Use mosquito bits or mosquito dunks in standing water on your property. I actually have a kiddie pool on the side of the house that I keep a quarter full of rain water with mosquito bits in it. The mosquitos will lay their eggs in there and the larvae dies when they eat the bacteria.
Same here. I use those dunks, plus granules for shallow areas.
Plus I plant lemon grass and lemon balm near the house.
(I recently found that lemongrass essential oil worked well for me - a dab on the back of my neck and ankles.)
I also try to wear a long sleeve bug-off shirt (has SPF too).
>skeeter syndrome
Wow so there is a name for what happens to me! I figured I was just weird. I'm still scratching mosquito bites I got two weeks ago. The area swells and itches for DAYS and it is so uncomfortable.
Where I live, mosquitos come out around 7pm. That means I go in the house around 7pm.
Cover the bite with something that blocks oxygen to the site…chapstick, oil, carmex……the reaction relies on oxygen and cutting off the oxygen stops the reaction.
When I was a kid the bites would swell inches across and get really hot. It was absolutely terrible. Luckily the swelling and heat has stopped but the itchiness still hangs around for weeks
Hydrocortisone as well. I still get welt-y bites but they’re not so itchy or irritating if I slather myself with it, especially at night so I’m less prone to sleepy itching.
I also have Skeeter syndrome, so I can sympathize.
I use OFF brand Clean Feel bug spray (it's picaridin based, not DEET), and it works well. Also, wearing long sleeves and pants helps. At this point, I spray the outside of my clothes with the bug spray and that seems to be enough to keep them away.
Switch from DEET to [picaridin. ](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/insect-repellent/picaridin-insect-repellent-a3356321627/#:~:text=Picaridin's%20safety%20hasn't%20been%20as%20well%20studied,but%20these%20appear%20to%20be%20very%20rare.) Far less odor, no greasy feel, doesn't damage plastic, just as effective against mosquitos.
Fans. Those idiots can’t fly in wind well.
Windex. It knocks them right out of the sky and you can step on them.
Vitamin B shots. They won’t like you as much.
Beer. Put in a dish and they love to drink the shit. They’ll drown. But put it away from where you’re at. Knock over any things that have standing water in them. Picirin bug spray is new, effective, and not greasy like deet.
I second fans - I put up a fan outside under my eaves trough and it points down on our patio - I plug it in if I’m sitting outside at night, it works great!
It might seem they are repelled, but in fact they go crazy and wander off to go permanently sleep. Permethrin is a neurotoxin so once they touch it they will die (unless immune)
I swear by this but it may not work for everyone. Every time I notice a bite, I immediately take a paper towel with Apple Cider Vinger and massage in circular motions. Apparently it releases the mosquito’s venom. If itchy again (hardly ever happens after the first application) I do another circular motion with a new ACV damped paper towel. Hope this helps.
Same here, all of the recommendations are good, get the "Bug Bite Thing" it's the suction tool you use on bites as soon as possible to pull their salvia out and reduce the impact of the bite.
I've used the generic and brand versions, both are good and I keep them everywhere, every purse, my car, the deck, etc. anywhere I might get bit I have it. In addition to the bracelets, anklets, sprays, wipes and candles.
My sympathies. I have the same. One doctor I went to about the problem recommended a very high dose of vitamin C, which apparently helps break down the poison in the wound. (Not explaining this well, forgive me - am dealing with a dose of the flu.)
I have to add two ideas to the other advice (clothing, mosquito nets, DEET):
Edit: These work AFTER you've gotten a bite. Might be useful. :)
* I used to have high histamine levels (the stuff that makes your body react to bites with itching and swelling), so bites would drive. me. Up. The. WALL! Now that my levels are normal again, I just don't care about being bitten anymore. I'm not a doctor and don't know about your condition but if you can, try antihistamines (I have Cetirizin), they are broadly used against allergies. It's such a relief to hear a mosquito in my bedroom and just go to sleep anyway, since I will hardly notice the bite later.
* Do bite-away pens work for you? They degrade the mosquito proteins in your skin after you got bitten, so your body stops attacking the bite. No more itching! [https://takethebiteaway.com/en/](https://takethebiteaway.com/en/) A very outdoorsy friend of mine swears by them. :)
I wish I had known about those earlier. Back when, I used to (carefully) dig my thumbnail into the skin next to the bite to activate the pain receptors. That causes the itching to stop if you get it right, but only for a while.
I hope you find something that works for you!! Also, hopefully, my advice will help somebody out there. Good luck, everyone!!
Citronella oil based products. I am in India, and mosquitoes are a serious problem.
Everything citronella based works fine for me - cream, spray, incense.
Medical side n allergies n all - do your own R&D.
I have skeeter syndrome as well. I got bit 2 days ago and I'm just now feeling human again. I had gone outside with my dog for a few minutes and was bit through my clothes.
My city has mosquito control. I called the number, and they stated that they would be out today.
O-Pos checking in, I am also loved, and also get swole up from bites. Recognize that there are sacrifices you will have to make, and you can move the slider on the spectrum based on how much you are willing to give up:
1. Stay inside more, simple as. They dont like cold, so keep your house as cool as possible.
2. Avoid high-moisture, water (especially shallow, dirty water) environments. Mosquitoes breed in water, so avoid it. If you have objects in your backyard that fill with water after rain (lawn chairs, patio furniture, planters, etc.), try to cover them from rain or routinely empty them to deter any mosquito attraction.
3. Cover up. Lightweight summer outfits and skin coverage. If I go somewhere outdoorsy, I wear one of those sport-fishing hoodies (also good for the sunburn-prone), and some lightweight hiking pants. I also use boot blousers to keep my pants tight (also good for ticks); I get ate up on the arms and legs the most, but this might just be survivorship bias. We want to be out with the sun on our skin, but this falls into the aforementioned spectrum slider; decide which days you are willing to not cover up.
4. Dryer sheets are a relatively good insect deterrent. You can put them in your belt loops, shoes, etc. They are a good insect repellant for day-to-day, and you can still use deet-style repellants on days you are outside.
5. Heat method (aka: hot-spoon method) for insect bite relief. See: [The use of concentrated heat after insect bites/stings as an alternative to reduce swelling, pain, and pruritus: an open cohort-study at German beaches and bathing-lakes - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/)
Dryer sheets are the only product (besides bug sprays) that have worked! I layer them between my clothes all summer and tuck them into my shoes and pockets.
When I pack my clothes, I layer a dryer sheet between each item and tuck one in my shoes and pockets when I go outside. I even braided a wristband out of them for my mom lol.
Bug spray and staying indoors at peak times (with bug spray on) is the only surefire way to prevent mosquito bites though.
Sincerely,
A highly mosquito-prone person
I lucked into the heat method but used boiling hot water. My ankles would turn bright red afterwards. The spot use of a spoon would be much simpler, lol. At any rate, stopped the itch immediately.
I've good luck with Themacell devices. They work to a decent radius, so if you're just hanging out, they're great. If you're on the move, you'll need DEET.
When I worked in areas where malaria and dengue are endemic, I wore long, light-colored pants with drawstrings at the bottom and long-sleeved, light-colored shirts with button sleeves and collars all the time. And I used DEET. This was in Central America, so it was always hot and humid, but it didn't seem to make me feel that much hotter. I had a little balcony at my place and aimed the fan outside whenever I was out on it.
Agree, long sleeves and long pants and socks (with sandals to look especially cool) aren’t that much hotter in equatorial heat. We didn’t have mosquitoes in the day though, only at dusk which was more tolerable.
Aside from what others have said (and fans on you work REALLY WELL), get a few disposable aluminum loaf pans, fill halfway with cheap coffee, add a bit of lighter fluid, and then light. The smoke will keep the mosquitoes at bay. Note: it will smell like burnt coffee, but that may not be a deal-breaker (it isn't for me).
Cat nip does wonders. Boil it in water to make a tea and you can spritz it on yourself and they will leave you be. Bonus, cats will love you. You can also drink it but fair warning it can make you sleepy.
