BajaNomad - What is the preferred insect repellent?

What is the preferred insect repellent?

jbcoug - 9-29-2014 at 08:13 PM

The current situation regarding Mosquitos following the hurricane made me think about this for future trips. What insect repellents would you recommend for various pests, locations, seasons, etc.?

bajabuddha - 9-29-2014 at 10:10 PM

I watched an entire presentation from Consumer Reports. They went into all kinds, all forms, all this-a and-a that-a.

The most pound for your buck is simply, orange-lid OFF, ...... PERIOD.

PROVEN FACT: A citronella candle will NEVER have a mosquito land on it at any time, day or nite, as long as it is lit. The candle is SAFE.

Every other kind of juice, spread, spray, spooge, or skroogle will do just as well, but NO BETTER than simple ORANGE LID OFF. Pay more, believe more, your choice. Buy cheap, apply often, and stay unbitten.

I've been in Swarm Heaven many times, and have used the gamut, from skin-so-soft to deet (my all-time fave was jungle-juice they gave us in The Nam that would take paint off a Jeep) and I'M A BELIEVER:

OFF. ORANGE LID. SPRAY. CHEAP.

Just make sure your honey sprays with it too.

Skipjack Joe - 9-30-2014 at 04:35 AM

We just spent a month in alaska where these helped a great deal.

I can only remember 2 times that I had to spray myself. I don't like having that on my skin, although if you baby wipe it all off at the end of the day it's tolerable.

We would just light one of these things at the doorway and it kept them out. Most would fly up to it and turn back. A few would get by and enter but would quickly get the hell out. Once the temperatures dropped below their comfort zone I would ventilate the area thoroughly.

A lot of bites occur at night by mosquitos that come in earlier and hang out until you fall asleep. These coils are good at preventing that.

Oh and I forgot to mention how cheap I..err.. I mean they are. Just wet the burning end after you're done and relight it when needed.

[Edited on 9-30-2014 by Skipjack Joe]

Russ - 9-30-2014 at 05:18 AM

Me... no one gets bite when I'm close

MMc - 9-30-2014 at 06:31 AM

DEET, it has to have DEET in it. It works much better then anything else for your skin and clothes.

woody with a view - 9-30-2014 at 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Russ
Me... no one gets bite when I'm close

me too!

David K - 9-30-2014 at 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MMc
DEET, it has to have DEET in it. It works much better then anything else for your skin and clothes.

This!

The more DEET, the less bites...

danaeb - 9-30-2014 at 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabuddha
I've been in Swarm Heaven many times, and have used the gamut, from skin-so-soft to deet

Buddha - Off! is DEET (15%).

My nephew's wife is an entomologist specializing in mosquito eradication in tropical countries. According to her, a 25% concentration of DEET is the most effective repellent. That said, I use your favored brand (Off! Active) too, because the higher concentrations are so oily and sticky. But I guess that's the point.

BajaRun - 9-30-2014 at 08:42 AM

I like Cutter Outdoorsman with 45% deet

bajabuddha - 9-30-2014 at 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by danaeb

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabuddha
I've been in Swarm Heaven many times, and have used the gamut, from skin-so-soft to deet

Yup. I failed to say my main point; it's all about the same stuff with slight variations and smells, just different labels and prices; but nothing is more effective.... and LESS expensive... than good old OFF, applied regularly and frequently. So ya spends yer money and ya takes yer chances.

micah202 - 9-30-2014 at 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
We just spent a month in alaska where these helped a great deal.

I can only remember 2 times that I had to spray myself. I don't like having that on my skin, although if you baby wipe it all off at the end of the day it's tolerable.

