Les moustiques - les connards

[Noggin]

I sodding hate mosquitoes, sadly the little shits bloody love me.

Worse, I'm staying somewhere with no aircon so I do need to keep the window open for a while in the evening and left it open last night

I've been getting bitten (stung?) every day but last night, cos i was well covered and had found some of that Avon spray, the little fukkers seem to have taken a liking to my face

So, I have to try and sleep with the window closed tonight


What can I use to stop they fukkers??

I have some Avon Soft Skin spray that sometimes works, some eucalyptus citronné essential oil that sometimes works.

Really don't want to (can't) spend much money on more stuff/plug-in stuff when the problem will be solved when it gets cooler (probably the day I spend out on stuff )


I'm trying desperately not to scratch the bites on my face (well, nor on my arms, legs, shoulders ), I have a cold/freezy roll on thingy that kinda helps - have a tube of cold/freezy gel, but forgot that and it's at home


I'm sort of resigned to boiling to death in my sleep, but maybe there is something inexpensive I can bring with me next week as this is really bugging me

[Yorick]

None here

[Noggin]

None here

Yeah, but (sadly) there's no cold wind here!!

[ChrisW]

I used to occasionally take summer holidays in a house in Spain that was literally over the road from rice fields - mosquitoes in wild abundance. The only thing that actually made a difference was a net over the bed.

[David]

marmite is supposed to work.

it doesnt.

damhik

[KungFooBob]

Drinking Gin and Tonic is supposed to work.

It doesn't.

But you don't mind about the bites so much.

[Mr Moofo]

You need Smidge
https://www.smidgeup.com

Citronella works - which is why half of Africa burns citronella candles (the other half are too busy with malaria)
Quinine is suppose to work (and why the British Empire drank Gin and Tonic)


They prefer eating women to men apparently

[Mr. Dazzle]

Drinking Gin and Tonic is supposed to work.

It doesn't.

This is surely a corrupted version of taking quinine?

Quinine is an old anti malarial, but it tastes bitter. Tonic water used to contain a lot more of it and was medicinal (hence why it's called Tonic water). Mixing it with Gin and lime made it more palatable.

And thus, the G and T was born

[KungFooBob]

Drinking Gin and Tonic is supposed to work.

It doesn't.

This is surely a corrupted version of taking quinine?

Quinine is an old anti malarial, but it tastes bitter. Tonic water used to contain a lot more of it and was medicinal (hence why it's called Tonic water). Mixing it with Gin and lime made it more palatable.

And thus, the G and T was born

Yeah, but apparently the quinine in modern tonic doesn't kill them, also they have to bite you first.

[mangocrazy]

We tend to use mosquito coils - two coils made as one that you have to separate without breaking either coil.They have a certain Yin/Yang appearance if you've had a few... In the packet there's a little metal support stand that you poke through an indent in the centre of the coil. You then set light to the end of the coil and blow it out when it's caught fire, to produce smoke whice deters les moustiques.

Allegedly...

The downside (aside from the smell) is that you need to keep windows shut to avoid losing the magic smoke.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Is a mosquito net too obvious/daft a suggestion?

[Ian]

Citronella works - which is why half of Africa burns citronella candles (the other half are too busy with malaria)

The Citronella candle I have on the shelf says don't use indoors

A quick Google suggests it might be safe but with Noggins accident record it might be wise to play safe

[DefTrap]

We use nets on the windows and one of those plugin repellents.

But mosquitoes don't bite me so much, everyone else must be too delicious.

[JamJar]

Take an anti histamine ... everyone gets bitten by mosquitos but not everyone reacts to the bite. It's an allergic reaction that makes the bite swell and become itchy so a good anti histamine might help you not care about the bites.

[Horse]

Take an anti histamine ... everyone gets bitten by mosquitos but not everyone reacts to the bite. It's an allergic reaction that makes the bite swell and become itchy so a good anti histamine might help you not care about the bites.

If that doesn't reduce swelling and itching, there's anti-histamine ointments. If that doesn't work, 0.1% hydrocortisone.

[Noggin]

You need Smidge
https://www.smidgeup.com

Citronella works - which is why half of Africa burns citronella candles (the other half are too busy with malaria)
Quinine is suppose to work (and why the British Empire drank Gin and Tonic)


They prefer eating women to men apparently

Citroneela din't work on the Grenoble ones, but I'll maybe take it to Chambery tomorrow and see if it works on those ones!! LOL

A mate said last night that he's found lavender works, so I'll be taking that too!

Is a mosquito net too obvious/daft a suggestion?

For use in a cheap hotel, yes! If I was daft enough to move somewhere that had the bastard bity things, then I'd be getting nets fitted for sure!!

Take an anti histamine ... everyone gets bitten by mosquitos but not everyone reacts to the bite. It's an allergic reaction that makes the bite swell and become itchy so a good anti histamine might help you not care about the bites.

Another mate said similar last night (although not about the anti histamine - I've got to go to the chemist to try and sort something for the travel sickness, so will see if they have a non drowsy anti histamine )

[Ian]

I think loratadine is the only genuinely non drowsy antihistamine. All the others knock me out.

[Noggin]

I think loratadine is the only genuinely non drowsy antihistamine. All the others knock me out.

TBH honest, meds are a bit weird. As someone who gets zero effect from any opiate (unless the volume is enough to make me sleep!!) I'd have to try the antihistamines to test I guess. (I know it's a completely different type of drug!!).

I have taken anti histamines in the past and not been sleepy, but no idea what they were

I'm heading back to Chambéry tomorrow, so I'll try everything else first then head to the chemist to ask about antihistamines!!

[demographic]

Mosquito net?
Saves huge amounts of lives in Africa anyway.

[Jody]

In my experience the ONLY thing that stops them "a bit" is the large yellow candles. Not the poxxy little ones ( I've literally seen a mosquito land on the edge of one of them). You need the ones that are 5-6 inches across in a terracotta (?) pot with a thick wick. But they are not 100% effective.

Those blue light bug zappers just attract bugs from further away, so they actually make the problem worse!

Other than that, use good quality bite cream from the pharmacy to take away the itching.