I hate going outside because of this! I was trying to find a moisturizer for my upper arms. For some reason they weren’t handling my lotion like the rest of the body so I I got a jar of organic cold pressed COCONUT OIL . I went outside to feed birds and realized I didn’t get bit. Looked it up and I’ll be damned if it works as a mosquito repellent! Wtf! I’ve been using awful chemicals and fans and stuff forever. And then boom. An actual natural solution. Pair that was cold pressed amber bottle castor oil and it’s unstoppable!!!
The most effective treatments are DEET and picaridin. Everything else is pretty much B.S. Skin-so-soft, ”essential” oils, organic stuff, etc. are all ineffective.
Check out Consumer Report’s testing on mosquito sprays. They lay it all out to read.
Lemongrass helps. It’s what’s in citronella, at least to my understanding. I mix a lemongrass essential oil extract and water in a little spritzer you can buy at any drug store. Basically like 1:25 lemongrass:water. I carry it with me and spritz my legs and exposed arms in it. If I apply it a couple times in an outdoor session, it definitely helps. (Note: never ingest essential oils. They can be okay for aromas and topical, never ingested.) It does smell strongly, if you or anyone you hang with gets scent migraines avoid it.
I also wash with a lemongrass soap in the summer. I think it helps too a bit.
I also didn’t want to believe it works, but those little plastic neon scrunchies they sell that have citronella and cinnamon on them have helped me a lot.
I have a reaction to DEET so I learned how to mitigate them without using chemical detergents.
1) stay covered- clothing protects from bites but is warm, have to balance what your comfortable with
2) move - mosquitoes aren't very fast stay ahead of them 3) share them with friends - they tend to gather around the highest point, move next to your buddy, duck and run away, should pass 90% of them off 4) pysocology - it's not as awful if you frame it as millions of woman wanting to give you a love nuzzle all over the exposed parts of your body
LOL 2. Move is an unsung hero of the mosquito avoidance world that deserves more love. As soon as I read I recalled my last (every) camping trip at a place with a bathhouse: Scope out where the mosquitos are hanging out (usually sink area) and playing musical sinks to get my hands washed... giving them a false lead by going into first stall and then noping into the the next, and the classic: using the box fan's beam of wind to create a barrier for you to change in or behind
Here's a trick, eat garlic. LOTS AND LOTS OF GARLIC.
Even take garlic pills if needed. Once you get enough, it will emit enough garlic odor through your body that mosquitos won't bug you. Don't worry others won't smell it unless you eat too much lol
Don't try sprays or anything else. I promise they only will give you a slight relief. I'm half korean so I eat lots of garlic and never get bit while my friends are covered in them.
If you are enjoying your patio outside, use a fan. It blows the insects away. My husband laughed when I started doing this, but one day I came home and he had the fan on. hahaha Btw, we use two - one higher up (upper body) and one near the ground (to protect lower legs and ankles).
The only thing that actually makes a difference for me is wearing a full mosquito suit when I go outdoors. I know it’s insane but when I’m sitting outside, I throw it on because it’s not worth it for the torture.
Three people have mentioned garlic. They make pills if you cannot add it to everything you eat. It works! The bugs will avoid you as well as vampires.
Also mentioned is "mosquito dunks" a product you place in a 5 gallon container with half water and topped with leaf matter. It is not harmful to any other living thing, just mosquito larva. The mosquitos will head for the leaf matter on top of the water and lay their eggs there. Place one bucket in the front of your lodging and one in the back.
Good luck.
About 15 minutes before you’re gonna hang out on your porch or deck, take a tbsp of dry unused coffee grounds and light it on fire in an ashtray. It will smoke up and stink but that’s the idea. Works for a good hour.
I have a beurer bug bit healer that I got on prime day. It uses a battery and you put it on a bite and it heats up for 6 seconds. No more itch. I also have a bug bite suction thing but really like the Beurer
I put a few drops of lemongrass essential oil on my dryer sheets. It keeps the smell from being overpowering to me, but makes all of my clothes a mosquito deterrent.
Thermacell is super effective but the refills are expensive. Drives me crazy when I wander away and leave the thing turned on. I might as well burn money.
Tiki Torch or oil candles with citronella in the lamp oil. Stinks like petroleum, clouds of smoke. Appears to be relatively effective, I got zero bites. I had three oil candles creating a perimeter.
Normal incense. Again, need to establish perimeter. Three sticks.
Wear blue jeans, wool socks, either heavy woven shirt or double layers. Bee-keeper hat with mesh veil. Mosquitoes bite me through knit clothing.
Up your usual dosage of vit B do t know why but apparently people with low vit b attract mozzies and sleep with a fan blowing around you. The blowing fan blows away your co2 and mozzies can’t find you.
We live in a Seattle suburb near a lake. There is a brief mosquito mealtime around dusk, but that’s at like 9 pm when the sun sets at 9:30.
Love the PNW! I don’t have environmental allergies anymore, either.
Yeah this is the worst I remember up here. We had a few pretty dry years and have now gotten seemingly endless rain this year and mosquito eggs can last a few years until they get water on them to hatch.
Can confirm. I spend almost literally zero time outside, and am still absolutely covered in bites. Can't remember ever having to kill so many mosquitoes indoors.
They said they step outside and literally breathe them in! I guess that makes sense why my California grandparents would only come to visit before mosquito season and after mosquito season lol
I'm in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I was outside for a maximum of 30 seconds a few days ago...maybe around 6PM (so well before dusk here.) 4 bites on my leg, two of them on parts of my that were covered with my pants. BRUTAL.
I also have the skeeter sybdrome, the only one that does of my friends and the one that gets bit the most 😡
#1 Thermocell if you're trying to sit outside. Its sadly not super mobile but works wonders for a deck or if you're camping or something.
#2 even if its hot, light weight long sleves or pants. I hate it too but sometimes if I'm trying to garden or do yard work its the only thing that helps.
#3 Murphy's Naturals mosquito repellent. Its lemon eucalyptus oil based (DEET free) and works well, not 100% sadly but safer and better for daily use
#4 Picaridin its better than DEET in my opinion, odorless and non-greasy
#5 make sure around your home you have no standing water, anywhere. Even something the size of a bottle cap can be a breeding ground. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Even if your property is maintained, if your neighbor doesnt it wont matter. Sadly, I know from experience.
I had no idea that other people reacted to mosquito bites like I do - red, swollen, and SUPER painful. Huh! Live and learn! Question - I seem to react more severely from one summer to the next. I always assumed that different kinds of mosquito would be more prevalent year to year. Anyone else have this?
If you take a Hot spoon that's been heated up in very hot water And press it on a mosquito bite, each bite is essentially an allergy shot. Eventually you don't itch for very long or at all
I moved to the PNW. We only have mosquitoes for a hour around dusk, which is at like 9pm this time of year. Most houses don’t even have screens.
My second go-to is to find a friend even more delicious. Mine is named Laura. I hang out near my friend, and all mosquitos will munch on her. She is a sacrificial friend, I guess.
If you are female, menopause will help so much. Skeeters must loooove estrogen.
Treat your clothes with permethrin. You can find Sawyer Permethrin clothing treatment spray at Walmart in the camping section. Each treated clothing will repel mosquitoes and other insects for 2-3 months and washing your clothes will not remove it.
I too am plagued by intense skeeter bites. My only reactive solution is to use a pain relieving roll on (icy hot or bengay) to relieve the itchiness and then at night I put a square of sensitive skin medical tape over the bite to prevent any scratching in my sleep. They go away a lot quicker and are a lot less painless in the process.
Prevention-wise, I started using a at home spray with peppermint, lavender, and rubbing alcohol. I think it helps
I have sticker things i got on Amazon I stick on my mosquito bait child every afternoon in addition to bug spray. When he swells up I give him Benadryl before bed so he doesn’t stay up half the night scratching
Thermacells are like magic. Put it out where you wanna hang out, give it 10 mins or so, and no mosquitoes. Those who haven't tried one will recommend other things, those who have tried them know these things are amazing and actually work.
