Wilderness Mosquito Control? | SouthernPaddler.com

Wilderness Mosquito Control?

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
Besides the standby DEET and other personal sprays and liquids, do you all have other methods of keeping some blood in your veins? I have heard of everything from eat more carrots to rub youself with dryer sheets. But, someone may have even more ideas. Let's here them here.

piper
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
A couple of my buddies swear by a Thermacell. It uses small gas cylinders to heat up wafers impregnated with mosquito dope. Kinda pricey to use for hours on end, but they use it mainly for a couple of hours in a deer blind.
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
used to work with a guy that loaded up on vitamin B12 during hunting season- claimed it helped

about 15 years ago I worked on a plant that made the precursor to the pesticide Dursban - wear your work clothes in the woods and bugs won't bother you :D
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
joey, in Michigan skeeters are never a problem during deer season.......a couple days of minus 10 degrees slows 'em right down.
Seedtick, all i own are work clothes. work is the bane of the working class, you know. a couple good doses of B-12 and i might remember where i left my propane fogger!

piper
 

beekeeper

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,917
59
jdupre'
That mines temp. is the stove setting for cooking their grits. that's why folks up north don't like um.

islandpiper
Forget about regular means of mosquito control if you're going to Lake Verret. The mosquitos are unique there. I recommend double ought buckshot. It wont kill one, but should cripple it so you can get away.


beekeeper
 

Jimmy W

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2006
611
1
north georgia, USA
The skeeters at Lake Fausse last year didn't mind the Thermacells at all. I stood between two of them which were about 4 feet apart with no wind and the skeeters kept biting. DEET did help some.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
Old joke around here. There are two kinds of mosquitoes here, one is tiny enough to squeeze through the holes in the screen door and the other just opens the door and comes right on in.
 

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
yep piper,
they took dursban off the market about 6 years ago

some folks not reading the directions and not using it properly, and big brother decides the only way to handle mis use is to ban it

like some are trying to do with guns
 
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bearridge

Well-Known Member
Mar 9, 2005
3,092
4
way down yonder
islandpiper said:
do you all have other methods of keeping some blood in your veins?
wait til November......[sigh]
Miz Bear takes the B12 'n haz me on it now. I take a pill a day. I figger I been on it two weeks, but the skeeters still bite me. If it dont rain no more til harvest, the skeeters will become mitey scarce round here. Miz Bear will claim it wuz the B12. [wry smile]
regards
bearridge

The only good skeeter iz a dead skeeter.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
When I was a kid and would go down the the Glades ( 10,000 Islands) fishing with the folks we would get a really heavy dose of B-12 ( A couple Injections ) and it helped keep the Swamp Angles at bay.

Don't know if it is true or not but was told that the Seminoles that live there eat Gar to get the B-12 to keep the bugs away. Or you can do like Mac does ( he was raised and lives over on the coast in sketter territory) , just let them bite you and after a while you don't care. Heck one of his favorite fishing spots is the Mosquito Lagoon area. :roll:

Myself , I like the stuff that is mostly DEET but plastics and some material sure does not like it , have to be careful about what you get it on.

Now days I use this it works on Ticks and Swamp Angles , just spray it on your clothing and let it dry. You can't spray it on yourself so some normal bug dope would be needed.
I get it from Cabelas but some outdoor shops and the like sell it , I bet the Bass Shops have it.

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This will help explain it...............
Permethrin is a powerful, rapidly acting insecticide,similar in structure to natural pyrethrim insecticide derived from the crushed and dried flowers of the daisy Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium. Permethrin is a human-made synthetic pyrethroid. It does not repel insects like DEET does but works as a contact insecticide, causing nervous system toxicity that leads to the death or "knockdown" (out of the air) of the insect. The chemical is effective against mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and chiggers. Permethrin has low toxicity in mammals, is poorly absorbed by the skin, and is rapidly inactivated by ester hydrolysis - the insect can quickly get rid of it so it does not necessarily kill.

