Best mosquito repellant (Madison, Forest, Avon: appliances, camping, living in)

[dirt _farmer]

I am moving back to Wisconsin (Madison) after having lived 20 years on the West coast (I know, I know... I need my head checked).

I can somewhat handle the humidity, but I fear the mosquitos. What is the best repellant that is non-harmful to myself and the environment? I am not looking for "Off", or "Cutter", or any DEET product if I can help it. And I'm not interested in Citronella.

Is there anything popular and effective these days?

Thanks in advance.

[Drover]

Sorry to say, when it comes to mosquito repellent, nothing comes close to the effectiveness of DEET. The higher the concentration the better as higher concentrations last longer. Unless you don't mind frequently re-applying that is.

[WINH]

I found a product from Blackberry Creek Soaps called Shoo Fly spray which I actually got for black flies as I am living in NH now and they are god awful. This company is in WI and it isn't too bad for mosquitoes either. The only issue is that it has to be reapplied every hour or two to be effective but it is natural and smells pretty good but it does the job.

[ranger17]

while one can try the milder repellents, the best will still be deet products. If those wont be on a list of products to use, the best options likely will be clothing. Full sleeves and pants may protect you more than something w/out deet.
We have family property out in the woods along a river (double bug whammy lol) and when camping or just having get-togethers, stronger versions of Off (deep woods, etc) tend to be the only ones we've tried that work. Keep in mind to protect against ticks as well when outdoors, and yes even in grassy areas. That includes pets.

OP, you can of course try the others, from Avon skin so soft to ??? but your protection levels will vary. And you are right to question how to protect against skeeters up here; we just moved back from 6 yrs in SC and i can say (surprisingly so) that i dealt with more mosquitoes up here even in our residential area then we did down there and we had a lot next to the lake with plenty of pines.

[Jeannie_D]

Hello, dirt_farmer -

I like the Badger Balm (www.badgerbalm.com) bug repellent selections. You will have to order whatever you want through their web site. I haven't seen Badger Balm products in any bricks & mortar store.

[brrabbit]

Clothing is your best bet. You could treat some of them with a permanent repellant too, for specifics check on Andrew Skurka's blog. The only effective spray I found, to be applied to the skin, had an orange lid to it and I don't remember the name.

[Mandalorian]

Whatever has the most DEET. There's no conclusive evidence it causes cancer, contrary to popular belief it's pretty safe.

[Friesncatsup]

Originally Posted by dirt _farmer

I am moving back to Wisconsin (Madison) after having lived 20 years on the West coast (I know, I know... I need my head checked).

I can somewhat handle the humidity, but I fear the mosquitos. What is the best repellant that is non-harmful to myself and the environment? I am not looking for "Off", or "Cutter", or any DEET product if I can help it. And I'm not interested in Citronella.

Is there anything popular and effective these days?

Thanks in advance.

Measure 1/3 cup of witch hazel and pour it into a clean spray bottle. Use a funnel if pouring without spilling is difficult.
2
Measure 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, adding it to the witch hazel in the spray bottle.
3
Pour five or six drops of citronella oil into the bottle containing witch hazel and vinegar. Place the lid back on the bottle, securing tightly. Shake the bottle well.
4
Spray the solution on exposed skin such as arms or legs immediately before going outside. To apply to areas such as the back of your neck, spray some into your hand and rub your hand on the spot.
5
Reapply the homemade repellent as needed every one to three hours.

In the south we are having a problem with these guys more than usual. We've used the most popular brands of repellent and IT.DOES.NOTHING. I would try this. Can't do more harm than all those chemicals! If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

[Mr. In-Between]

This is by far the best product for keeping them from biting. They'll still hover, but they won't bite, because it throws off their targeting software. We own 3, and could not imagine summertime without them. I've used them in the Boundary Waters, the Chequamegon National Forest, and all over north central Wisconsin. They really do work.

Mosquito Repellent Appliance

I've had good success with this, too -

Repel® Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Pump Spray | Repel

Good luck!

[zachlooter]

I feel the OFF deep woods is very effective.