Re: OT help with mosquitoes( reply)

[Guest guest]

I have used several home-made products but we also takes a product called

Mosquito Ease. You take 2 capsules before exposure and 2 capsules every 10 to

12 hours after. The bottle says for extreme conditions you may double...It

cost around $12.25 a bottle, but we use the following repellant and use the

Mosquito Ease and haven't had a problem with mosquitos and/or ticks. When we

camped a lot at the lake and in the mountains, it worked great. . I have at

least a dozen friends who get this product now and they swear by it....

Mix your own mosquito repellant

20 drops Eucalyptus oil

20 drops Cedarwood oil

10 drops Tea Tree oil

10 drops Geranium oil

2 oz. carrier oil (such as Jojoba)

Mix together in a 4 oz. container. Apply to skin as needed avoiding the eye

area. Keep out of reach of children.

Test on a small area of skin for sensitivities.

Experiment with different percentages of essential oil

The Recipe: For the body:

Add 30 drops of either Eucalyptus, Lavender or Pennyroyal in 2 ounces of

Aloe

Vera gel.

For the face:

Add only 5 drops of oil to the Aloe Vera gel.

Precautions:

Never apply essential oils directly to the skin without diluting as it could

burn. With any time of product you are applying to the skin for the first

time, do a patch test. The best place is to dab a bit in the crook of the arm,

wait 12 hours and see if there is a skin reaction. If it comes in contact

with the eye flush with water.

Peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils are also insect repellants. I

used peppermint inside to get rid of these small grey moths that got into

EVERYTHING...and also for the occasional fruit flies that come home with our

produce. We had an all natural dog flea shampoo which had rosemary,

eucalyptus, and I think rue oil - I had never heard of the last one. So

rosemary

may be another one to look into. I have not used it alone.

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Why Mosquitoes Bite

Only female mosquitoes bite. Female mosquitoes have a long proboscis that

they use to bite animals and humans and feed on their blood (theblood provides

proteins that the females need to lay eggs). After they feed, females lay

their eggs (they need a blood meal each time they lay eggs). Females continue

this cycle and live anywhere from many days to weeks (longer over the winter);

males usually live only a few days after mating. The life cycles of

mosquitoes vary with the species and environmental conditions.

Mosquito Bites

As mentioned before, only female mosquitoes bite. They are attracted by

several things, including heat (infrared light), light, perspiration, body odor,

lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The female lands on your skin and sticks her

proboscis into you (the proboscis is very sharp and thin, so you may not feel

it going in). Her saliva contains proteins (anticoagulants) that prevent your

blood from clotting. She sucks your blood into her abdomen (about 5

microliters per serving for an Aedes aegypti mosquito).

After she has bitten you, some saliva remains in the wound. The proteins

from the saliva evoke an immune response from your body. The area swells (the

bump around the bite area is called a wheal), and you itch, a response provoked

by the saliva. Eventually, the swelling goes away, but the itch remains until

your immune cells break down the saliva proteins.

To treat mosquito bites, you should wash them with mild soap and water. Try

to avoid scratching the bite area, even though it itches. Some anti-itch

medicines such as Calamine lotion or over-the-counter cortisone creams may

relieve the itching. Typically, you do not need to seek medical attention

(unless

you feel dizzy or nauseated, whichmay indicate a severe allergic reaction to

the bite).

Diseases

Not HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS cannot survive in a

mosquito, and therefore cannot be transmitted from one person to another

through mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes can carry many types of diseases that are caused by bacteria,

parasites or viruses. These diseases include:

Malaria - Malaria is caused by a parasite that is transmitted by an

Anopheles mosquito. The parasite grows in your bloodstream and can produce

symptoms

that develop anywhere from six to eight days to several months after

infection.The symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches and

general

malaise (similar to flu symptoms). Malaria is a severe disease that can be

fatal,

but can be treated with antimalarial drugs and prevented by vaccinations.

Malaria is prevalent

in tropical or sub-tropical climates.

Yellow Fever - Yellow fever does not occur in the United States, but is

prevalent in Africa and is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Yellow

fever produces symptoms similar to malaria, but also includes nausea, vomiting

and jaundice. Like malaria, yellow fever can be fatal. There is no treatment for

the disease itself, only the symptoms. Yellow fever can be controlled by

vaccination and mosquito control.

Encephalitis - Encephalitis is caused by viruses that are transmitted by

mosquitoes such as the Aedes mosquitoes or Culiseta mosquitoes. The symptoms of

encephalitis include high fever, stiff neck, headache, confusion and

laziness/sleepiness. There are several types of encephalitis that can be

transmitted

by mosquitos, including St. Louis, Western equine, Eastern equine, La Crosse

and West Nile. West Nile encephalitis is on the rise in the eastern United

States, which

has raised concerns about mosquito control.

Dengue Fever -

Dengue fever is transmitted by the Asian tiger mosquito, which is native to

East Asia and was found in the United States in 1985. It is also transmitted

by Aedes aegypti in the tropics. Dengue fever is caused by a virus that

produces a range of illnesses, from viral flu to hemorrhagic fever. It is

especially dangerous for children.

The best way to reduce mosquito-borne diseases is through mosquito control

and personal protection.

Excerpted from http://www.howstuffworks.com/

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No More Mosquitos Bites

Here are some tips found on the Internet for keeping those pesky mosquitos

away from your body this season...

Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets. Best thing ever used in Louisiana. Just

wipe on and go.

Bob, a fisherman, takes one vitaimin B-1 tablet a day April through October.

He said it works. He was right. The odor the tablet gives out through your

skin (YOU can

not smell it) repels mosquitos, black flies, noseeum's,and gnat's. It does

not work on stinging insects. Hasn't had a mosquito bit in 33 years. Try it.

Everyone he has

talked into trying it works on them. Vitimin B-1(Thiamine Hydrochloride 100

mg.)

Kenn said NPR reports that if you eat bananas, the mosquitos like you,

something about the banana oil as your body processes it. (Maybe they need the

potassium

too-). Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitos will be much

less interested.

This is going to floor you, but one of the best insect repellents someone

found (who is in the woods every day), is Vick's Vaporub.

Plant marigolds around the yard because the flowers give off a smell that

bugs do not like, so plant some in that garden also to help ward off bugs

without using

insecticides.

" Tough guy " Marines who spend a great deal of time " camping out " say that

the very best mosquito repellant you can use is Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed

about

half and half with alcohol.

One of the best natural insect repellants that I've discovered is made from

the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store vanilla extract which is mostly

alcohol). This is the pure vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It's cheap there

if you know of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border. If

not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it for you. I use it

half vanilla and half water

and find that it works great for

mosquitoes and ticks,

don't know about other insects.

When all else fails, get a frog.

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