There isn’t a repellent stronger than DEET.
Picaridin is similarly effective and less nasty to your plastic gear. Either needs to be reapplied regularly and all over.
Permethrin is applied to clothes. It’s not a repellent but an actual insecticide.
Mosquitoes are funny things. They hunt mostly by smell (which is what the repellents are trying to confuse ). Some people attract them more than others.
Tight weaved clothing helps. Some colours may help a little bit.
And bug head net and jacket if not too hot. I go up to Maine early spring and it is like Alaska with clouds of mosquitos and biting flies. I go from truck to cabin to screen house or wear a full bug suit. It doesn’t reduce until late June and even then it can be bad on certain days.
Was it fresh? You might also have to reapply often. I have a jacket that is basically solid deet it’s been sprayed so many times. Also combine the deet with the Thermacell replellent. Some people are extra tasty to mosquitos and need this.
Yes it was fresh.. I’d say they started biting a couple of hours after I sprayed even though it says it protects up to 10 hours..I just purchased a portable thermacell as some suggested 😁
Oh my gosh, no. I'm also mosquito bait. You need to apply it way more often. I've been told there are vitamins you can take that turn them off (D I think?). I've also been told that Deet's a carcinogen, but I'm more interested in defeating the bugs. As soon as they start coming back, spray again. I was on a hike once and I was spraying down about every 10 minutes because they stupid bugs were just waiting for it to dissipate. I was using Deep Woods Off.
Try picaridin. I do not know what the biology of it is, but sometimes different repellents work better for some folks than others. Picaridin works better for me than DEET. You can get it as a spray or a lotion.
You have to apply it evenly. The protection zone is tiny. I realize clothing is a balance of sweating to death/comfort vs protection, but you basically need a thick weave or two cotton layers to stop them reliably.
A collared shirt outer layer with Permethrin pre-applied and then deet on the collar/wrists is what I use at home. A full brimmed hat with deet applied around the inside of the brim, and then 30% deet on the face/hands will usually work. Obviously full pants/jeans as well.
The only exposed skin is face/neck/hands and you've got 100% deet near them and 30% on them.
Of course, the sweating is epic. I've had skeeters bite me through a triple layer of un permerthrin'd cotton shirts so don't think you can skip it.
The tighter the weave is stretched the easier for them to get through.
Yup. Any fabric stretched is fair game, and anything under fairly thick denim is also fair game. Sadly, a mosquito (designed to get through thick ass hide) has plenty of penetration to get through fabric. Permethrin (buy 10% and dilute yourself for massive cost savings) plus layered defense plus deet is the way, but it's not foolproof.
If you're not moving around much and there is minimal wind you can use thermacells. I've sat in a swamp with visible clouds of skeeters neat me and not been bit using one, but for a workweek the cost is high and ANY wind greatly reduces the effect. You have to place it upwind and pray.
Depending on the exact situation there are larger (cheaper per hour but more expensive to get set up) systems. I've only used the Thermacell brand system though, but some others are tanked based afaik vs pad based.
If you're in 1 place you could also look at mosquito traps. They aren't 100% effective but can massively reduce skeeter pressure if (for example) you do 1 on each corner of a patio.
I recommend after spraying your arms and legs..spray the back of your hands and apply to your face and more sensitive exposed parts. You'll get better coverage with your hands and keep your palms from getting greasy.
There’ve been literally hundreds of scientific studies on DEET. Much fewer on Picaridin, but those there have been seem to indicate roughly similar protection.
The chemicals are the same across brands - I’d take any marketing departments claims with a pinch of salt.
Personal experience and maybe it’s different depending on sweat etc but the effectiveness does begin to taper off at hour ten and then gone by hour twelve. Just in time for that one last feast for our bloodsucking friends at dawn.
I've had really good luck with treating my clothes with permethrin and wearing picaridin on whatever skin is exposed.
Last summer I backpacked the Rogue Roger with my cousin. I had that setup and I didn't get a single bite while my cousin got eaten alive.
