Mosquito Season??

PeakXV

In Delhi, they are like a bad penny - they always turn up! I've seen them in the very cool evenings of December flying at seemingly 1/10 their speed but in a definite search of a little anti-freeze for their wing action - but even though they are less active as it gets cool - your body heat becomes more easy of a target to hone in on and you will occasionally find them paying a surprise visit. The important thing to remember is not to let your guard down, and always be conscious of the feel of their touch-down weight (particuarly against yours ankles & wrists) on your skin. A healthy anopheles mosquito can hone in on you, bite, and be gone in less than 30 seconds. So if you are one to forgo the deet/repellant, at least make a mental note to do a visual/physical sweep of your most mosquito prone body parts frequently.

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Nick-H

So that's it, then --- Mossies in December, even in Delhi

And whereas an ant that I can hardly see tickles like crazy as it walks, mossies have that "light touchdown" off to a fine art

Nearly all my bites happen right here, sitting at the PC. They go straight for the feet under the table and are done before I even know they are in the room. I have netting in every window, we sleep under a net, but still several get in most days

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PeakXV

I think everybody is different in their individual sense of feel. But like anything you can train your mind to be more alert of their proximity and landing weight < I had an ex-girlfriend who when about 20 mossies land on her all at once when we entered a deep woods area exclaimed "What Mossies are you talking about?" . One can also be totally naive, go into denial about their possible presence, and just tune out and cross their fingers.

Our cats had fleas here last September and after suffering several unfortunate bites, could actual feel the little nippers jumping up onto my ankles - they have to weigh a 100 times less than a mosquito.

Nick, you have to get the 1 -minute ankle sweep down when at the computer (extremely dangerous posture for mossie bites ). Every minute or use your opposite foot to quickly sweep the opposite ankle (back and front). It will cut down your lower leg bites a lot.

FeeHom

Hi All,
While the subject of mosquitos is on... I've already made my statement about not doing the meds/vaccines elsewhere... that said, I know that I get bitten, and I will not be 'healthy' by the time I get there... yesterday I was enquiring about a good repelent and lady in Holland and Barett said Vit B1. I've done some reading on this and apparently it works like an insect repelent! In addition it is good for the 'brain' and nervous system... Now, my logic is this... it is apparent that some people get bitten by insects more than others, I can use myself as an example, there are some 50+ homoeopathic remedies which have this susceptibility. I haven't really studied this yet, but it might be something I take up one day, however I do know that the remedy Staph has a degree of 'nervousness' and memory issues in addition to being susceptibale to insect bites. The vit B1 would make sense in this case as it would be the definceny which was possible creating or contributing to the suceptibility. One of the things which can crweate a VitB1 deficency is drinking tea... of which i am an addict!

So... does anyone have any experience of Vit B1... I haven't found any contraindications... so if no one has any previous experience I'll report back in a few weeks! :-) I have found a down side... they taste horrid! :-)

By the way Kidsan, you mentioned leaving for India on the 9th... is this from Heathrow, if so... I will appolgise in advance for the behaviour of me, my daughter or perhaps more likely my son! :-)
Fee.

jenk

Here's another one - daughter's friend just came back from a visit to the north (incl Lucknow, Simla, Amritsar) with a case of chickungunya so it must be more widespread than cdc indicates.


http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/2006...unya_india.htm

Nick-H

I've tried the vitamins and the homeopathy ---and the garlic... still got bitten

What didn't work for me may well work for someone else!

In fact, at the moment I'm trying homeopathy to reduce my body's reactions to seemingly inevitable bites (I can suffer for a week from one bite and get bitten regularly).

Chikungunya is the "new" mossie-born disease: seems to be quite a bit of it in Chennai just now.

wonderwomanusa

There certainly are plenty of mossies in September, October and November. You may find fewer in December and January, but it depends on where you are.

wonderwomanusa

I tried Vitamin B-1 many years ago; if you're a female, beware -- it can give you a nasty yeast infection. I prefer the anti-malarials and a truckload of DEET to that.

Bigzero

or a mozzie zapper bat if you wont mind tennis practice in the night. like the one in this link:
http://mosquitobat.com
I have one at home and yes it does give some sort of sadistic pleasure to zap those nasty mozzies...

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UberBone

Well, I hear from Scottish shepard (and he should know) that swears by Avon SkinSoSoft.

Apparently sales of this stuff have rocketed recently in Scotland - for those of you that don't know the Scots have flying biting insects in enourmous numbers.

PeakXV

Skin-So-Soft craze for bugs was big here in Canada in the late 1980's and early 1990's - it really seemed to work better for the black flies and midges then the Mossies - and as a whole worked well for some people - but not very good for others.

I haven't heard its name mentioned in the bug wars in quite some time now though - so it might be better to do a self test trial before putting complete faith in it on a subcontinent trip.

UberBone

I'm gonna use DEET.

I have no desire to have the skin of a namby-pamby girly-wirly Highland Shepard

Nick-H

Skinsosoft has been tested. You can find comparative tests on the net if you google. I think it woked pretty damn well (as a repellant) for a moisturiser, but not that good for an insect repellant...

I use Odomos. It is about 12% DEET, I believe, and cheap to buy in India.

Thing is repellants confuse the buggers: they do not actually repell mossies, just make it harder for them to find you. If they do happen on a piece of your skin they bite anyway!

The DEET percentage determines how long the effect lasts (and, I believe, how effective it is at melting plastic! ) rather than how effective it is.

PeakXV

Deet is the answer! The question is what percentage/concentration/dose of Deet do you yourself need to suffice? - Some people need to slop it on like some cheap after shave to survive - I guess the answer depends on the amount of body heat emmissions, CO2 emissions, surface area of your body etc. that is different for everyone ..... maybe its all in what alcohol you do or don't drink - double g&t please

UberBone

Still, it may not be this way forever - http://www.i-sis.org.uk/malaria.php

GM Mossies or Bed-Nets and mouthwash?