... nothing better than the alcohol in baby wipes to dissolve chemicals so that they can absorb through skin! :yes:

AKgringo - 9-30-2014 at 11:57 AM

Unless they are swarming, mosquitoes don't bother me much, but the no seeums tear me up!
Do mosquito coils and citronella work on them? I assume Deet is the repellent of choice as well, but I really don't like that stuff on my skin.

bajabuddha - 9-30-2014 at 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKgringo
Unless they are swarming, mosquitoes don't bother me much, but the no seeums tear me up!
Do mosquito coils and citronella work on them? I assume Deet is the repellent of choice as well, but I really don't like that stuff on my skin.

For no-see-ums, here's a trick taught to me by one of the chefs at La Serenidad in Mulege way back in April of '96; VANILLA. If you can find it, buy CLEAR Vanilla (brown works just as well, but will stain skin and clothing). Apply liberally and often to face, ears, neck, wherever they bother. It works like magic for the little beasties, plus makes you smell wonderful! More fun to kiss your sweetie too! Also, keep the clear Vanilla out of the sunshine; it will darken up over time. I always have a bottle in my 5th wheel wherever I go, north or south.

Note: real Vanilla doesn't burn if it gets in your eyes, so no worries of sweat down the forehead like with deet and such. Put'er on thick.

[Edited on 9-30-2014 by bajabuddha]

cocoscabana - 9-30-2014 at 01:13 PM

Mosquitos seem to be a hot topic right now!!, just saw this on Facebook

Ateo - 9-30-2014 at 01:36 PM

This stuff rules.

freediverbrian - 9-30-2014 at 05:19 PM

I don't like DEET after I spray it on my legs I taste it in my mouth powerful stuff. We put on Avon skin so soft. Works for us and I not fell like a chemical sponge.

Another use for DEET bug repellents !!

David K - 9-30-2014 at 05:29 PM

Baja Angel's 2008 Corolla headlights were very glazed over, and we bought one of the semi-pricey headlight restoration kits, with very poor results after a lot of elbow grease! That was about a year ago... and we actually considered buying new headlights they were so fogged/ glazed.

THEN, I saw one of the many You Tube demos of how easy and cheap it is to get near to brand new clarity... have a look... and it really does work!

danaeb - 9-30-2014 at 05:52 PM

Thanks for that DavidK. My headlights are gross. I'll give it a go.

bajabuddha - 9-30-2014 at 06:44 PM

MY ABSOLUTE FAVE:

(At the Stone Dolphin Bar & Grill)

Skipjack Joe - 9-30-2014 at 06:52 PM

It looks like he accidentally got some on his head. yuk,yuk.

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Baja Angel's 2008 Corolla headlights were very glazed over, and we bought one of the semi-pricey headlight restoration kits, with very poor results after a lot of elbow grease! That was about a year ago... and we actually considered buying new headlights they were so fogged/ glazed.

THEN, I saw one of the many You Tube demos of how easy and cheap it is to get near to brand new clarity... have a look... and it really does work!

micah202 - 10-1-2014 at 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabuddha
MY ABSOLUTE FAVE:

(At the Stone Dolphin Bar & Grill)

....is it important that the lemon is 1/2 rotten!? :no:

bajabuddha - 10-1-2014 at 01:41 PM

Micah, that's where I carve off the 'twist' of peel... not rotten at all. And if your bartender doesn't rub the rim with the yellow rind, don't tip him/her. Notice the Greek calamata olives too.... gives a faint pink hue to a dirty martini, and very tasty at the end. Best olives are the Baja-grown, especially the ones in San Lucitas, best I've ever bought in all of Baja.

Now mind you, these don't help much with the bites and drillers, but you don't mind 'em quite as much..... :yes:

[Edited on 10-1-2014 by bajabuddha]

micah202 - 10-1-2014 at 02:01 PM

.
......ahhhh,,,soooo.......thank-you wise Buddha :wow:

David K - 10-1-2014 at 06:12 PM

Great thread... we cover mosquitoes, foggy headlights, and... martinis (how did that happen?)

cleane headlights

John M - 10-1-2014 at 07:17 PM

So, out to the garage I went, repellant in hand. Didn't have the Cutter brand, so I tried the Deep Woods Off - no idea of the ingredients. Couple of sprays on the lenses, and on the paper towel as suggested. I'd venture to say there is a 70% improvement. I tried twice and then a third time on the remaining 30% to no avail. Still, a good result plus no mosquitoes in the garage.

