Thread: effective bug spray!!

Originally Posted by elisagamal

I think it was called jungle juice?

I could have sworn jungle juice was that sketchy punch at frat parties....definitely not a good bug repellent ..l;,

Some people believe that eating a diet rich in Vitamin B (or taking B supplements) will help repel bugs.

well i can't help with repelling them but i can help with once you've been bit. inti-itch creams and cortisone never work for me. BUT nailpolish does. just put clear nail polish over the bite and the area that is itchy and somehow it makes it stop. it sounds weird but it works! i had about 20 bites on my legs and was going crazy and my friend suggested it. worked like a charm!

Originally Posted by najla86

I could have sworn jungle juice was that sketchy punch at frat parties....definitely not a good bug repellent ..l;,

When I worked for the US Forest Service a lot of the older guys called bug repellent jungle juice, I think it was a Vietnam thing.

I can tell you from working a summer in Alaska that nothing is as effective as 100 percent DEET. And I can also tell you that when the bugs are that thick, you do not give a damn about what cancers you may be giving yourself down the road, you douse yourself in it and you're grateful you have it

I could be in a crowd of 100 people and one mosquito and that mosquito will find me and bite me. I also tend to live in humid climates where mosquitoes are plentiful (Michigan, Florida, etc.), so repelling mosquitoes is a way of life for me.

I have tried the "natural" DEET-free repellants. I wanted them to work, but in my experience they really didn't. For one thing, many of them are very oily and any effectiveness seemed to stem from the fact that bugs had difficulty gettiing through the oil slick that was my skin. Going through one's day this slippery really isn't practical and in a hot, sticky environment the last thing I want to do is load more oil onto my skin.

I use DEET products, such as OFF, which does come in versions that are unscented or have a cleaner scent than the regular bug spray smell (although I confess to liking that smell. Reminds me of childhood campfires.). When I use bug repellant, I am careful to take a shower and wash it off before going to bed and to launder any clothes I was wearing that would have been sprayed.

it really is called jungle juice: REI Jungle Juice 100 - Spray Pump from REI.com
this is a spray version, it got great reviews. I've only used the liquid version, which in the comments it was noted that it will melt plastic. har. :)

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

When I worked for the US Forest Service a lot of the older guys called bug repellent jungle juice, I think it was a Vietnam thing.

I can tell you from working a summer in Alaska that nothing is as effective as 100 percent DEET. And I can also tell you that when the bugs are that thick, you do not give a damn about what cancers you may be giving yourself down the road, you douse yourself in it and you're grateful you have it

Originally Posted by elisagamal

I've only used the liquid version, which in the comments it was noted that it will melt plastic. har. :)

It will, it will! My bottle of DEET opened up in my backpack one day and fused shut a cassette case that was near it. I don't know what it did to the cassette itself, since I couldn't get it out of the case.

Seemed somehow appropriate that it was Motorhead, though

I vote for Deet, too. Just keep it off anything plastic.

Also you might want to try the Buzz-Off line of clothing. They are garments saturated with bug stuff. Also called Ex-Officio. Can get 'em online or at REI.

I use the hat with the neck cover. I also have a windbreaker and socks. The item I use most is the scarf. When I wear it around my neck it seems to help keep the skeeters away from my face.

Sometimes wearing them right next to my skin can be irritating. I just layer them over another garment. Worked pretty good at the "Bay of Mosquitoes". Yes they actually call it that.......I wonder why?

There is some dengue fever in the Caribbean. ( I just got back from Puerto Rico). So it pays to be careful.

Another thing to be careful of in Barbados is pickpockets. I spoke to a tourist family that lost all their cash and documents that the father was carrying for the whole group. They were so sad. Watch for the jostle and distract thing. It's very safe in general, but I think the thieves target the tourist areas.

Ok, loading up on Vitamin B12, B6, Deet full strength!!! Clear nail polish, Aveno menthol, skin so soft, benedryl gel, what about vaccinations? Did any of you see a need to get the shots the CDC/health department recommends??

I've heard that vit. B1 is a very good repelent for mosquitos and sandflies. I generally use 'bushmans" and I;ve heard ctironella oil is good too. I often burn sandlewood insence outdoors.

Can't wait for you to report back on your experiments. I spent a week in Florida in July - using DEET - and came back with about 50 bites - and my skin is still marked up from them more than a month later. Occasionally I'd get bit so hard a tiny drop of blood would be on my skin. It was miserable. I'm planning to visit my dermotologist prior to any other Florida visits to see if she has any suggestions.

I don't know how well of a bug deterrent this is, but eucalyptus oil spray (you can find it at any health food store, like whole foods or trader joes) really takes down the swelling and the itch is gone...no more scratching!!-one spray after you shower or first thing in the morning before you go outside...
you might smell like a cough drop for an hour or so, but it keeps your comfortable...and I'd much rather smell like a cough drop than smell like some of the bug sprays out there...plus, it's all natural. ..g.:

The dengue fever in Puerto Rico is very serious. My mother got it once and she was bedridden for a few weeks. She was lucky because it's potentially deadly. So, it's important to protect yourself when you're in humid places.

Fortunately, if you're staying in Orlando for the event, you should be good 'cause the city bug sprays the tourist areas. It's us in the suburbs who get the brunt of it. I have a conservation behind my house which never gets sprayed. Still, it's a good idea to bring some Off! I never use it...but that's because I stay inside as much as possible because of the hot sun in the day, the afternoon showers, and the mosquitoes at night. ,m::

Remember to bring an umbrella or a poncho. If you've got difficult hair, like me, bring something to control the frizz 'cause the humidity does get intense.

I'm not sure about the vaccinations for South America and the Caribbean, but if it's recommended, I'd say go ahead and do it. Better safe than sorry. Also, if you go to the beach in the Caribbean, be careful with sandfleas. They're rampant during this time of the year, and, trust me, those bites are much worse than mosquito bites.

Hopefully, you will not be bitten by a single one! Go away, bugs, go away......l;,

MLV

i was watering the plants a few nights ago, and the mosquitos were eating me alive. someone told me that if you put dryer sheets in your pockets it keeps away mosquitos...i am so going to try it next time, maybe it will work for you?