Mosquito Repellent

Hmmm, I hadn't thought it about but the mosquito's didn't bother me during happy hour at the lake :)

I keep telling people citronella doesn't work but no one believes me.
 
Got this from an acquaintance, haven't tried it yet.

3 cups Epson Salt
3 - 12 oz stale beer (open and let sit for 24 hours)
1- large bottle of cheap, blue mouthwash. (1 liter or more)

Mix until Epson Salt dissolves. I did 1 cup to 1 beer stir, then added the next cup and beer, stirred added last cup and beer to be sure it was dissolving and then added mouth wash and stirred.

It says to spray around area you sit in and it will keep mosquitos away for 80 days and not harm plants. Once I sprayed it around backyard I have not seen 1 mosquito. Before hand My ankles and neck were being chewed on quite a bit. I will keep you posted.

jim
 
Skin so Soft has worked very well for us too. Until the last time we were at the Alabama Hills. Then it did not. Still had an effect, but wasn't 100%. These were very aggressive mosquitoes. One of the guys on that trip said something about an invasive species of mosquito that is spreading thru the West. "Asian Tiger" or something like that. Reportedly they're much more aggressive than any of the native species and based on what we were experiencing he speculated that those were what we were dealing with.
 
I was camping in the woods of northern Minnesota last week. Mosquitos are legendary there- we call them the state bird. Anyway, one of the people camping had one of these Thermacells and it worked quite well. Runs on a small butane cartridge. No odor that I noticed. The repellent is allethrin, a synthetic based on an extract from Chrysanthemum flowers.

https://www.thermacell.com/

https://www.rei.com/product/123762/thermacell-mr150-mosquito-repeller?CAWELAID=120217890004043672&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15877490680&CATCI=pla-322282163245&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_70513|1237620001|none|ea23f092-d518-4998-9c21-ce730b6f8d7e|pla-322282163245&lsft=cm_mmc:pLA_Google_LIA|404_70513|1237620001|none|ea23f092-d518-4998-9c21-ce730b6f8d7e&kclid=ea23f092-d518-4998-9c21-ce730b6f8d7e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8rzO-u_-2wIVAY5pCh1DfAbUEAQYAiABEgL-7PD_BwE
 
Well heck. Doesn't work well over 4500' (their own faq) and the model that does isn't available in CA :(
 
iowahiker said:
We use Picardin instead of Deet. Developed in Australia and well tested.
Same here. Sawyers 20% Picardin. Consumer Reports recommends it as nearly an equal to DEET.
They shot down Skin So Soft because of the 20 minute effectiveness.
Mosquitoes love my dad and I. They light but don't bite my sis and Mom.
I hear that all the time.
 
I've been hunting for a good spray and happened to glance through a neighbor's consumer's reports a few months back and they had the CVS brand, "Total Home", with 30% Deet as their top choice. I figured what the heck and tried it on my trip to Yellowstone in mid-June - where the mosquitoes are usually fierce. I have to say it worked the best of anything I tried. We usually go to Yellowstone every spring and the bugs are hungry and this kept them at bay.

I've tried the Termacell there a few times but never had much luck - but in all fairness it claims it isn't effective at that altitude.
 
Skin So Soft with rubbing alcohol and put in a spray bottle worked better than anything else on our 3 week Northern journey. Lets just say I had thought I knew what bad mosquito's were....until we hit northern BC. Oh my gawd, they were deadly and relentless. I think a blood transfusion would have been required if not for the efforts of our Skin so soft concoction.

We also found a fly spray used on horses called Bronco which seemed to be dog-friendly and kept the mozzies from eating our dogs.
 
Truck Camper Magazine just asked the same question-best choice Thermacell portable mosquito repeller! Me I'm still using that Nice and Soft stuff that my mom got me on some 30 or so years.ago! Still that thermacell stuff looks interesting maybe if i'm sitting around the campfire drinking a beer and not moving around or hiking somewhere-anyone here ever use it?

Smoke
 
I've looked into the Thermacell and the reason I decided against it is that there's 3 parts to it : the device itself, gas canister, and chemical mat. Anything that requires more than spraying on some jungle juice or wiping a skin so soft towelette is too high tech for me.
 
On the topic of mosquitos. A Tim Hortons tray works very well as a makeshift mosquito coil.
It's incredible how it burns at a controlled rate and gives off a fair amount of smoke.


planet_cup.jpg
 
Just returned from a horsepacking trip in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, OR. 25% DEET worked for us but I hate the stuff. Will be looking to try Picardin products in the future.
 
craig333 said:
Ordered a thermacell but had my money refunded as they can't ship to CA.
Don't matter, California mosquitoes are too tough anyway. Only thing that works for me is a baseball bat.
 
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