John M

danaeb - 10-1-2014 at 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Great thread... we cover mosquitoes, foggy headlights, and... martinis (how did that happen?)

Foggy headlights - I went right out after I read your thread, and WOW, 10 minutes later, they were like new. Who knew? Thanks for the tip.

David K - 10-1-2014 at 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by John M
So, out to the garage I went, repellant in hand. Didn't have the Cutter brand, so I tried the Deep Woods Off - no idea of the ingredients. Couple of sprays on the lenses, and on the paper towel as suggested. I'd venture to say there is a 70% improvement. I tried twice and then a third time on the remaining 30% to no avail. Still, a good result plus no mosquitoes in the garage.

John M

Hi John,
I am trying to understand what you just said: 70% improvement (good?)... tried twice (not good?)... to no avail (bad?)??? Sorry that I don't know what you are trying to convey!

The ingredients are listed on the can... the more deet %, the better the results. I saw a video using a sock and spraying only on it (saturate it), then rub the plastic headlight cover. I would say that the Corolla's headlights are 80-90 % better and they were very foggy so that night driving was like using a candle.

The video I posted above, using a paper towel and direct spraying as well as spraying the towel looked more impressive than the video I saw. Just pick up some spray that is 60% to 95% deet... I have some Deet 100 in a hand pump spray, bought at WalMart camping section.

David K - 10-1-2014 at 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by danaeb

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Great thread... we cover mosquitoes, foggy headlights, and... martinis (how did that happen?)

Foggy headlights - I went right out after I read your thread, and WOW, 10 minutes later, they were like new. Who knew? Thanks for the tip.

Amazing huh???!!! :light:

Look at the fortune they are getting for some of those headlight restoration kits, and all the work... some with a power buffer!

For you David K

John M - 10-2-2014 at 06:09 AM

Well, you see, it was pretty late last night (for me) and I had just got finished spraying mosquito repellant repeatedly in a closed garage, and at close range, so my thought process and typing fingers lost some correlation - perhaps due to DEET.

There is a 70% improvement overall.

Remaining fogged up portion of the lenses wouldn't come clean even with two additional attempts.

That explains what I was trying to write last night.

So, for all of you reading this post, you can stop reading right here, the next paragraph is for David K ONLY!

Now, relate this, David K, to a Baja map onto which you spilled a Corona beer. You spray it and soak with OFF to remove the beer stain and 70% of the roads disappear - that's bad. Soak the map with OFF again and again and no matter how much you scrub the map, the remaining 30% of the roads are still there. That's good. Or is it?

John M

boe4fun - 10-2-2014 at 08:07 AM

Don't spray anything with DEET in it while standing on linoleum - it'll degrade it something awful. We sprayed ourselves in our 5th wheel and found out the hard way.

David K - 10-2-2014 at 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by John M
Well, you see, it was pretty late last night (for me) and I had just got finished spraying mosquito repellant repeatedly in a closed garage, and at close range, so my thought process and typing fingers lost some correlation - perhaps due to DEET.

There is a 70% improvement overall.

Remaining fogged up portion of the lenses wouldn't come clean even with two additional attempts.

That explains what I was trying to write last night.

So, for all of you reading this post, you can stop reading right here, the next paragraph is for David K ONLY!

Now, relate this, David K, to a Baja map onto which you spilled a Corona beer. You spray it and soak with OFF to remove the beer stain and 70% of the roads disappear - that's bad. Soak the map with OFF again and again and no matter how much you scrub the map, the remaining 30% of the roads are still there. That's good. Or is it?

John M

Okay John, I think I got it. Thanks! :smug: