to net or not to net?

traceyam

What do you do if you're there for an extended period of time? You can't use DEET forever.

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shanthi

Being someone who gets attacked from every direction constantly (& I mean constantly!) after dusk and before dawn, I've used Mosqioto repellent creams for years when in India(plus had GK coils burning, + having sprayed the room an hour before sleep). I did a little research a few weeks back and to my astonishment I came across a site that had tested the average "life" of different mosquito repellent creams - it was shocking! The active life of the creams is ONLY between 10 minutes and 55 minutes - (laboratory tested) No wonder I still got bitten! I used the B****y stuff like you would use body cream after a shower, just before going to bed and wake up with at least half a dozen bites in the morning.

Saying that, I recently purchased a roll-on insect(including mossies)repellent called Mosquito Milk made by Bioconcepts.co.uk that claims to be actively repellent for 8 hours ! I've used it twice here in Ireland as where I'm staying I also get bitten, and have no had a bite since. It's not cheap (about 9 euro's) but if it works for me I'll eat the price.It's tropical strength and available from Boots (at least - but probably in many other pharmaceutical chains too)

camelgirl

That's where the "skeeter defeater" bed net comes in! I absolutely hate to sleep with any kind of repellant on. And I think the electricity can be so unreliable in India I wouldn't take the electric kind with me (I got one in Kenya but only used it there). Useless anyway outside of Nairobi or cities.

The malaria mosquitos only come out from dusk to dawn, when I plan to be mostly sleeping. For evening & daytime and the denque fever mosies, I use the slow release DEET (made by 3M --expensive but worth it to me) and the new Repel Lemon Eucalyptus which has been shown to work and recommended by the CDC (for the West Nile mosquito, but I'll bet it works for all of them )

You can use DEET forever if you don't use it all the time and all over your body! And use the low dose, slow release kind. And wear lose, light colored clothes that cover your arms and legs so you just need a little on the body parts still exposed

Nick-H

Shanti, don't you use the locally available stuff? Have you tried Odomos or the Deet-based one? (typically the one I use is the one I can't rememeber the name of ).

It seems to me that there is no real answer to the mossie problem. Many people swear by the elctric thingies and the coils: I find them pretty useless.

I use the Indian DEET stuff (Repel?) in the evening and a net at night.

I also have one of those electric tennis racket mossie zappers (thanks to Mr & Mrs Packerman who used to frequent this site for the recomendation). They are a lot easier to use than a rolled up paper!

But the nighting buuggers still get me.

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

shanthi

Friend Nick; I've bought every available cream in the entire sub-continent (well... almost!!) and seem to use almost a whole tube every day! Those little buggers watch me puttin' the stuff on and you can hear the roar go up when they see I've missed a bit - an'.....then it's world war one dog-fight time on me poor old flesh ! The preparations don't work for more than a few minutes at a time (proven) and the only ones to last longer (or so they claim) are Boots jungle class and this mosquito milk (the mosquito milk claims 8 hours. It contains Deet too, but I've only tried here on the Emerald Isle as yet. Must say it does a good job though. Got an awful problem with midges and gnats, and as there's a river flowing down the mountain quite nearby - a fair share of mossies too! In two weeks I've not been bitten - giving the scarred-up limbs a chance to heal now!!! I've used the plug-ins, the coils, and all kinds of other stuff including Lemon Joy Washing Up Liquid in a saucer - the saucer contains about a dozen mossies each morning, but hey, they come in hoards an' I cant get away from 'em! My dear old mum used to say I had sweet blood - an' that's why I got bitten so much - in fact, after studying herbal medicines as an alternative to the chemical stuff we chuck into our bodies, I think she had a point! I believe it's the make-up of blood that attracts the little buggers as well - but that's one thing I can't change! Eveen ate more garlic than normal in the form of the little capsules - (I eat a lot of garlic anyways) and still I get bit soooo much


If anyone can suggest anything else, I am ALWAYS willing to listen and try something new to combat this irritating and annoying little sideshow that India puts on each night!!

Nick-H

I do sympathise, as I'm that way too

My flat is like a fortress: netting over every window, gaps plugged (I feel really bad about this, 'cos I'm stopping geckos getting their food, and I love the geckos...) and the still get in and bite me. They hover around the front door and take the slightest chance.

And none of them can read! OK, they shouldn't come out until dusk, but it doesn't matter what it says in the books: they will hang around out there all day. (probably they can read: but Tamil only!).



My doctor says that the body gets used to it and stops reacting, so you simply don't notice the bites any longer. Indian people have shown me arms covered in little dots, not big lumps.

traceyam

Your body doesn't "get used to" malaria, though. I'd forgotten about that Lemon Eucalyptus Repel - it worked well for me on an Appalachian Trail thruhike last year. Taking 1-2 years' supply is going to make for an expensive FedEx shipment from home, though. Do they sell it in Mumbai, anyone?

Nick-H

No, indeed.

terra1

anyone ever hear of BITE SHIELD™?

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n2721r

Hi,

This is my first post here. Jersey is famous for it's share of musquitoes!! I've been using a dab of "Amratanjun" which is easily avilable in India. This seems to keep the little critters away.

edwardseco

I took a frame net and it was heavy. Took the frame out and it was light. I always found something to tie onto or lasso..

Sunray

I took a net and bought 5m of rope in India. 5m was about all I ever needed to get my single point net up.

See many of the cheaper hotels, esp in Towns and cities, will say, 'Mosquitos? No, no mosquitos' using the classic indian response to a problem. Pretend it does not exist.

I believed them once, 70 bites later, I put up the net and did so everywhere there wasn't one provided.

Don't like the Indian ones, they are not designed to travel and are made of more durable materials. They do not pack down very well at all.

I also discovered AllOut plug in. Mozzies do not like it at all and in about 1-2 hours will clear the room of all flying things. Used it in Cambodia and it caused total carnage to all the flying things in my room.

This is a very good alternative to a net if you cant hang one, but who knows what you are breathing in?

I do like waking up, bite free.

navinkurian2002

My German pals got a mosquito net in mumbai for 120/- brought it down from 170/- but ii you dont know where to fine em its difficult get it.

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Wazen

interesting thread.
I have been looking into misquito nets and that travel tent looks great...
It has a thick floor incase there are bed bugs..

Ya know,
Since im going out there for three months,
perhaps its good for peace of mind..
After all, if the bed really sucks,
I will be and feel 100% safe in my little protective barrier. hehehe

happysnapper999

In Africa they use net curtains which work well. They say that ceiling fans stop them too as they don't like the air movement but I'm not sure how true that is.

Light coloured clothing definitely helps and not using any form of perfume, deoderant, scented soap etc. Also not drinking alcohol.

DEET does work best but long exposure to 50% stuff can't be good for the internal workings of the body.