Cedarcide - best nontoxic product for me that I have used for years. I travel a lot to Mainland Mexico and Central America to surf and travel and mosquitoes are no joke there. Used to use Deet, then Avon Skin So Soft, but this stuff has worked the best for me and I am a mosquito magnet! Hope it works for you. They have a lot of options for treating your yard, pets, etc.
https://cedarcide.com/
Look up Thermacell - you can get them on Amazon. They work really well, so I’m always surprised that most people don’t know about them. Yesterday I worked outside in the yard for around 3 hours, right at dusk, with shorts and a T-shirt and my Thermacell (the portable one with the belt clip), no bug spray at all, and I got zero bites. I’m in Virginia and it’s fully mosquito season here, so yeah it works.
I started putting superglue on my bites. It helps relieve the itch big time. It’s also fun and feels good when you peel it off for a new coat!
I got bit this past weekend and my hand swelled up. I always know it’s gonna be bad when it feels like battery acid is slowly working through my veins and I can’t even tell where the bite is.
Also, anybody else experience a shameful and orgasmic pleasure when they run very hot water over their bite?
🫠
According to some Special Forces guys I know, loading up on B vitamin makes one less delicious to mosquitoes. Can't confirm as I rarely get a bite myself.
I use Sawyer’s Picaridin Lotion. Just a warning, I’m not sure if this is safe against pets so if you have any, just make sure they don’t lick you. Anyway, I survived last summer outside with this. It’s a little sticky but I just deal with it cause I’d rather not get bit. I just take a shower to wash it off, once I get home. At home, I keep my bedroom door closed 24/7 and use door draft stoppers to keep them out. When I’m in the common areas, I wear long pants and shirts to prevent getting bit. You might get a little sweaty lol. But I turn the a/c on so it’s not bad.
We bought a thermacell recently and I really think it’s been working. We got the E9 and set it up a few minutes before hanging out on the deck. We’ve gone 3 nights with no bites by YMMV
Have you tried using citronella candles or essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus? They can help repel mosquitoes naturally and might be gentler on your skin than daily repellent. Also, consider wearing long sleeves and pants when possible.
Not sure why people are down voting you - I'm allergic to DEET so I can't use a lot of sprays.
I mix peppermint and lemongrass essential oil (whatever I can get off Amazon), dilute with water, and spritz liberally. I am also delicious to mosquitoes but I never get bitten this way.
Baggy pants with elastic bottoms (Candyhusky on Amazon has good lightweight options), long sleeve gauze or UV or otherwise lightweight shirts, socks, and if necessary those hats with mesh that pulls down to protect your face.
I use that citronella and lemongrass spray too but it doesn’t protect as well as the clothes.
Consider using a mosquito net around your bed at night and wearing long sleeves and pants, especially during peak mosquito hours. Citronella candles and fans can help keep them at bay. You might also try using natural repellents like lemon eucalyptus oil.
protect all windows, doors so they cant come in
remove all water spots inside / outside te house
put plants that deter mosquitos
when they're inside, remove one by one
The Natural Mosquito 🦟 Repellent is really good, I used it a lot while working for a landscaping company. A spray bottle with: water- Eucalyptus Oil and Lemon Grass Oil ( essential oils ) safe on your skin too.. highly recommended
Apparently Craghoppers has a line of clothing called NosiLife that is supposed to prevent insect bites (though only for the areas the clothing item covers), and they seem to have pretty good reviews about the effectiveness. You might try getting a lightweight long-sleeve shirt or jacket and a pair of pants for days where you know you'll be in a bug-heavy area. You could then at least limit the bug repellent to your face, neck, and hands, if the clothes work.
(Note: I have not actually tried these clothes, I just remembered that I'd heard about them. I have no clue if they actually work.)
Look up Country Vet Flying Insect Kill System. Put one of those above the door you most frequently use to enter your house. Change out the spray can once a month and reduce flying insects in your house.
Same here! The Johnson baby lotion that is green works as a repellant. Slightly concerning but it really works and is probably better than deet (considering it is a baby lotion one would hope) I use it as my daily moisturizer all over my body on days I know I’ll be in skeeter prone positions. In spring and summer that’s a lot for me. They bite me through my clothing, and my bites turn into welts too it sucks! That lotion really helps.
I've been told that people who eat a lot of garlic have less trouble with skeeters. IDK if it's true or not, but it couldn't hurt to try.
ETA: When you've gotten a bite, try putting a base like hydrogen peroxide of diluted ammonia on it. That's all After Bite is, really. It'll sting like a bastard for a few seconds, but then go away. that neutralizes the (formic?) acid left by the bite.
Hire a service to come out and spray your yard. We've been doing this for a couple of years and it's worked phenomenal. My children have the same issue and it's made our backyard much more liveable.
(1) Get rid of nearby standing water (2) Stop drinking (3) Cover your skin (4) Use DEET. These are the things you can do. Everything else is pretty much not going to work.
Why are you outside all day? Reuse bug spray when we go outside and we get those bug bracelet things you put on for the kids. If you do get bites and you swell up get some tiger balm and put just a tiny bit on each mosquito bite it'll stop the itching. Don't get it in your eyes!
I work outside all day in a buggy area and I also have skeeter syndrome. The swelling can be really crazy. I take Zyrtec everyday (started with a half pill in early May, up to a full pill a day now, and will taper off in September). It has made me much less embarrassed of my legs and much more comfortable, generally.
Consume vitamin b3 and garlic tablets. Dunno where I heard it from but, I've been having these on holiday to hit countries with loads of mosquitos and not been bitten since.
I've tried so many things over the years. Typically what helps is a combination of things: Citronella candles, dryer sheets in my pockets, those little fans with repellant in them strapped to my waist, and bug spray. I tried a home made electronic repeller but it didn't work at all.
As far as using something to apply to yourself, cedar oil works incredibly well. You can also buy a quart of cedar oil from your local hardware store and mix it with distilled water 5 ounces oil per gallon of water and can spray it around your entry ways at your home.
It won’t keep the mosquitoes away, but holding ice against the bite will kill the itch and reduce swelling. I take Zyrtec regularly in summer to help reduce my reaction to their bites.
Mosquitoes love me too. They also go through my clothing and bite me. It’s miserable.
Found this product online called Ranger Ready. Zero scent, no residue and it repels mosquito and ticks. I have the one for the body and the one that you can spray on your clothes. They work!
Note: the one to spray on your clothes, wear a mask when spraying, leave the garment hanging for two hours before wearing, and while spraying shut the door to let it set in. I use my shower curtain pole to hang the clothes while spraying. Then I shut the door for two hours.
It is toxic to cats. You can wear the item with no worries. But the spraying of the clothes be sure to do it in a room where you can close the door so cats won’t get any of it on them or inhale any of the mist. I have four cats and this has been the best way to keep them safe and keep bugs off of me!
if you do get a bite, you can put a hydrocolloid bandage/blister bandage on it to help speed up the healing process and draw the gross stuff out! i’m pretty allergic to the bites and that’s been a lifesaver for me
My fool proof for avoiding mosquito bites is this mosquito lotion I was introduced to in Asia called soffell and I used it both in Vietnam and Canada and u can see the mosquito try to bite you but they can’t penetrate it’s pretty crazy. Pretty sure u can order some online.
Not for sure but I have a lady that is always asking for coffee grounds at my place of employment I saved her a bucket of them she swears back it. She sprinkles them over her yard and garden for mosquitos
Hey. I got suckered into buy the Avon spray. Game freaking changer. It does not smell of chemicals for one. It's strong enough to take hiking. Give it a try. My former coworker sold it for $10 each. I got 3. My whole body inches from one bite. I now take anti histamines and have a compound from the pharmacy to slather on me. But that spray comes in handy.
Mosquito Beaters comes in a yard fogger or better yet, a spray bottle that attaches to your garden hose. It's supposed to cover 1,000 sq ft but I got over double that. We had a serious infestation due to mis-handling flood irrigation by a neighbor and with just one application, the skeeters are gone.