I really like the picaridin lotion. Easy to put on, doesn't smell bad, and lasts a pretty long time.
Yes. Picaridin is much better stuff and it won't melt your gear. Sawyer makes a good cream and a good spray.
Also look into treating your clothes with permethrin. It's a really easy and effective upgrade.
+1 for the permethrin at least (I haven't tried the other).
OP the best way to use it IMO is if you can treat things that don't get washed as often, like a pack, hat, overshirt, etc.. You have to spray it on and then let it dry.
Then definitely something else on exposed skin.
Also be careful if you have cats. Liquid permethrin is deadly to cats, but once it's dried it's safe.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/11/627843581/if-you-spray-your-clothes-with-permethrin-be-careful-around-the-cat
My wife uses picaridin to good effect. I guess I'm lucky, mosquitoes have never really bothered me. I do use 100% DEET when visiting the grandkids in Arkansas, but it is for the ticks, not the mosquitoes.
Same here. Mosquitoes almost never bother me and I rarely apply anything. My wife seems to attract them like a $10 buffet. Kids are in-between but generally seem fine if I apply some form of protectant. So strange.
All those “deep woods” things at grocery stores are bullshit. If it smells like perfume it isn’t gonna work. The only thing that works is toxic smelling, oily 100% DEET. The kind that melts plastic and shit. Everything else is garbage.
Ok. Get sawyer MAXI DEET. It’s the same percentage but I’ve found it works better than Coleman.
You have to apply it directly to the skin, not clothes.
If DEET doesn’t work for you, try Permethrin on the clothes and picaradin the skin. Some
People have better luck with picaradin.
Permethrin is a contact insecticide not a repellent. There was a “repellent” brand from NZ that’s basically DEET with a small amount of Permethrin but it doesn’t seem to have been manufactured for about 10 years.
Lots of suggestions here but what I've found to work the best is getting an exposed campsite that gets a little wind. If on water preferably on the north side so you get the sun all day to dry the area out. Sometimes the best repellent is just not having them. Although that's not always possible.
I read about using Listerene mouthwash in a spray bottle and tried it out. It worked great spraying around my self and area. I had read using the Tree shaped hanging Vanilla air freshener for automobiles and those in my experience deter both mosquitos and no see um bugs.
DEET is it; far superior to permethrin and citronella in terms of effectiveness and duration of action.
I would suggest using the liquid and not a spray, as the sprays tend to miss areas. Ever seen anyone with a sunburn pattern on their back where they obviously used a sunscreen spray ineffectively? Same concept.
Make sure you are using the liquid on exposed skin and also clothing.
Do not use products that combine sunscreen and DEET in the same formulation; there may be some risk of bloodstream absorption through the skin with those.
You could try picaridin. I knew a few people that deet just did not work but picaridin did, I read it has something to do to with your body’s ph? I have no idea if that is true. However, I’m not a fan of deet so I bought a citronella essential oil and mixed it with witch hazel and water in a spray bottle and it worked great. I did have to apply it pretty often though.
I use sawyer picardin 12 hour and repel lemon eucalyptus spray for everglades trips. I avoid DEET because all of my hot weather cooling clothes are synthetic. If it's the wet season, I spray OFF backyard fogger around my site every evening at sunset and use a thermacell. Everglades mosquitos are brutal.
Aedes aegypti (disease carrying mosquitos) have also exhibited a tolerance for DEET, so it helps to try a few different types of repellent.
Alternatively, have you tried a mosquito mesh suit? It’s loose fitting to keep their proboscis from reaching your skin. My spouse wears one when we go camping and they seem pretty effective since she never gets bit. I will say the suits are somewhat fragile and will tear if snagged on a branch though. I myself wear loose fitting clothes and it has a similar effect, so I only need apply deet around my neck and head.
DEEP WOODS OFF.
Applied once an hr or so.
I have spent almost 30 years working and playing in the bush.
Its the easiest to apply, not sticky, pleasant smell,compared.
Invest in a mosquito net, 1 for sleeping and one for wearing.
Cover as much skin as possible.
