Mosquitoes bug me - Any tips for our visit? (Bemidji: home, wedding)

[SoNoCo]

We will be attending our Aunt and Uncles 65TH wedding anniversay next week. The get together is at Itasca State Park (Fri, Sat) and we will be staying in Bemidji. Really looking forward to the visit and seeing this part of the country.
15 years ago, for their 50th, we were in Northeastern North Dakota and we were seriously assaulted by the skeeters. Quarter sized welts, through denim, not to mention exposed skin. Hurt like crazy...I remember spray water bottles with some sort of magic elixer added but didn't seem to work.
Any tips available for works best for the area we will be visitng (Over the counter stuff or home tried and tested "don't bug me juice")?

Thanks in advance for any responses,

Two old guys and their lovely brides from Northern California

[golfgal]

The best bug spray I have found is the 3M Ultrathon. It comes in a yellow can. It was developed for military use and it works very well. It also keeps away biting flies, gnats and a whole host of other bugs.

[jwmn]

You need a bug spray with DEET in it (like what golfgal suggested). If the home tried and tested stuff actually worked, then people would be trying to sell it. (And even if they were trying to sell it, that's no indication it would work.) The insect repellents that have been found to be most effective are generally those with the active ingredient DEET. Those with picaridin as the active ingredient have also been found to work.

[DaninEGF]

I live about 100 or so miles west of Bemidji...along the Red River and we get them bad here too. But it had been pretty dry up until about 2 weeks ago and also pretty chilly with many nighttime lows in the 30s. Thus mosquitos havent come out yet at all. Now we've had rain of late but still a bit too cool and havent seen one mosquito yet this month and none of the cities in the area are reporting any mosquito trap information. I wouldnt think it would be any different farther east. So you are lucking out right now. Now once it warms up and stays warm for a while....then we are in trouble. But right now just hopes it warms up some....or bring some coats. Only in the 50s today with rain.

Dan

[kuan]

15 years is a long time to hold a grudge against mosquitoes.

Use DEET man, lots of it. Itasca State Park is the crown jewel of Minnesota state parks. Enjoy your time there, bring good hiking shoes.

[RiverRat1964]

Use lotsa 'OFF!", that stuff works for me

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by RiverRat1964

Use lotsa 'OFF!", that stuff works for me

Deep Woods OFF used to be very good. High DEET content. You should be able to compare DEET levels directly for various products.

[demtion35]

Deep woods off for sure. Long sleeve light weight shirt with tee shirt on underneath will help some also.
The mosquetoes are out now especially in the woods that are Itasca Park.
Plus we have had alot of rain in the past two weeks, making it worse.
Be prepared nothing works all of the time, Ive lived in Northern MN my whole life and I still cant stand them, but they are a part of life that I accept.