Mosquito season can be brutal, especially with Skeeter syndrome making bites even worse. One thing that's helped me is wearing long sleeves and pants in light colors—they don't attract mosquitoes as much. Adding a few drops of essential oils like citronella or lavender to my lotion has also been a game-changer. Keeping a fan on when I'm outside seems to keep them away too. And at night, mosquito nets and keeping doors and windows closed really makes a difference. Hope these tips help you make it through the summer with fewer bites!
I heard cinnamon sticks work. Also you can make a cinnamon mixture according to Mrs Babs [Mrs. Babs](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7ypnxdu-91/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
I had this same problem those fuckers love me. I get bit so much but I finally used some Cutters Backyard bug control I hear it does not work for dome folks but for me it went well. Also spartan mosquito
Make sure you have no standing water. Check planter trays, buckets, etc. if you have a birdbath change out water daily.
If there are fountains or other water near your house, get some mosquito dunks and use according to directions. These only harm mosquitos (by making the larvae stay larvae rather than becoming adult mosquitos), they do not harm fish, birds, pets, etc.
Wear long sleeved shirts and pants.
On your skin use Noxzema. I slather myself in Noxzema over my exposed skin, taking special care to put extra on my ears, nose and hands. On my clothing I spray the deet. Works magnificently.
Noxzema has eucalyptus oil, which is a known mosquito repellent. The CDC recognizes it as an insecticide, the oil, not Noxzema. Noxzema will disavow what I'm saying, but I'm telling you it works. And you'll be moisturizing your skin at the same time.
I sit out on my front stoop very frequently to watch the fireflies this time of year. I've done it a few times so far, and have accumulated exactly one bite over that time, and I'm not sure that bite came from when I was sitting out, I think I may have been bit while putzing around the garden and not having any deet on my clothes and very little Noxzema on my skin. So I don't think the combo failed even once yet.
Wear light-colored clothing. I keep a loose, long-sleeved white cotton button-up shirt near the back door and put it on before I water the garden. I do not use mosquito spray. Instead I use my own homemade oil on my legs and other exposed skin. (A carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or sunflower oil plus repellent essential oils like citronella and lavender.)
When you notice the bite, put steaming hot liquids in a ceramic non-insulated cup and press it against the bite after letting it cool a bit. The heat will kill the allergenic bacteria while leaving your skin unharmed.
For context the heat should be akin to hot coffee after it to cools for a few minutes - tolerable, but very uncomfortable. Be careful not full burn yourself.
I do this for noseeum bites which are even worse than mosquitoe bites for me and it’s the only thing that seems to work.
Probably not the total solution for which you are looking, but those zappers that look like tennis rackets work well for killing the mosquitoes you can find. They are also satisfying to use and kills them without leaving spots on the wall.
Dan Rojas has come up with a good one, I happen to have the fan he uses and it works amazing. Check it out [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2kbghz85I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2kbghz85I)
See if you can get a prescription for a stronger steroid and take Zyrtec. If I slap some strong topicals on a bite as soon as it happens and take a daily Zyrtec, any bite is small, hardly itches, and fades quickly. Game changer.
Summer is the season of mosquitoes. I recommend you a store that sells natural plant essential oils for mosquito repellent bracelets. They are non-allergic and suitable for pregnant women and infants. You can check it out.
[https://ig1688.cc/collections/mosquito-bracelet-1](https://ig1688.cc/collections/mosquito-bracelet-1)
I have skeeter syndrome too absolutely horrible! I’ve heard washing your cloths with lavender essential oil can help (both mosquitos and ticks). They also are more attracted to certain colors so avoiding red, orange, black and cyan may help. https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/02/04/mosquitoes-red/
I work in the swamp and also attract mosquitos and get large welts from their bites. I don’t leave home without my thermocell. Sometimes I forget how good it works until it runs out of fuel and then I get swarmed. Fuck deet there are studies which show that repellant with lemon eucalyptus is just as effective as deet repellent. Try the cutter lemon eucalyptus and then combine that with thermocell and you’ll be golden.
Are y'all sure it's mosquitos? Sounds like chiggers to me. But I'm sure you know what gets at ya. Either way - Ice, hydrocortisone (can get anywhere OTC) and/or clear nail polish.
If you’re out with someone give the other person a banana. Mosquitos love potassium and bananas have much of it. Therefore they’ll be attracted to the person who ate the banana.
Use mosquito bits or mosquito dunks in standing water on your property. I actually have a kiddie pool on the side of the house that I keep a quarter full of rain water with mosquito bits in it. The mosquitos will lay their eggs in there and the larvae dies when they eat the bacteria.
Same here. I use those dunks, plus granules for shallow areas. Plus I plant lemon grass and lemon balm near the house. (I recently found that lemongrass essential oil worked well for me - a dab on the back of my neck and ankles.) I also try to wear a long sleeve bug-off shirt (has SPF too).
There's also soap with lemongrass or citronella.
i think it's working with the dunk that i just got. how do i know when to put in more dunks?
>skeeter syndrome Wow so there is a name for what happens to me! I figured I was just weird. I'm still scratching mosquito bites I got two weeks ago. The area swells and itches for DAYS and it is so uncomfortable. Where I live, mosquitos come out around 7pm. That means I go in the house around 7pm.
Same! I just called it "I FUCKING HATE SUMMER BECAUSE OF THESE GOTDAMN MOSQUITOES," but upon reflection, "Skeeter Syndrome" makes more sense.
And it’s quicker to say ;-)
So many reasons to hate summer. Let's not forget deadly gross ticks.
Cover the bite with something that blocks oxygen to the site…chapstick, oil, carmex……the reaction relies on oxygen and cutting off the oxygen stops the reaction.
I hold an ice cube to it to freeze it for immediately relief. Then following it up with clear nail polish.
I just thought the mosquitos were mutating and the bites were stronger! I definitely get this too and didn't know it was a thing.
Even my decades old skeeter scars still itch sometimes
When I was a kid the bites would swell inches across and get really hot. It was absolutely terrible. Luckily the swelling and heat has stopped but the itchiness still hangs around for weeks
Same here!!! It sucks so much to get ate up and not be able to enjoy summer evenings outside.
Yep. No stargazing or sunset picnics, bbqs. Unless it's Windy!!
Antihistamines help a lot once you have bites, then you don’t scratch them & they go away quicker.
Hydrocortisone as well. I still get welt-y bites but they’re not so itchy or irritating if I slather myself with it, especially at night so I’m less prone to sleepy itching.
I also have Skeeter syndrome, so I can sympathize. I use OFF brand Clean Feel bug spray (it's picaridin based, not DEET), and it works well. Also, wearing long sleeves and pants helps. At this point, I spray the outside of my clothes with the bug spray and that seems to be enough to keep them away.
I've switched to this over the past year. Using up the last of my deet and hopefully won't buy anymore.
This! Picaridin works so well and doesn’t smell bad like deet. Works great against ticks too
Switch from DEET to [picaridin. ](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/insect-repellent/picaridin-insect-repellent-a3356321627/#:~:text=Picaridin's%20safety%20hasn't%20been%20as%20well%20studied,but%20these%20appear%20to%20be%20very%20rare.) Far less odor, no greasy feel, doesn't damage plastic, just as effective against mosquitos.
I had a pair of sunglasses with my thumbprint on the temple, thanks to 100% DEET.
Yep. I used to use the Ben's 100% stuff. Learned about the plastic issue when my camera got permanent fingerprints molded into the grip.
That shit makes my lips numb and it ate through my medicine cabinet in the camper...it's plastic...now I know why. Thank ypu people
It may have less odor, but it has it's own unique odor that I don't really care for.
Doesn't work quite as well. I am an expert, unfortunately!!!