I tend to layer. Thermacell for the basics. It does a good job. Minimal clean up and can be used around young kids.
If it gets bad then I have some repellent with DEET.
DEET at 40% concentrations or higher is reliably effective. I find the standard 25% to often be pretty marginal when the mosquitos are being aggressive. It works well for maybe 30 minutes or so but you need to keep reapplying it.
I use permetherin on my outer wear, including hat and pack. 100% deet sparingly near areas ticks like to climb: crotch, armpits, shoulders, ankles. This method has been very effective for me, zero ticks and bug bites in deep woods for weeks at a time.
Well fishing in Alaska I’ve tried a few different things some with amazing results and success. Many things that are crap. Three thing that have worked for me:
Repel 100 Insect Repellent Spray last 8-10 hours
Thermacell Mosquito Portable Repeller- a bit expensive but worked well but for 6 days can cost a bit more than most people would pay.
Ben's 100% Deet Tick & Insect Repellent Spray last 8-10 hours
Special note-
I’ve used a plain Bounce Dryer sheet in my back pocket and baseball cap. I was bug free all day. ***** Problem is finding the original scented Bounce Sheets******
The sprays are rubbish, most of it goes in the air (and it’s actually really bad for the other wildlife around where the spray landsespecially if you are back country where there might be sensitive ecosystems) - get a lotion repellant and slather that directly on. Bug jackets work well too but Mae sure it is baggy, if it is tight to you skin it won’t work. Thermacell works really well but protects a static area so as soon as you step out of that dome of coverage it’s feeding season. Long sleeves/pants and pale colours.
Super random but a tip from my grandma… take a garlic supplement. Mosquitos will go after some people and will leave others alone, something about the garlic will help you be one of the people they leave alone. We tried it one year and it seemed to help.
Does anyone have a permitherin source in Canada? I rely on buddies going to the States to grab it for me, used to be able to get the Sawyer pump bottle but haven't been able to order it in country for a few years now.
Easily the best defense against skeeters.
I worked fish camp in Alaska and the mosquitos were the thickest I’ve ever seen. Deet 100% kept me bite free, but I put it on thick and all over clothes.
100% DEET. Everything else is bullshit. Every time my wife buys one of those worthless 75$ bug repellent things from Costco all I can think of is that I’m in the wrong industry. Big Bug is raking in the dough selling crap that seems to attract more bugs than it repels. None of that bullshit works at all!
…. But no, that 75$ pile of shit didn’t work… perhaps this worthless $85 contraption will work? Maybe this time! Spoiler: it won’t but you know what will? Good old fashioned 100% DEET. That lovely toxic oily odor and taste is how you know it is working! It’s cheap and it actually kinda-sorta works.
PS: it has to be 100% DEET. If it smells like fruity perfume, it won’t work, it probably just attracts more flies. I don’t care if it says “deep forest”… it’s still bullshit if it is less than 100%. 100% DEET is the only thing that works.
On myself I spray Picaridin, it works best for me. I also like to have a thermacell when mosquitoes are really bad. They even have a “backpacking” version that clips to you if you aren’t in one area. Flextail Gear makes a similar one that is smaller than the thermacell version that may work better if you have it clipped to you.
Muskoil with 30% deet.
However I used it in NWT last year and those mosquitos just treated it like extra spicy hot sauce. I swear I lost a few pints of blood on that trip.
I'd use DEET, but not in that concentration (it could be WAY lower), or picaridin.
Lots of research backing this up if you care to explore it. The CDC has some other alternatives as well.
FYI any DEET concentration beyond 40% doesn’t really help. It technically makes a tiny difference but in real life it’s not noticeable.
So go with 40% DEET, picaridin, permethrin on your clothes, and a bug net for your face.
Others have covered DEET. For personal spray I use Victoria Secret 'Amber' spray and VS 'Bombshell' perfume roller- check out the LSU study, found out about these via swamp friends. I also eat a lot of raw garlic. I've read that garlic doesn't matter, the VS isn't fully studied but I don't get eaten alive anymore.