Permethrin should be applied directly to clothing or other fabrics such as tent walls or mosquito nets, not to skin. The spray form is nonstaining, nearly odorless, and resistant to degradation by heat or sun and maintains its potency for at least 2 weeks, even through several washings. In a field trial conducted in Alaska, persons wearing permethrin-treated uniforms and a polymer-based 35% DEET product had more than 99.9% protection (1 bite per hour) over 8 hours, even under conditions of intense biting pressures; unprotected persons received an average of 1188 bites per hour.

Permethrin should be applied to clothing or other fabrics. It is not intended for direct application to the skin. Once Permethrin has dried on the clothing it bind very strongly to the fibres and absorption through the skin is negligible.

Any permethrin that may get on the skin inadvertently is poorly absorbed (less than 2% of applied dose). It is rapidly inactivated by skin and liver esterases, its metabolites are then excreted by the kidneys. Occupational exposure to high doses of permethrin has been associated with symptoms of of itching, burning and numbness. Studies have shown permethrin not to be a human teratogen, mutagen, or carcinogen.
 

Kayak Jack

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Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Aye god it's good to read a post by Chuck that's written in the English language, with words properly used and spelled. Plagiarism is useful.

And, he's right. I use permethrin, and it works. I did notice that sand fleas on Outhouse Key seemed immune to it. All other bugs, however, seem dead when they get around it. Spray it on your tent & hammock entrances too so bugs don't wait for us to open our door for them.
 

jdupre'

Well-Known Member
Sep 9, 2007
2,327
40
South Louisiana
islandpiper said:
Is there any evidence to suggest that drinking rum keeps the mosquitoes at bay? I have a serious reason for asking this.

If so, what is the correct dosage?

piper

It is indeed effective. Dosage: Consume product either straight or with your favorite mixer. Continue drinking until you no longer feel (or care about ) mosquito bites. Continue this rate until mosqutos retreat or until you are too impaired to stand.

Warning: Side effects may include: Long-winded story telling, intestinal gas, crying about past girlfriends or various dangerous stunts involving small paddle craft. :lol:
 

gbinga

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2008
736
2
Hoschton, GA
Joey,

Is ice considered an appropriate mixer? :)

I've been in a couple of places where I thought a napalm strike would be a good way to deal with the mosquitoes. But rum is probably more economical and environmentally responsible.

George
 
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islandpiper

Well-Known Member
Might be tough to keep ice handy where we go. I have a great FIVE DAY COOLER that would do it, but i'd rather not put it in my pirogue.

I doubt if ice was readily available in the 1600's, nor was Coke or tonic water (for Gin and Tonic). But fresh lemons were , and are, and rum/lemon/honey really ain't bad.

I'll let you know how this works out. Sailor Jerry's Navy Rum is the preferred internally administered mosquito repellent on this trip, at least in the green boat. I think the red boat is experimenting with something else. We'll compare notes.

piper
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
jdupre' said:
... Continue drinking until you no longer feel (or care about ) mosquito bites. Continue this rate until mosqutos retreat or until you are too impaired to stand. Warning: Side effects may include: Long-winded story telling, intestinal gas, crying about past girlfriends or various dangerous stunts involving small paddle craft. :lol:
I believe that this technique relies upon the fact that drunken mosquitoes suffer many more mid-air collisions, failed landing attempts, and drowning from landing on water instead of terra firma.

Often, the drinker's kidneys. liver, and brain suffer as bad of an effect as the poor, maligned mosquito. In this case, only the kidney and liver are at risk.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
Continue this believe that this technique relies upon the fact that drunken mosquitoes suffer many more mid-air collisions, failed landing attempts, and drowning from landing on water instead of terra firma.

A side benefit is that an intoxicated mosquito is a lot easier to slap then one that only likes fruit juices or coffee. :lol:

I don't know if it is true or not but on TV there was a guy using a lot of Louisiana Hot Sauce on his food and a skitter bite him , flew off a short distance , caught on fire , then blew up. :wink: That was on commercial I enjoyed but like all good ones it vanished.

Chuck.