Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little

[Mr. Dazzle]

The most effective household mozzie deterrent I've found is two highly strung cats

Mrs. D gets the swelling thing really badly, but it does vary with location - apparently that's not uncommon, sliight variation in mozzie spit proteins cause it.

She's got a little self imolating zapper thing which plugs into your phone which you scorch bites with as soon as you notice them, it seems to work! AFAIK it pretty much just cooks the proteins in the spit like egg whites. Could be total snake oil/placebo though.

[KungFooBob]

Eating garlic and drinking gin is supposed to help as a deterrent too.

I'm not sure there's any science behind it, I imagine the rumour was started by someone who liked garlic bread and a G&T.

[Count Steer]

The most effective household mozzie deterrent I've found is two highly strung cats

Mrs. D gets the swelling thing really badly, but it does vary with location - apparently that's not uncommon, sliight variation in mozzie spit proteins cause it.

She's got a little self imolating zapper thing which plugs into your phone which you scorch bites with as soon as you notice them, it seems to work! AFAIK it pretty much just cooks the proteins in the spit like egg whites. Could be total snake oil/placebo though.

I've got several of the piezo clickers that are supposed to zap the bites. They seem to reduce the itching a bit but some seem to work better than others. I've tried antihistamines to reduce the impact too.

One of the very best things I found for putting on bites was on Death in Paradise! It's pile cream. (I guess the lignocaine does the trick). The other is MooGoo sensitive skin balm (it's for eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis and is brilliant stuff....and doesn't smell like pile cream ).

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah we had a piezo clicker, the phone powered one is the same thing just amped (almost literally ) up. Plugs into the USB port.

[Count Steer]

I'm interested in these USB ones...any recommendations or links? Ta.

[gremlin]

I do a few outdoor gym classes. In the evening, the mozzies can be voracious. I've found this stuff to be cheap, nice smelling and very effective. I assume it's the oil: the buggers must overshoot when they come in to land.
https://avon.uk.com/collections/skin-so ... OzEALw_wcB

[cheb]

Udder cream has it recommenders against midges up here. Just don't smear too much under and round your eyes, you'll not see through the tears.

[Count Steer]

Udder cream has it recommenders against midges up here. Just don't smear too much under and round your eyes, you'll not see through the tears.

That's how MooGoo got started. They noticed that the folk who put the cream on cows udders had lovely hands.

https://moogooskincare.co.uk/pages/about-us

[Yorick]

Thank fuck we've no mozzies here

[Sunny]

I'm considering moving on all of my Pratchetts. Most of the Discworld novels, most of them in hardback. Plus some 'science of', etc., Nation, and a couple of others. Might get to £5 ...

Another one interested in Pratchett hardbacks - I switched from paperback to hardback after the first nine-ish, so if you have the early ones, I'd happily take them off your hands

(I also didn't really like the Long Earth stuff )

[Bigjawa]

Udder cream has it recommenders against midges up here. Just don't smear too much under and round your eyes, you'll not see through the tears.

Uddermint is the best thing for muscular aches and pains I've ever seen.

[Horse]

I'm considering moving on all of my Pratchetts. Most of the Discworld novels, most of them in hardback. Plus some 'science of', etc., Nation, and a couple of others. Might get to £5 ...

Another one interested in Pratchett hardbacks - I switched from paperback to hardback after the first nine-ish, so if you have the early ones, I'd happily take them off your hands

(I also didn't really like the Long Earth stuff )

Looking at this list (and without walking a few yards to the bookcase), I started on hardbacks about book 18.

No backfilling, earlier ones read as paperbacks.

There's actually a - tenuous - motorcycle connection.

In about 1994 I was going to the Birmingham bike show with my mate Paul. We stopped at a services and he was looking for the latest Pratchett. I'd never heard of him. Next day (we did a day on the BMF stand (RIP) and a day wandering) Paul arrived with Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic. Hooked. Filly bought me Masquerade in HB.

https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

[Noggin]

I have found the essential oil Eucalyptus Citronée has worked pretty well (also helps on the bites too - not sure why!). I've also used Cironella, Menthe and tea tree, just to try and upset the little bastards and make them go away. Doesn't always work But the times I got bitten up here I didn't have any of the oils/smells (cos didn't realise that we now have mosquitoes up here ). Must remember and be prepared!!

I could be used as mozzie bait. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't react to them so badly. I ended one trip around eastern Turkey looking like the Elephant Man. The missus was quite happy as they ignored her 'cos my pheromones and blood were more attractive.

I was surprised, at first, to see shelves of anti-mozzie stuff in Brussels supermarkets - I found out why later. At certain times of year that's where they seem to go for their hollibobs! However, that's where I found out about the plug-in devices that have a little heater pad and a bottle of mozzie-cide screwed on top. Got a couple - one with a UK plug and one with a euro plug. Don't like using them overnight but an hour or two in the bedroom, with doors and windows closed, before bed seems to help. They also seem to congregate in bath/shower rooms so blatting them with mozzie-cide helps.