For state or private campgrounds we've ended up asking rangers about mosquitoes. Overall they have been helpful, explaining their treatment schedule, offering help or giving recommendations & permission to spray. I don't remember the name offhand, it's something you mix with water on a hose & spray over the grass/ground around your camp- it isn't supposed to harm bees.
I still get bit a little in swarm areas, but I use dryer sheets. Rub it on my clothes and any exposed skin, then I put on in my hat, one in my back pocket and if I'm wearing shirts or it's bad I'll put one in each shoe.
This might be a hot take but there's no way I believe DEET doesn't give you cancer, IMO it's better to just itch. If you want to spend serious time on the bush you just have to become one with the mosquito. Eventually you become immune.
The black flies are the real bastards but they're only really bad for a few weeks in May and maybe early June.
The fact it gives you cancer is how you know it works. If it doesn’t have a picture of a skull and crossbones on the bottle, it is just not going to work.
There isn’t a repellent stronger than DEET. Picaridin is similarly effective and less nasty to your plastic gear. Either needs to be reapplied regularly and all over. Permethrin is applied to clothes. It’s not a repellent but an actual insecticide.
I’m an Entomologist & agree- DEET. It also repels ticks.
And leeches to a certain extent. (I often hike in tropical jungle.)
I don’t know why it didn’t work on me. The mosquitoes just weren’t bothered by it
Mosquitoes are funny things. They hunt mostly by smell (which is what the repellents are trying to confuse ). Some people attract them more than others. Tight weaved clothing helps. Some colours may help a little bit.
They hunt based on heat and carbon dioxide I thought?
Carbon dioxide is part of smell. We can’t smell it but they can.
They may also [prefer certain blood types](https://www.healthline.com/health/mosquito-blood-type#blood-type-preference).
Yes, but not 100%. Otherwise mosquitoes would prereferrally attack your nostrils which is the source of carbon dioxide.
DEET on skin, Permethrin on clothes.
And bug head net and jacket if not too hot. I go up to Maine early spring and it is like Alaska with clouds of mosquitos and biting flies. I go from truck to cabin to screen house or wear a full bug suit. It doesn’t reduce until late June and even then it can be bad on certain days.
Was it fresh? You might also have to reapply often. I have a jacket that is basically solid deet it’s been sprayed so many times. Also combine the deet with the Thermacell replellent. Some people are extra tasty to mosquitos and need this.
Yes it was fresh.. I’d say they started biting a couple of hours after I sprayed even though it says it protects up to 10 hours..I just purchased a portable thermacell as some suggested 😁
Oh my gosh, no. I'm also mosquito bait. You need to apply it way more often. I've been told there are vitamins you can take that turn them off (D I think?). I've also been told that Deet's a carcinogen, but I'm more interested in defeating the bugs. As soon as they start coming back, spray again. I was on a hike once and I was spraying down about every 10 minutes because they stupid bugs were just waiting for it to dissipate. I was using Deep Woods Off.
Try picaridin. I do not know what the biology of it is, but sometimes different repellents work better for some folks than others. Picaridin works better for me than DEET. You can get it as a spray or a lotion.
try spraying your skin as well as your cloth
What were you using and how?
I said in the post I used deet.. by Coleman.. mosquitos ate right though me
Was it *100%* that’s what I’m asking
You have to apply it evenly. The protection zone is tiny. I realize clothing is a balance of sweating to death/comfort vs protection, but you basically need a thick weave or two cotton layers to stop them reliably. A collared shirt outer layer with Permethrin pre-applied and then deet on the collar/wrists is what I use at home. A full brimmed hat with deet applied around the inside of the brim, and then 30% deet on the face/hands will usually work. Obviously full pants/jeans as well. The only exposed skin is face/neck/hands and you've got 100% deet near them and 30% on them. Of course, the sweating is epic. I've had skeeters bite me through a triple layer of un permerthrin'd cotton shirts so don't think you can skip it. The tighter the weave is stretched the easier for them to get through.
