When DEET is not Enough

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Mary Ann789

That's terrible! Ack! Maine and South Carolina should not have the same temps and thick humidity. Hopefully it cools off at night. I've had run-ins with the black flies while volunteering with the Forest Service in upstate New York. Ugh. I'd get bit on my hands then have to put on latex gloves for work. The bite would swell so much more when covered in the glove. It was like a science fiction movie.

It was hot last night even here near the coast. It only dropped to 77 degrees with very heavy dew on everything. It looked like it had rained this morning. Its' 10:30 and already up to 87 degrees on the way to 92 so they tell us. The windows are closed to try to keep out the heat. Hopefully we won't have too many more days of 90 plus.

[AliceT]

I am a nudist and when I am in my Maine forest, the only thing I wear with any regularity is a pair of shoes. The rest of me is lightly oiled with baby oil or cooking oil and then sprayed with apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm. I spray my hair with just the vinegar and same with my face. I don't know why it works, it just does.

I shower in the evening with a 2.5 gallon hot shower that removes it all and sleep comfortably inside my camp with screens.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by AliceT

I am a nudist and when I am in my Maine forest, the only thing I wear with any regularity is a pair of shoes. The rest of me is lightly oiled with baby oil or cooking oil and then sprayed with apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm. I spray my hair with just the vinegar and same with my face. I don't know why it works, it just does.

I shower in the evening with a 2.5 gallon hot shower that removes it all and sleep comfortably inside my camp with screens.

Cool....literally!

[CoastalMaine]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Cool....literally!

ROFLMAO!!!! Alice, you really are too cool!!! I couldn't imagine trotting around nekkid all the time! You go girl! They have a nudist camp here that's done more advertising this year than I've seen in the last 30. Seems to be a popular activity for folks.

[OldBella]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

Avon's Skin so Soft works amazingly well. I didn't believe it either until I tried it. No toxic chemicals and no pungant odor.

Which one? There are several different scents in the Avon Skin So Soft line now besides the original. Do you think they would ALL work?

[tcrackly]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I eat at least 2 cloves of garlic every day. So my sweat is flavoured in a manner that repels skeeters a bit.

And I make a spray potion that I use. I mix a few things together [about 6 drops of each of the following: Peppermint oil, Eucalyptus oil, Citronella oil, and Lemongrass oil, then I add about a half-cc of pure DEET, and a half-cc of permethrin].

All into a dollar-store spray bottle and I fill it the rest of the way with water.

Shake it up good, before you spray.

I usually put some on our dogs, and sometimes our goats. This year our goats have been covered bad with skeeters.

Earlier this spring I had to use my potion a lot. But lately I have not had to use much.

I spray some on my bandanna, then rub that on my arms, neck and face, and I wear the bandanna under my straw hat.

One of our neighbors is an entomologist at UM. She says that the big up-coming new bug repellent is tomato seed oil. But she can't get me any so I can try it.

When my DH and I were honeymooning we camped up in the northern reaches of Washington county. We had two golden Retreiver mix pups. all four of us megadosed on garlic for two weeks prior and through the following month we spent in the woods. It did minimize the bug bites..and it insured our privacy. too!

[tcrackly]

That potion is also similar to my homemade bug dope. I use eucalyptus, sesame, and mineral oils with some added permethrin powder(or flower heads, when I can get 'em).

[kellysmith]

Originally Posted by OldBella

Which one? There are several different scents in the Avon Skin So Soft line now besides the original. Do you think they would ALL work?

Original is the one we use...didn't know there were others. One thing to mention is you will need to reload every couple hours, but I find that much better than using a harsh chemical...if that's what DEET is, or using something like "Old Woodsman" which will knock out your ofactory glands. Lather up with Skin so soft when you can't detect the scent and the bugs will leave you alone...and you will also have very soft skin.

[RANGER.101ST]

i use carolyn's bug shield .it works good