosquitos to them.

I have a handbook from the 50's recommending mixing DDT to wall paint to avoid insects in the food locker... I also recall we had some repellant which was tested in the swamps of Vietnam. Apparently the active substance would be prohibited by now. I'm still normal 

[titanic3]

Net over the baby's crib. A zapper, and some decent repellant for yourself at the local drug store. Or if you feel like having fun, get a bug whacker and go to town on those mosquitoes.

[danny76]

Get a zapper, stop producing so much CO2 and wash more often.

Blood type – Depending on the type of blood you have, you secrete different scents. Studies have shown that mosquitoes are most attracted to Type O blood and least attracted to Type A. No changing your blood type either.
http://www.mosquitnoband.com/why-do-mosquitoes-like-me-more-than-anyone-else/

I wash incessantly, am A -pos and get bitten  all the time. Swimbo spent months in Africa and rarely got bitten. She's A rhesus neg. Someone should explain this research to the mossies

[zack1234]

I dont get bitten because I am Ugandan

[MiloMorai]

I wash incessantly, am A -pos and get bitten  all the time. Swimbo spent months in Africa and rarely got bitten. She's A rhesus neg. Someone should explain this research to the mossies

So we know is the motor mouth is.

[nrshida]

Screens not an option because our windows are huge. Baby net we'll order after our hols.

I was hoping there was some fangled electronic device which would make the ultrasonic noise of a mosquito being buggered by a hamster, and scare them away.

Yeah I don't want any chemicals near the baby 

wash more often.

Are you sure such a drastic measure is necessary MiliMorai? 

[Bizman]

There are devices that claim to trap and zap mosquitos from an area as large as 4000 m2. They emit carbon dioxide, the same gas living creatures outhale. There's one caveat: If you place it far from you, there'll be mosquitos that will find you as a closer target more tempting. If you're sitting next to it, well, you know what will happen when a gazillion mosquitos get pulled near you by a mosquito magnet. Conclusion: The trappers work well when there's no living creature in the area.

Some plants repel mosquitos. Lemon seems to be the number one repellant, also other plants with a lemon scent work. Pelargonium limoneum is one of them, aside having them growing you can rub your skin with the leaves. Garlic, thyme and fennel work too, although not quite as effectively, both as decorative elements and eaten. Eucalyptus (oil) works, too. Since the co2 of your breath is a tempting element, you might also want to scent it with eucalyptus breath fresheners.

[danny76]

So we know is the motor mouth is.

I dunner understand what this meant

[G0ALY]

You could try keeping a fan blowing over people while they sleep. Here is a link about fans and mosquitos'

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-simple-fan-is-your-best-mosq-121788

The fan could even be made into a mosquito trap, like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXHEvHylsHg

CHEERS!

[rpm]

 My wife bought some repellant with 30% deet, the warning label says not for children under 12 years old.  We do have some 5% deet stuff that is for kids.  But children under 2 your not supposed to used it more than once per day.  I'm not sure what the health risks are though...

Death among other things.

From 1961 to 2002, eight deaths were reported related to DEET exposure. Three of these deaths resulted from deliberate ingestion of DEET (Tenenbein 1987) (see above). Two deaths were reported in adults following dermal exposure to DEET (Bell et al. 2002). The remaining three cases were all female children, with ages of 17 months, 5 years, and 6 years (Zadikoff 1979; Osimitz and Murphy 1997). All three children had been described as having "heavy, "frequent" or "nightly" applications of DEET.

An 18.5-month-old female who was sprayed with Deep Woods Off!® (20% DEET) daily for 3 months developed weakness, ataxia, uncontrollable tremors and increased drooling. DEET was found in the child's urine, and her white blood cell count was elevated. She improved after treatment with corticotrophin 3 times a day, and her condition improved to full recovery within 3 months (Edwards and Johnson 1987).

A 6-year old girl was admitted to the hospital with periumbilical tenderness, ataxia, and brisk reflexes of the ankle and knee. She had been exposed to a spray containing 15% DEET over extensive areas of the skin on more than 10 occasions. On the fourth day of her hospitalization, she became agitated, combative, and increasingly disoriented, with increased serum ammonia levels. Her condition deteriorated and she died 8 days after admission. Autopsy revealed that the child was a carrier for congenital OCT deficiency, which could have predisposed her to toxicity as a result of extensive exposure to DEET (Heick et al.1980; Pronczuk de Garbino et al. 1983; Osimitz and Murphy 1997).