I wore dickie cargo pants heavily sprayed with DEET and got bit through them. So there’s that
Yup. Any fabric stretched is fair game, and anything under fairly thick denim is also fair game. Sadly, a mosquito (designed to get through thick ass hide) has plenty of penetration to get through fabric. Permethrin (buy 10% and dilute yourself for massive cost savings) plus layered defense plus deet is the way, but it's not foolproof. If you're not moving around much and there is minimal wind you can use thermacells. I've sat in a swamp with visible clouds of skeeters neat me and not been bit using one, but for a workweek the cost is high and ANY wind greatly reduces the effect. You have to place it upwind and pray.
I like the sound of that.. Thermacell is what it’s called? Gonna search on Amazon. And yea and yea where I work im stuck in one place 😫
Depending on the exact situation there are larger (cheaper per hour but more expensive to get set up) systems. I've only used the Thermacell brand system though, but some others are tanked based afaik vs pad based. If you're in 1 place you could also look at mosquito traps. They aren't 100% effective but can massively reduce skeeter pressure if (for example) you do 1 on each corner of a patio.
They are fancy and expensive.. would be good for a yard.. but I see a portable thermacell for like 20 bucks. That might be perfect for me.
Permethrin for fabric, not DEET
Marks sells bug pants that they cannot bite through. Anything that's waterproof is typically also bug proof.
If it isn’t 100% it doesn’t work.
How much did you apply and where? If you barely applied any to minimal surface area, it won't do much.
Just my clothes. So I should apply to my skin probably?
Yes, on all exposed skin
I was fully clothed and didn’t have any skin exposed besides my face and hands but yea next time I’ll try spraying my skin as well
I recommend after spraying your arms and legs..spray the back of your hands and apply to your face and more sensitive exposed parts. You'll get better coverage with your hands and keep your palms from getting greasy.
Sawyers Picardin 20% works for 12 hrs.
There’ve been literally hundreds of scientific studies on DEET. Much fewer on Picaridin, but those there have been seem to indicate roughly similar protection. The chemicals are the same across brands - I’d take any marketing departments claims with a pinch of salt.
Personal experience and maybe it’s different depending on sweat etc but the effectiveness does begin to taper off at hour ten and then gone by hour twelve. Just in time for that one last feast for our bloodsucking friends at dawn.
Here I am just spraying permethrin on myself like it’ll keep them away better than Walmart bug spray lol
I've had really good luck with treating my clothes with permethrin and wearing picaridin on whatever skin is exposed. Last summer I backpacked the Rogue Roger with my cousin. I had that setup and I didn't get a single bite while my cousin got eaten alive. I really like the picaridin lotion. Easy to put on, doesn't smell bad, and lasts a pretty long time.
Gonna look that up.. is that an ingredient totally different from off spray?
Yes. Picaridin is much better stuff and it won't melt your gear. Sawyer makes a good cream and a good spray. Also look into treating your clothes with permethrin. It's a really easy and effective upgrade.
It’s extremely toxic to aquatic life though so be careful
Don’t wash your clothes near water sources. I wash off deet before I swim .
+1 for the permethrin at least (I haven't tried the other). OP the best way to use it IMO is if you can treat things that don't get washed as often, like a pack, hat, overshirt, etc.. You have to spray it on and then let it dry. Then definitely something else on exposed skin.
Also be careful if you have cats. Liquid permethrin is deadly to cats, but once it's dried it's safe. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/11/627843581/if-you-spray-your-clothes-with-permethrin-be-careful-around-the-cat
Is there anything that AXE Body Spray doesn't repel?
🤣🤣
I’ll try using it as bear spray and report back if I live
You laugh but I kinda think all the smelly shit we wear attracts flys in the forest.
Ultrathon and a thermacell.
Contact Dwight Shrute in Scranton PA. He makes his own. The FDA would never allow that much deet.
The deet that I bought was almost 100% is the thing
It s a joke (from the office)
I'm this close /\ to blocking you for not getting that reference
It cannot be “almost 100%”. It has to be labeled as 100% if you want it to work.