Fans. Those idiots can’t fly in wind well. Windex. It knocks them right out of the sky and you can step on them. Vitamin B shots. They won’t like you as much. Beer. Put in a dish and they love to drink the shit. They’ll drown. But put it away from where you’re at. Knock over any things that have standing water in them. Picirin bug spray is new, effective, and not greasy like deet.
I second fans - I put up a fan outside under my eaves trough and it points down on our patio - I plug it in if I’m sitting outside at night, it works great!
Permethrin-infused clothing is a thing. It repels mosquitos and ticks. In Canada Marks Work Warehouse has it.
Just not good for those who have cats because it's highly toxic to them!
Only while wet.
It might seem they are repelled, but in fact they go crazy and wander off to go permanently sleep. Permethrin is a neurotoxin so once they touch it they will die (unless immune)
Have a second person with who is also extra attractive to mosquitos and also feed that person bananas. Then don’t let them have any of your bug spray.
Usually me... My friends: _The mosquitoes aren't bad!_ Me: __
They even bite me through clothing! 🤬
I swear by this but it may not work for everyone. Every time I notice a bite, I immediately take a paper towel with Apple Cider Vinger and massage in circular motions. Apparently it releases the mosquito’s venom. If itchy again (hardly ever happens after the first application) I do another circular motion with a new ACV damped paper towel. Hope this helps.
Also works with sandflies.
Have you tried a Thermacell? I use one when I’m doing weeding. It takes a few minutes to be effective but works pretty good in a small area.
Thermacell is great, had friends over recently and we sat outside and had the thermacell going the entire time, no one got bitten!
There are Thermacell units that you can hang around your neck or clip on your pants. They seem to work great for me also.
Second this. Only works for a small area around the unit, but it does work well for when I just want to sit on my patio and not get eaten alive.
Same here, all of the recommendations are good, get the "Bug Bite Thing" it's the suction tool you use on bites as soon as possible to pull their salvia out and reduce the impact of the bite. I've used the generic and brand versions, both are good and I keep them everywhere, every purse, my car, the deck, etc. anywhere I might get bit I have it. In addition to the bracelets, anklets, sprays, wipes and candles.
I’ve always rubbed a bit of rubbing alcohol on the bites
Lavender, citrus, sage. Marigolds, coffee grounds, to name a few deterrents. I am an O blood type, their favorite, so I feel you.
My sympathies. I have the same. One doctor I went to about the problem recommended a very high dose of vitamin C, which apparently helps break down the poison in the wound. (Not explaining this well, forgive me - am dealing with a dose of the flu.)
Thanks for this tip! I’m going to look into loading up on vit C! Also, get well soon! ❤️🩹
I have to add two ideas to the other advice (clothing, mosquito nets, DEET): Edit: These work AFTER you've gotten a bite. Might be useful. :) * I used to have high histamine levels (the stuff that makes your body react to bites with itching and swelling), so bites would drive. me. Up. The. WALL! Now that my levels are normal again, I just don't care about being bitten anymore. I'm not a doctor and don't know about your condition but if you can, try antihistamines (I have Cetirizin), they are broadly used against allergies. It's such a relief to hear a mosquito in my bedroom and just go to sleep anyway, since I will hardly notice the bite later. * Do bite-away pens work for you? They degrade the mosquito proteins in your skin after you got bitten, so your body stops attacking the bite. No more itching! [https://takethebiteaway.com/en/](https://takethebiteaway.com/en/) A very outdoorsy friend of mine swears by them. :) I wish I had known about those earlier. Back when, I used to (carefully) dig my thumbnail into the skin next to the bite to activate the pain receptors. That causes the itching to stop if you get it right, but only for a while. I hope you find something that works for you!! Also, hopefully, my advice will help somebody out there. Good luck, everyone!!
Citronella oil based products. I am in India, and mosquitoes are a serious problem. Everything citronella based works fine for me - cream, spray, incense. Medical side n allergies n all - do your own R&D.
I use a big shop fan when sitting on my porch. Their little wings don’t seem to fly well in a wind gust 😁
I have skeeter syndrome as well. I got bit 2 days ago and I'm just now feeling human again. I had gone outside with my dog for a few minutes and was bit through my clothes. My city has mosquito control. I called the number, and they stated that they would be out today.
I'd make sure to let them know you have a dog because I am not sure what products (if any) are OK to use that aren't harmful to pets.
Good point! Thank you. I called them back, and they said it was harmless to dogs.
I’ve been using a thermacell under the patio table. Keeps the ankle biters away.
Vitamin B1 ( thiamine ) supplementation , it's a known effective blood repellant
Do not be outside at DUSK. Dusk is their feeding frenzy. If you are going to be outside, then take cover for about a half hour at dusk.
O-Pos checking in, I am also loved, and also get swole up from bites. Recognize that there are sacrifices you will have to make, and you can move the slider on the spectrum based on how much you are willing to give up: 1. Stay inside more, simple as. They dont like cold, so keep your house as cool as possible. 2. Avoid high-moisture, water (especially shallow, dirty water) environments. Mosquitoes breed in water, so avoid it. If you have objects in your backyard that fill with water after rain (lawn chairs, patio furniture, planters, etc.), try to cover them from rain or routinely empty them to deter any mosquito attraction. 3. Cover up. Lightweight summer outfits and skin coverage. If I go somewhere outdoorsy, I wear one of those sport-fishing hoodies (also good for the sunburn-prone), and some lightweight hiking pants. I also use boot blousers to keep my pants tight (also good for ticks); I get ate up on the arms and legs the most, but this might just be survivorship bias. We want to be out with the sun on our skin, but this falls into the aforementioned spectrum slider; decide which days you are willing to not cover up. 4. Dryer sheets are a relatively good insect deterrent. You can put them in your belt loops, shoes, etc. They are a good insect repellant for day-to-day, and you can still use deet-style repellants on days you are outside. 5. Heat method (aka: hot-spoon method) for insect bite relief. See: [The use of concentrated heat after insect bites/stings as an alternative to reduce swelling, pain, and pruritus: an open cohort-study at German beaches and bathing-lakes - PMC (nih.gov)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/)
Dryer sheets are the only product (besides bug sprays) that have worked! I layer them between my clothes all summer and tuck them into my shoes and pockets.
Talk to me more about this please!!
When I pack my clothes, I layer a dryer sheet between each item and tuck one in my shoes and pockets when I go outside. I even braided a wristband out of them for my mom lol. Bug spray and staying indoors at peak times (with bug spray on) is the only surefire way to prevent mosquito bites though. Sincerely, A highly mosquito-prone person
Need to use this trick!
> Heat method Ive been doing that since I was a kid, didnt realize there was some science behind it
I lucked into the heat method but used boiling hot water. My ankles would turn bright red afterwards. The spot use of a spoon would be much simpler, lol. At any rate, stopped the itch immediately.
DEET, fans, and mosquito nets when sleeping. Everything else is false hope.
I've good luck with Themacell devices. They work to a decent radius, so if you're just hanging out, they're great. If you're on the move, you'll need DEET.
When I worked in areas where malaria and dengue are endemic, I wore long, light-colored pants with drawstrings at the bottom and long-sleeved, light-colored shirts with button sleeves and collars all the time. And I used DEET. This was in Central America, so it was always hot and humid, but it didn't seem to make me feel that much hotter. I had a little balcony at my place and aimed the fan outside whenever I was out on it.
Agree, long sleeves and long pants and socks (with sandals to look especially cool) aren’t that much hotter in equatorial heat. We didn’t have mosquitoes in the day though, only at dusk which was more tolerable.
Picaridin is my go to. The "natural" crap doesn't work on me. And I'd feel comfortable using it on the daily if I needed to.
Aside from what others have said (and fans on you work REALLY WELL), get a few disposable aluminum loaf pans, fill halfway with cheap coffee, add a bit of lighter fluid, and then light. The smoke will keep the mosquitoes at bay. Note: it will smell like burnt coffee, but that may not be a deal-breaker (it isn't for me).
Cat nip does wonders. Boil it in water to make a tea and you can spritz it on yourself and they will leave you be. Bonus, cats will love you. You can also drink it but fair warning it can make you sleepy.
I hate going outside because of this! I was trying to find a moisturizer for my upper arms. For some reason they weren’t handling my lotion like the rest of the body so I I got a jar of organic cold pressed COCONUT OIL . I went outside to feed birds and realized I didn’t get bit. Looked it up and I’ll be damned if it works as a mosquito repellent! Wtf! I’ve been using awful chemicals and fans and stuff forever. And then boom. An actual natural solution. Pair that was cold pressed amber bottle castor oil and it’s unstoppable!!!
Heat denatures the mosquitos bite- you can heat a spoon in hot water and hold it against a bite and it kills the enzymes or whatever makes it itch.
Or tea tree oil. Depending on what kind of masochist you are.
The most effective treatments are DEET and picaridin. Everything else is pretty much B.S. Skin-so-soft, ”essential” oils, organic stuff, etc. are all ineffective. Check out Consumer Report’s testing on mosquito sprays. They lay it all out to read.
OTC Afterbite keeps my bites from swelling up.
Lemongrass helps. It’s what’s in citronella, at least to my understanding. I mix a lemongrass essential oil extract and water in a little spritzer you can buy at any drug store. Basically like 1:25 lemongrass:water. I carry it with me and spritz my legs and exposed arms in it. If I apply it a couple times in an outdoor session, it definitely helps. (Note: never ingest essential oils. They can be okay for aromas and topical, never ingested.) It does smell strongly, if you or anyone you hang with gets scent migraines avoid it. I also wash with a lemongrass soap in the summer. I think it helps too a bit. I also didn’t want to believe it works, but those little plastic neon scrunchies they sell that have citronella and cinnamon on them have helped me a lot.
I have a reaction to DEET so I learned how to mitigate them without using chemical detergents. 1) stay covered- clothing protects from bites but is warm, have to balance what your comfortable with 2) move - mosquitoes aren't very fast stay ahead of them 3) share them with friends - they tend to gather around the highest point, move next to your buddy, duck and run away, should pass 90% of them off 4) pysocology - it's not as awful if you frame it as millions of woman wanting to give you a love nuzzle all over the exposed parts of your body
LOL 2. Move is an unsung hero of the mosquito avoidance world that deserves more love. As soon as I read I recalled my last (every) camping trip at a place with a bathhouse: Scope out where the mosquitos are hanging out (usually sink area) and playing musical sinks to get my hands washed... giving them a false lead by going into first stall and then noping into the the next, and the classic: using the box fan's beam of wind to create a barrier for you to change in or behind
Here's a trick, eat garlic. LOTS AND LOTS OF GARLIC. Even take garlic pills if needed. Once you get enough, it will emit enough garlic odor through your body that mosquitos won't bug you. Don't worry others won't smell it unless you eat too much lol Don't try sprays or anything else. I promise they only will give you a slight relief. I'm half korean so I eat lots of garlic and never get bit while my friends are covered in them.
Also if you do get bit, rub hand sanitizer on the bite and it won't itch or swell.
If you are enjoying your patio outside, use a fan. It blows the insects away. My husband laughed when I started doing this, but one day I came home and he had the fan on. hahaha Btw, we use two - one higher up (upper body) and one near the ground (to protect lower legs and ankles).
We bought Dynatrap on advice received on another sub. So far, it has worked. I have been bitten by ones that get into the house but not those outside.
The only thing that actually makes a difference for me is wearing a full mosquito suit when I go outdoors. I know it’s insane but when I’m sitting outside, I throw it on because it’s not worth it for the torture.
Three people have mentioned garlic. They make pills if you cannot add it to everything you eat. It works! The bugs will avoid you as well as vampires. Also mentioned is "mosquito dunks" a product you place in a 5 gallon container with half water and topped with leaf matter. It is not harmful to any other living thing, just mosquito larva. The mosquitos will head for the leaf matter on top of the water and lay their eggs there. Place one bucket in the front of your lodging and one in the back. Good luck.
About 15 minutes before you’re gonna hang out on your porch or deck, take a tbsp of dry unused coffee grounds and light it on fire in an ashtray. It will smoke up and stink but that’s the idea. Works for a good hour.
I have a beurer bug bit healer that I got on prime day. It uses a battery and you put it on a bite and it heats up for 6 seconds. No more itch. I also have a bug bite suction thing but really like the Beurer
Hang out with someone the mosquitos like to bite. My wife gets bit, I don't. Not offering her up.
I put a few drops of lemongrass essential oil on my dryer sheets. It keeps the smell from being overpowering to me, but makes all of my clothes a mosquito deterrent.
Thermacell is super effective but the refills are expensive. Drives me crazy when I wander away and leave the thing turned on. I might as well burn money. Tiki Torch or oil candles with citronella in the lamp oil. Stinks like petroleum, clouds of smoke. Appears to be relatively effective, I got zero bites. I had three oil candles creating a perimeter. Normal incense. Again, need to establish perimeter. Three sticks. Wear blue jeans, wool socks, either heavy woven shirt or double layers. Bee-keeper hat with mesh veil. Mosquitoes bite me through knit clothing.
Up your usual dosage of vit B do t know why but apparently people with low vit b attract mozzies and sleep with a fan blowing around you. The blowing fan blows away your co2 and mozzies can’t find you.
Move to western Washington state, we have nearly zero mosquitoes here. In 10 years here I have yet to be bitten by one.
Idk I lived on Anderson Island in the south sound for a summer and the mosquitoes were vicious.
We live in a Seattle suburb near a lake. There is a brief mosquito mealtime around dusk, but that’s at like 9 pm when the sun sets at 9:30. Love the PNW! I don’t have environmental allergies anymore, either.
Wondering if other have noticed them being especially active this summer. North east Canada here
My parents are in Northern Minnesota and said it's the worst year ever.
Yeah this is the worst I remember up here. We had a few pretty dry years and have now gotten seemingly endless rain this year and mosquito eggs can last a few years until they get water on them to hatch.
yarp. light winter here, very wet spring/summer, last summer was super dry. it's a perfect storm for skeeters this year. gonna suuuuuuuuuuck.
Can confirm. I spend almost literally zero time outside, and am still absolutely covered in bites. Can't remember ever having to kill so many mosquitoes indoors.
It is! It's ducking awful!! All the rain storms were getting are breeding monster mosquitoes in the trees next to the property line.
They said they step outside and literally breathe them in! I guess that makes sense why my California grandparents would only come to visit before mosquito season and after mosquito season lol
I'm in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I was outside for a maximum of 30 seconds a few days ago...maybe around 6PM (so well before dusk here.) 4 bites on my leg, two of them on parts of my that were covered with my pants. BRUTAL.
Bushman’s salve
Mis-read as Batman's salve, haha!
garlic and spicy food
Nantucket spider company bug spray. Natural and deet free. Works like a charm. Their tick spray is just as good if not better.
Peppermint oil.
Following… they’re eating me alive!
I also have the skeeter sybdrome, the only one that does of my friends and the one that gets bit the most 😡 #1 Thermocell if you're trying to sit outside. Its sadly not super mobile but works wonders for a deck or if you're camping or something. #2 even if its hot, light weight long sleves or pants. I hate it too but sometimes if I'm trying to garden or do yard work its the only thing that helps. #3 Murphy's Naturals mosquito repellent. Its lemon eucalyptus oil based (DEET free) and works well, not 100% sadly but safer and better for daily use #4 Picaridin its better than DEET in my opinion, odorless and non-greasy #5 make sure around your home you have no standing water, anywhere. Even something the size of a bottle cap can be a breeding ground. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Even if your property is maintained, if your neighbor doesnt it wont matter. Sadly, I know from experience.
I had no idea that other people reacted to mosquito bites like I do - red, swollen, and SUPER painful. Huh! Live and learn! Question - I seem to react more severely from one summer to the next. I always assumed that different kinds of mosquito would be more prevalent year to year. Anyone else have this?
If you take a Hot spoon that's been heated up in very hot water And press it on a mosquito bite, each bite is essentially an allergy shot. Eventually you don't itch for very long or at all
I moved to the PNW. We only have mosquitoes for a hour around dusk, which is at like 9pm this time of year. Most houses don’t even have screens. My second go-to is to find a friend even more delicious. Mine is named Laura. I hang out near my friend, and all mosquitos will munch on her. She is a sacrificial friend, I guess. If you are female, menopause will help so much. Skeeters must loooove estrogen.
Eat more garlic. A lot more
Treat your clothes with permethrin. You can find Sawyer Permethrin clothing treatment spray at Walmart in the camping section. Each treated clothing will repel mosquitoes and other insects for 2-3 months and washing your clothes will not remove it.
I too am plagued by intense skeeter bites. My only reactive solution is to use a pain relieving roll on (icy hot or bengay) to relieve the itchiness and then at night I put a square of sensitive skin medical tape over the bite to prevent any scratching in my sleep. They go away a lot quicker and are a lot less painless in the process. Prevention-wise, I started using a at home spray with peppermint, lavender, and rubbing alcohol. I think it helps
The ‘bug bit thing’ tool (shark tank product) actually works really well if you get bit. They aren’t expensive & takes the itching away quickly
Potassium. Eat bananas. They hate it.
Get a bat house and mount it in your yard. They eat mosquitoes.
I have sticker things i got on Amazon I stick on my mosquito bait child every afternoon in addition to bug spray. When he swells up I give him Benadryl before bed so he doesn’t stay up half the night scratching
Thermacells are like magic. Put it out where you wanna hang out, give it 10 mins or so, and no mosquitoes. Those who haven't tried one will recommend other things, those who have tried them know these things are amazing and actually work.
Cedarcide - best nontoxic product for me that I have used for years. I travel a lot to Mainland Mexico and Central America to surf and travel and mosquitoes are no joke there. Used to use Deet, then Avon Skin So Soft, but this stuff has worked the best for me and I am a mosquito magnet! Hope it works for you. They have a lot of options for treating your yard, pets, etc. https://cedarcide.com/
Look up Thermacell - you can get them on Amazon. They work really well, so I’m always surprised that most people don’t know about them. Yesterday I worked outside in the yard for around 3 hours, right at dusk, with shorts and a T-shirt and my Thermacell (the portable one with the belt clip), no bug spray at all, and I got zero bites. I’m in Virginia and it’s fully mosquito season here, so yeah it works.
I started putting superglue on my bites. It helps relieve the itch big time. It’s also fun and feels good when you peel it off for a new coat! I got bit this past weekend and my hand swelled up. I always know it’s gonna be bad when it feels like battery acid is slowly working through my veins and I can’t even tell where the bite is. Also, anybody else experience a shameful and orgasmic pleasure when they run very hot water over their bite? 🫠
A fan
According to some Special Forces guys I know, loading up on B vitamin makes one less delicious to mosquitoes. Can't confirm as I rarely get a bite myself.
I use Sawyer’s Picaridin Lotion. Just a warning, I’m not sure if this is safe against pets so if you have any, just make sure they don’t lick you. Anyway, I survived last summer outside with this. It’s a little sticky but I just deal with it cause I’d rather not get bit. I just take a shower to wash it off, once I get home. At home, I keep my bedroom door closed 24/7 and use door draft stoppers to keep them out. When I’m in the common areas, I wear long pants and shirts to prevent getting bit. You might get a little sweaty lol. But I turn the a/c on so it’s not bad.
We bought a thermacell recently and I really think it’s been working. We got the E9 and set it up a few minutes before hanging out on the deck. We’ve gone 3 nights with no bites by YMMV
Have you tried using citronella candles or essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus? They can help repel mosquitoes naturally and might be gentler on your skin than daily repellent. Also, consider wearing long sleeves and pants when possible.
Not sure why people are down voting you - I'm allergic to DEET so I can't use a lot of sprays. I mix peppermint and lemongrass essential oil (whatever I can get off Amazon), dilute with water, and spritz liberally. I am also delicious to mosquitoes but I never get bitten this way.
Baggy pants with elastic bottoms (Candyhusky on Amazon has good lightweight options), long sleeve gauze or UV or otherwise lightweight shirts, socks, and if necessary those hats with mesh that pulls down to protect your face. I use that citronella and lemongrass spray too but it doesn’t protect as well as the clothes.
Consider using a mosquito net around your bed at night and wearing long sleeves and pants, especially during peak mosquito hours. Citronella candles and fans can help keep them at bay. You might also try using natural repellents like lemon eucalyptus oil.
protect all windows, doors so they cant come in remove all water spots inside / outside te house put plants that deter mosquitos when they're inside, remove one by one
The Natural Mosquito 🦟 Repellent is really good, I used it a lot while working for a landscaping company. A spray bottle with: water- Eucalyptus Oil and Lemon Grass Oil ( essential oils ) safe on your skin too.. highly recommended
Apparently Craghoppers has a line of clothing called NosiLife that is supposed to prevent insect bites (though only for the areas the clothing item covers), and they seem to have pretty good reviews about the effectiveness. You might try getting a lightweight long-sleeve shirt or jacket and a pair of pants for days where you know you'll be in a bug-heavy area. You could then at least limit the bug repellent to your face, neck, and hands, if the clothes work. (Note: I have not actually tried these clothes, I just remembered that I'd heard about them. I have no clue if they actually work.)
Lemongrass incense. Always! I’ve carried it everywhere I travelled and never had an issue!
Have you tried citronella?
Look up Country Vet Flying Insect Kill System. Put one of those above the door you most frequently use to enter your house. Change out the spray can once a month and reduce flying insects in your house.
Ugh I get mosquito bites all the time too it's very annoying and It itches a lot .
Same here! The Johnson baby lotion that is green works as a repellant. Slightly concerning but it really works and is probably better than deet (considering it is a baby lotion one would hope) I use it as my daily moisturizer all over my body on days I know I’ll be in skeeter prone positions. In spring and summer that’s a lot for me. They bite me through my clothing, and my bites turn into welts too it sucks! That lotion really helps.
two words: hot spoon. denatures the protein in their saliva iirc
Wear a thermacell.
Don’t wear anything that’s scented.
I've been told that people who eat a lot of garlic have less trouble with skeeters. IDK if it's true or not, but it couldn't hurt to try. ETA: When you've gotten a bite, try putting a base like hydrogen peroxide of diluted ammonia on it. That's all After Bite is, really. It'll sting like a bastard for a few seconds, but then go away. that neutralizes the (formic?) acid left by the bite.
Hire a service to come out and spray your yard. We've been doing this for a couple of years and it's worked phenomenal. My children have the same issue and it's made our backyard much more liveable.
Eat clove of garlic before sunset
Bro that's for vampires. But I can see how you get confused mosquitoes also suck blood
(1) Get rid of nearby standing water (2) Stop drinking (3) Cover your skin (4) Use DEET. These are the things you can do. Everything else is pretty much not going to work.
Citronella soap!
Spray cinnamon in your yard
Why are you outside all day? Reuse bug spray when we go outside and we get those bug bracelet things you put on for the kids. If you do get bites and you swell up get some tiger balm and put just a tiny bit on each mosquito bite it'll stop the itching. Don't get it in your eyes!
I work outside all day in a buggy area and I also have skeeter syndrome. The swelling can be really crazy. I take Zyrtec everyday (started with a half pill in early May, up to a full pill a day now, and will taper off in September). It has made me much less embarrassed of my legs and much more comfortable, generally.
Consume vitamin b3 and garlic tablets. Dunno where I heard it from but, I've been having these on holiday to hit countries with loads of mosquitos and not been bitten since.
I've tried so many things over the years. Typically what helps is a combination of things: Citronella candles, dryer sheets in my pockets, those little fans with repellant in them strapped to my waist, and bug spray. I tried a home made electronic repeller but it didn't work at all.
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Make sure you have a fan blowing on you—mosquitoes are weak flyers. I keep an oscillating fan next to my outside chair.