IIRC there's a theory that taking vitamin B helps to pevent bites and there are vitamin B patches available. Doesn't seem to have any scientific evidence to support it though.

I might try VitB (it's almost the only one I'm not taking I reckon!! LOL) I had some of the mozzie-cide heat plug things when I was int he first rehab - they wren't bad but the Grenoble tiger mozzies were vicious and almost immune to everything! Bastards

The most effective household mozzie deterrent I've found is two highly strung cats

Mrs. D gets the swelling thing really badly, but it does vary with location - apparently that's not uncommon, sliight variation in mozzie spit proteins cause it.

She's got a little self imolating zapper thing which plugs into your phone which you scorch bites with as soon as you notice them, it seems to work! AFAIK it pretty much just cooks the proteins in the spit like egg whites. Could be total snake oil/placebo though.

I need to get one of the plug in zappers for sure!!

Eating garlic and drinking gin is supposed to help as a deterrent too.

I'm not sure there's any science behind it, I imagine the rumour was started by someone who liked garlic bread and a G&T.

Garlic I can do - Gin does not like me

I do a few outdoor gym classes. In the evening, the mozzies can be voracious. I've found this stuff to be cheap, nice smelling and very effective. I assume it's the oil: the buggers must overshoot when they come in to land.
https://avon.uk.com/collections/skin-so ... OzEALw_wcB

The mozzies in Grenoble would happily attack despite the skin so soft stuff. But I might try it up here and see if these ones here are a less tough!

Thank fuck we've no mozzies here

This is the first ever time I've seen them here. Ok, I missed a lot of too heatwaves as I was in Grenoble fighting Tiger Mosquitos!! But it's proper weird to be attacked up here as I never have been before I guess it's cos we've had so much rain (something else unusual/missing for you!! )

[Noggin]

In about 1994 I was going to the Birmingham bike show with my mate Paul. We stopped at a services and he was looking for the latest Pratchett. I'd never heard of him. Next day (we did a day on the BMF stand (RIP) and a day wandering) Paul arrived with Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic. Hooked. Filly bought me Masquerade in HB.

https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

The first one I read was Small Gods. I have no idea where it came from or why I ended up with it, but I started it whilst waiting to get on a plane to go to a Grand Prix. I was laughing out loud on the plane and whenever I could get to read it at the hotel. Freaking awesome! Soon as I got back I found as many others that I could and from then on bought each one as it come out!! They are books I can read over and over. I do miss them quite a lot! LOL But if you find an easier/closer home, I will find them all again from somewhere x

[Sunny]

Looking at this list (and without walking a few yards to the bookcase), I started on hardbacks about book 18.

No backfilling, earlier ones read as paperbacks.

There's actually a - tenuous - motorcycle connection.

In about 1994 I was going to the Birmingham bike show with my mate Paul. We stopped at a services and he was looking for the latest Pratchett. I'd never heard of him. Next day (we did a day on the BMF stand (RIP) and a day wandering) Paul arrived with Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic. Hooked. Filly bought me Masquerade in HB.

https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

Ah, in that case there might be just a few - I'll check and let you know, in case you do decide to shift 'em (mine are currently in boxes awaiting a new shelving system, hence a small bit of effort required )

[Mr. Dazzle]

Airport drop off charges.

£7 to drive by the front door

[ChrisW]

I do a few outdoor gym classes. In the evening, the mozzies can be voracious. I've found this stuff to be cheap, nice smelling and very effective. I assume it's the oil: the buggers must overshoot when they come in to land.
https://avon.uk.com/collections/skin-so ... OzEALw_wcB

That's the stuff used by the army, I think? I'm sure I remember reading it - might have been a bit of PR.

[ChrisW]

Airport drop off charges.

£7 to drive by the front door

East Midlands is only a fiver (for up to 5 minutes) - bargain!

[Yorick]

Airport drop off charges.

£7 to drive by the front door

East Midlands is only a fiver (for up to 5 minutes) - bargain!

It's about 1€ per hour at this airport

[Noggin]

Realising how slow I really am on a bike now I was never particularly quick on track (the straights were my issue, fast in corners dog slow on straights ) but on the road there weren't many that could pass me!!

The last few days too many people have caught up with me at a pace that meant I waved them past

My physio made the usual comment that it's 'just getting old'


I'm realising that it's, sadly, self preservation, also a bit that I'm on a borrowed bike But, I don't want to ride too fast as I don't want to fall off Well, actually, more to the point - I DO NOT want to damage the metal shoulder OR the 'good' shoulder!! bloody wuss!! LOL

I ride very comfortably, just not very fast With luck I can improve once I have my own bike again.


But right now?? It's just bloody depressing (well, not when I'm riding, that's joyous!)

Just the realisation when I get home that I'm now slow is miserable