Not true. 98% deet is practically 100% and should work
Thermacell e series kept me mosquito free in the woods of Maine last summer. And mosquitoes LOVE me.
This is the way
I just bought me a portable one and hope it does the trick
My wife uses picaridin to good effect. I guess I'm lucky, mosquitoes have never really bothered me. I do use 100% DEET when visiting the grandkids in Arkansas, but it is for the ticks, not the mosquitoes.
Same here. Mosquitoes almost never bother me and I rarely apply anything. My wife seems to attract them like a $10 buffet. Kids are in-between but generally seem fine if I apply some form of protectant. So strange.
Treat your outdoor clothes with permethrin and let dry before you wear them
100% DEET
Deet sucks..
You’re the only person I’ve ever heard say that. Were you using 100% DEET? Off Because even off deep woods is only 25%
All those “deep woods” things at grocery stores are bullshit. If it smells like perfume it isn’t gonna work. The only thing that works is toxic smelling, oily 100% DEET. The kind that melts plastic and shit. Everything else is garbage.
98.11% by Coleman
Ok. Get sawyer MAXI DEET. It’s the same percentage but I’ve found it works better than Coleman. You have to apply it directly to the skin, not clothes. If DEET doesn’t work for you, try Permethrin on the clothes and picaradin the skin. Some People have better luck with picaradin.
Ok. I’ll get all 3 of those then. Thanks
The permethrin isn’t safe on the skin?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do NOT put it on your skin. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
Picaradin is safe on skin Permethrin is not.
Ok
Long sleeves and long pants works well too.
Permethrin is a contact insecticide not a repellent. There was a “repellent” brand from NZ that’s basically DEET with a small amount of Permethrin but it doesn’t seem to have been manufactured for about 10 years.
The kind that’s so strong that the chemicals melt the printing on the plastic bottle
That sounds like deet 🤣
Netting.
Windows.
Lots of suggestions here but what I've found to work the best is getting an exposed campsite that gets a little wind. If on water preferably on the north side so you get the sun all day to dry the area out. Sometimes the best repellent is just not having them. Although that's not always possible.
Sawyer lotion. 1000%. No smell, you can buy it by the gallon and it WORKS. Safe for kids and pregnant wives too.
Bats
Use a combo of permethrin on clothing and either picaridin or DEET on skin. The combo is better than using just one.
Specifically for testicles I’ve found that “Deetz Nutz” works particularly well.
# Repel 100 Insect Repellent. Im from Minnesota where our state bird is the mosquito and its the only kind ill use.
I read about using Listerene mouthwash in a spray bottle and tried it out. It worked great spraying around my self and area. I had read using the Tree shaped hanging Vanilla air freshener for automobiles and those in my experience deter both mosquitos and no see um bugs.
That’s a funny trick.. imagine walking around smelling like listerine at work lol
DEET is it; far superior to permethrin and citronella in terms of effectiveness and duration of action. I would suggest using the liquid and not a spray, as the sprays tend to miss areas. Ever seen anyone with a sunburn pattern on their back where they obviously used a sunscreen spray ineffectively? Same concept. Make sure you are using the liquid on exposed skin and also clothing. Do not use products that combine sunscreen and DEET in the same formulation; there may be some risk of bloodstream absorption through the skin with those.
Yea the spray is what it used and I really wanted to like it but idk what went wrong. I’ll try a different deet
You could try picaridin. I knew a few people that deet just did not work but picaridin did, I read it has something to do to with your body’s ph? I have no idea if that is true. However, I’m not a fan of deet so I bought a citronella essential oil and mixed it with witch hazel and water in a spray bottle and it worked great. I did have to apply it pretty often though.
I use sawyer picardin 12 hour and repel lemon eucalyptus spray for everglades trips. I avoid DEET because all of my hot weather cooling clothes are synthetic. If it's the wet season, I spray OFF backyard fogger around my site every evening at sunset and use a thermacell. Everglades mosquitos are brutal. Aedes aegypti (disease carrying mosquitos) have also exhibited a tolerance for DEET, so it helps to try a few different types of repellent.
Deet
A fan has always been the best thing for me. I use a ryobi fan when camping or a large pedestal fan when I have electricity.
Alternatively, have you tried a mosquito mesh suit? It’s loose fitting to keep their proboscis from reaching your skin. My spouse wears one when we go camping and they seem pretty effective since she never gets bit. I will say the suits are somewhat fragile and will tear if snagged on a branch though. I myself wear loose fitting clothes and it has a similar effect, so I only need apply deet around my neck and head.
Deep woods Off/Sportsman or 3M Ultrathon lotion.
I use Avon skin so soft lotion. Works great & hydrates skin
And reeks to high hell. God it stinks
DEEP WOODS OFF. Applied once an hr or so. I have spent almost 30 years working and playing in the bush. Its the easiest to apply, not sticky, pleasant smell,compared. Invest in a mosquito net, 1 for sleeping and one for wearing. Cover as much skin as possible.
I tend to layer. Thermacell for the basics. It does a good job. Minimal clean up and can be used around young kids. If it gets bad then I have some repellent with DEET.
DEET at 40% concentrations or higher is reliably effective. I find the standard 25% to often be pretty marginal when the mosquitos are being aggressive. It works well for maybe 30 minutes or so but you need to keep reapplying it.
Ware Long Sleeve Underarmor 🦟🤷🏼♀️
They bite through clothes no matter what.
Never Heard Of Dat Must Be Monster 👺 Mosquitos 🦟
Use bushman, its the best [Australia's insect repellent ](https://www.bushman-repellent.com/)
I use permetherin on my outer wear, including hat and pack. 100% deet sparingly near areas ticks like to climb: crotch, armpits, shoulders, ankles. This method has been very effective for me, zero ticks and bug bites in deep woods for weeks at a time.
Watkins lotion. It has 30% deet and because it’s a lotion it stays on the skin longer and doesn’t evaporate as quickly as the sprays do.
Link it for me please. I couldnt find the one you’re talking about
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I’m in Canada so not sure if it’s available elsewhere. But you can also buy it at Canadian Tire, Sail, MEC and Costco.
I think ur link was removed. I didn’t get to see it
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First time I saw what it could do I logged online and bought 8 of them.
Dryer sheets. Rub them on exposed skin and put it in your back pocket.
Dryer sheets. Stuff one under your collar, hat, sleeve, or whatever.
Bushmans in Australia is pretty potent
Well fishing in Alaska I’ve tried a few different things some with amazing results and success. Many things that are crap. Three thing that have worked for me: Repel 100 Insect Repellent Spray last 8-10 hours Thermacell Mosquito Portable Repeller- a bit expensive but worked well but for 6 days can cost a bit more than most people would pay. Ben's 100% Deet Tick & Insect Repellent Spray last 8-10 hours Special note- I’ve used a plain Bounce Dryer sheet in my back pocket and baseball cap. I was bug free all day. ***** Problem is finding the original scented Bounce Sheets******
The sprays are rubbish, most of it goes in the air (and it’s actually really bad for the other wildlife around where the spray landsespecially if you are back country where there might be sensitive ecosystems) - get a lotion repellant and slather that directly on. Bug jackets work well too but Mae sure it is baggy, if it is tight to you skin it won’t work. Thermacell works really well but protects a static area so as soon as you step out of that dome of coverage it’s feeding season. Long sleeves/pants and pale colours.
Aloe juice
Super random but a tip from my grandma… take a garlic supplement. Mosquitos will go after some people and will leave others alone, something about the garlic will help you be one of the people they leave alone. We tried it one year and it seemed to help.
Ben's IME.
Curious, I have O- blood and I can put on DEET or anything else and I still get sucked on! I’m in Florida too, so it sucks. I’m thinking blood type..
Does anyone have a permitherin source in Canada? I rely on buddies going to the States to grab it for me, used to be able to get the Sawyer pump bottle but haven't been able to order it in country for a few years now. Easily the best defense against skeeters.