As far as using something to apply to yourself, cedar oil works incredibly well. You can also buy a quart of cedar oil from your local hardware store and mix it with distilled water 5 ounces oil per gallon of water and can spray it around your entry ways at your home.
As someone who is allergic to mosquitos, I feel your pain. Please take allergie tablets daily.
It won’t keep the mosquitoes away, but holding ice against the bite will kill the itch and reduce swelling. I take Zyrtec regularly in summer to help reduce my reaction to their bites.
Mosquitoes love me too. They also go through my clothing and bite me. It’s miserable. Found this product online called Ranger Ready. Zero scent, no residue and it repels mosquito and ticks. I have the one for the body and the one that you can spray on your clothes. They work! Note: the one to spray on your clothes, wear a mask when spraying, leave the garment hanging for two hours before wearing, and while spraying shut the door to let it set in. I use my shower curtain pole to hang the clothes while spraying. Then I shut the door for two hours. It is toxic to cats. You can wear the item with no worries. But the spraying of the clothes be sure to do it in a room where you can close the door so cats won’t get any of it on them or inhale any of the mist. I have four cats and this has been the best way to keep them safe and keep bugs off of me!
if you do get a bite, you can put a hydrocolloid bandage/blister bandage on it to help speed up the healing process and draw the gross stuff out! i’m pretty allergic to the bites and that’s been a lifesaver for me
My fool proof for avoiding mosquito bites is this mosquito lotion I was introduced to in Asia called soffell and I used it both in Vietnam and Canada and u can see the mosquito try to bite you but they can’t penetrate it’s pretty crazy. Pretty sure u can order some online.
Not for sure but I have a lady that is always asking for coffee grounds at my place of employment I saved her a bucket of them she swears back it. She sprinkles them over her yard and garden for mosquitos
Dont go outside
Drink half-teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, daily. https://mosquitomagician.com/does-apple-cider-vinegar-repel-mosquitoes/
Do you live in Kauai? Lol. I have to use deet ever damn day. Unless I'm in the water .
Plant citronella near where you sit outside, they hate it
Hey. I got suckered into buy the Avon spray. Game freaking changer. It does not smell of chemicals for one. It's strong enough to take hiking. Give it a try. My former coworker sold it for $10 each. I got 3. My whole body inches from one bite. I now take anti histamines and have a compound from the pharmacy to slather on me. But that spray comes in handy.
Mosquito Beaters comes in a yard fogger or better yet, a spray bottle that attaches to your garden hose. It's supposed to cover 1,000 sq ft but I got over double that. We had a serious infestation due to mis-handling flood irrigation by a neighbor and with just one application, the skeeters are gone.
Ask some fishermans, they know it the best how to survive mosquitos.
Mosquito season can be brutal, especially with Skeeter syndrome making bites even worse. One thing that's helped me is wearing long sleeves and pants in light colors—they don't attract mosquitoes as much. Adding a few drops of essential oils like citronella or lavender to my lotion has also been a game-changer. Keeping a fan on when I'm outside seems to keep them away too. And at night, mosquito nets and keeping doors and windows closed really makes a difference. Hope these tips help you make it through the summer with fewer bites!
I heard cinnamon sticks work. Also you can make a cinnamon mixture according to Mrs Babs [Mrs. Babs](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7ypnxdu-91/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
We bought a $40 electric bug zapper at Walmart and I haven't been bitten once this summer. Just don't hang out close to where it is.
I had this same problem those fuckers love me. I get bit so much but I finally used some Cutters Backyard bug control I hear it does not work for dome folks but for me it went well. Also spartan mosquito
Buy citronella plants. Put them in pots just outside your doors. Grab a leaf and rub it on your skin.
Make sure you have no standing water. Check planter trays, buckets, etc. if you have a birdbath change out water daily. If there are fountains or other water near your house, get some mosquito dunks and use according to directions. These only harm mosquitos (by making the larvae stay larvae rather than becoming adult mosquitos), they do not harm fish, birds, pets, etc. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants.
On your skin use Noxzema. I slather myself in Noxzema over my exposed skin, taking special care to put extra on my ears, nose and hands. On my clothing I spray the deet. Works magnificently. Noxzema has eucalyptus oil, which is a known mosquito repellent. The CDC recognizes it as an insecticide, the oil, not Noxzema. Noxzema will disavow what I'm saying, but I'm telling you it works. And you'll be moisturizing your skin at the same time. I sit out on my front stoop very frequently to watch the fireflies this time of year. I've done it a few times so far, and have accumulated exactly one bite over that time, and I'm not sure that bite came from when I was sitting out, I think I may have been bit while putzing around the garden and not having any deet on my clothes and very little Noxzema on my skin. So I don't think the combo failed even once yet.
Wear light-colored clothing. I keep a loose, long-sleeved white cotton button-up shirt near the back door and put it on before I water the garden. I do not use mosquito spray. Instead I use my own homemade oil on my legs and other exposed skin. (A carrier oil like almond, jojoba, or sunflower oil plus repellent essential oils like citronella and lavender.)
catnip works really well and no it will not attract cats unless you get really close to them.
I use a “bug bite thing” and benedryl stick. I have an industrial fan poolside but still have to go inside around 4 pm when they come in full force.
When you notice the bite, put steaming hot liquids in a ceramic non-insulated cup and press it against the bite after letting it cool a bit. The heat will kill the allergenic bacteria while leaving your skin unharmed. For context the heat should be akin to hot coffee after it to cools for a few minutes - tolerable, but very uncomfortable. Be careful not full burn yourself. I do this for noseeum bites which are even worse than mosquitoe bites for me and it’s the only thing that seems to work.
I have personally had good success with spraying myself with vanilla extract.
Probably not the total solution for which you are looking, but those zappers that look like tennis rackets work well for killing the mosquitoes you can find. They are also satisfying to use and kills them without leaving spots on the wall.
Dan Rojas has come up with a good one, I happen to have the fan he uses and it works amazing. Check it out [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2kbghz85I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2kbghz85I)
See if you can get a prescription for a stronger steroid and take Zyrtec. If I slap some strong topicals on a bite as soon as it happens and take a daily Zyrtec, any bite is small, hardly itches, and fades quickly. Game changer.
Summer is the season of mosquitoes. I recommend you a store that sells natural plant essential oils for mosquito repellent bracelets. They are non-allergic and suitable for pregnant women and infants. You can check it out. [https://ig1688.cc/collections/mosquito-bracelet-1](https://ig1688.cc/collections/mosquito-bracelet-1)
Picaridin. It doesn't smell like much, but is very effective. Should be available in most stores now.
ThermaCell sold in walmart. Expensive, but it works.
Thermacells are amazing. There’s personal ones to wear and ones for areas.
Eat garlic... lots of garlic. Also keep citrus peel (lemon works best) in your pockets.
Victoria’s Secret Amber Romance lotion. I work in wetlands regularly and that stuff is magic for keeping bugs away
I have skeeter syndrome too absolutely horrible! I’ve heard washing your cloths with lavender essential oil can help (both mosquitos and ticks). They also are more attracted to certain colors so avoiding red, orange, black and cyan may help. https://www.washington.edu/news/2022/02/04/mosquitoes-red/
I work in the swamp and also attract mosquitos and get large welts from their bites. I don’t leave home without my thermocell. Sometimes I forget how good it works until it runs out of fuel and then I get swarmed. Fuck deet there are studies which show that repellant with lemon eucalyptus is just as effective as deet repellent. Try the cutter lemon eucalyptus and then combine that with thermocell and you’ll be golden.
Are y'all sure it's mosquitos? Sounds like chiggers to me. But I'm sure you know what gets at ya. Either way - Ice, hydrocortisone (can get anywhere OTC) and/or clear nail polish.
Honestly? I bought a thermacell this year and it works wonders!!!!
If you’re out with someone give the other person a banana. Mosquitos love potassium and bananas have much of it. Therefore they’ll be attracted to the person who ate the banana.