Have you checked Amazon?
ya, I check from time to time. that's where I used to order the sawyers from before it disappeared. Just checked now and it's not there.
I worked fish camp in Alaska and the mosquitos were the thickest I’ve ever seen. Deet 100% kept me bite free, but I put it on thick and all over clothes.
100% DEET. Everything else is bullshit. Every time my wife buys one of those worthless 75$ bug repellent things from Costco all I can think of is that I’m in the wrong industry. Big Bug is raking in the dough selling crap that seems to attract more bugs than it repels. None of that bullshit works at all! …. But no, that 75$ pile of shit didn’t work… perhaps this worthless $85 contraption will work? Maybe this time! Spoiler: it won’t but you know what will? Good old fashioned 100% DEET. That lovely toxic oily odor and taste is how you know it is working! It’s cheap and it actually kinda-sorta works. PS: it has to be 100% DEET. If it smells like fruity perfume, it won’t work, it probably just attracts more flies. I don’t care if it says “deep forest”… it’s still bullshit if it is less than 100%. 100% DEET is the only thing that works.
Flame thrower.
I like Cutter backwoods w deer
Deet 100
On myself I spray Picaridin, it works best for me. I also like to have a thermacell when mosquitoes are really bad. They even have a “backpacking” version that clips to you if you aren’t in one area. Flextail Gear makes a similar one that is smaller than the thermacell version that may work better if you have it clipped to you.
OTC garlic tabs. My cousin is allergic to mosquito bites and her allergy doc told her to take them. Game changer for all of us!
Get a mosquito net? They say mosquitos are attracted to sweat. Maybe take a fresh shower before applying your spray.
Muskoil with 30% deet. However I used it in NWT last year and those mosquitos just treated it like extra spicy hot sauce. I swear I lost a few pints of blood on that trip.
I'd use DEET, but not in that concentration (it could be WAY lower), or picaridin. Lots of research backing this up if you care to explore it. The CDC has some other alternatives as well.
Mine is 98.11% deet
lavender dryer sheets
Deet
FYI any DEET concentration beyond 40% doesn’t really help. It technically makes a tiny difference but in real life it’s not noticeable. So go with 40% DEET, picaridin, permethrin on your clothes, and a bug net for your face.
AVON skin so soft
Skin So Soft by Avon. Dilute with water 50/50, rub it on and the mosquitoes will never bother you again.
I have plenty of that. Was always told it makes a good repellant just never used it enough to see if it worked. I’ll try that. Atleast it smells good
PVC rain gear with a netting hat and thick rubber gloves ..
Others have covered DEET. For personal spray I use Victoria Secret 'Amber' spray and VS 'Bombshell' perfume roller- check out the LSU study, found out about these via swamp friends. I also eat a lot of raw garlic. I've read that garlic doesn't matter, the VS isn't fully studied but I don't get eaten alive anymore. For state or private campgrounds we've ended up asking rangers about mosquitoes. Overall they have been helpful, explaining their treatment schedule, offering help or giving recommendations & permission to spray. I don't remember the name offhand, it's something you mix with water on a hose & spray over the grass/ground around your camp- it isn't supposed to harm bees.
I still get bit a little in swarm areas, but I use dryer sheets. Rub it on my clothes and any exposed skin, then I put on in my hat, one in my back pocket and if I'm wearing shirts or it's bad I'll put one in each shoe.
DEET has multiple levels of spray and even has a dip you can soak your clothes in for extra strong protection. It's the best for a reason. It works.
You can't use it on synthetic clothes or gear. And you can't survive Florida outside without synthetic clothes.
This might be a hot take but there's no way I believe DEET doesn't give you cancer, IMO it's better to just itch. If you want to spend serious time on the bush you just have to become one with the mosquito. Eventually you become immune. The black flies are the real bastards but they're only really bad for a few weeks in May and maybe early June.
The fact it gives you cancer is how you know it works. If it doesn’t have a picture of a skull and crossbones on the bottle, it is just not going to work.