I've found a great remedy: Find a friend who's even more tastier than you are. I get mauled if I venture into the garden alone. But when my friend Shawnie is with me, I escape with nary a scratch.

Apparently, I'm a sugar-free type person. Shawnie is a chocolate fudge cake type person. :)

If you don't have a delectable companion, I suggest doing the normal things: avoiding the times when mosquitos are most active, and wear long sleeves pants and socks when you're out at those times. I imitate the horses and keep my exposed regions, like my face and neck, mobile while I work. I can hear the high pitched whining all around me, but if I stay moving they can't go in for a landing. It may look weird when I toss my head, but it's a lot better than the bright red welts. I might get bitten once or twice using these methods but never severely.

Skip the garlic. I really don't think that'll work. Repellants don't work for me for more than 10 minutes. The mosquitos would laugh at the garlic.

One of the best remedies I've ever had have actually left for the season: Purple Martins. All it takes to attract these master mosquito hunters are hollowed out gourds. You'll have almost no mosquitos all summer. Other master munchers are dragonflies and hummers. Those really cut down on the population.

Back in the 70's we used to buy Shaklee's Basic H and diluted some and put it in spray bottles. Sprayed are bare skin and clothes and the kids had very few bites during camping.

thanks about info on Shaklee's... where is that sold?

Thanks - Carrie

Mosquitoes don't bother me - ever. I'm too salty for 'em, I guess.

But I've heard folks swear by Avon's "Skin-So-Soft", though I don't think it really works. Supposedly bug repellents containing DEET work best - have you tried "OFF"?

PV

Hasn't been as bad here this year, probably due to lack of rain.

But Avon makes a repellent called Expedition. It works for several hours. I have NEVER been bitten if I remember to apply it when I go out. I forgot the other day and got 3 bites in about 10 minutes.

Karen

Same here, Carrie!

Compared to when we lived in Tennessee, we almost don't even have mosquitos here. They didn't show up until the month of August, after we finally got some rain, but when they did, I literally couldn't walk out the door without getting bitten, even in the middle of the day. The boys came in complaining about bites, and I sprayed them with OFF. They came back a few minutes later, saying they were still getting bit, but I think it was the bites that they received before I sprayed them down, that were still itching them. I hate using bug spray though, and if it wasn't for all of the diseases those nasty little bugs spread, I would just skip the spray. I haven't noticed any mosquitos in the last few weeks, so they either have a really short lifespan, or they have moved on to some other area.

The whole time me and the kids were complaining about all of the mosquitos, my husband didn't get bit once!

Bonnie

I use all kinds of repellants and it's a bit scary wondering what it's doing to my system.... but somehow they still manage to find the spot that wasn't sprayed.

I do have some Avon Skin So soft - but again, it's not that reliable.

I don't think my husband has ever been bitten. It's crazy - I am covered and he doesn't even get one bite! There is no standing water, but we are using our sprinklers so maybe they are swarming to the wet areas since all around us is totally dry and neighbors are not close due to heavy woods on either side. I thought for sure the drought would have killed them off, but I guess that doesn't happen.

I actually use Deep Woods and that still doesn't work. Oh well, I am checking out that Shaklees (never heard of it before) and will let everyone know if it works. I mean if it works on ME... it would work on anyone!

Carrie

I bought a product called "Don't Bug Me". It's a 36 hour patch containing Vitamin B1 and Aloe. Someone highly recommended it to me. I didn't have a need to use it this year as the mosquitos weren't too bad this summer. They advertise that it works against gnats, no-see-ums, ticks, chiggers and sand fleas as well.

If you want to check it out, here is the link below:

Here is a link that might be useful: Don't Bug Me Patch

Found this for you....

Here is a link that might be useful: Natural Mosquito Repellents

Carrie...
Up here, mosquitoes are known as the state bird...
Suggestions I've had success with:
1. OFF Botanicals--Plant based repellent. Goes on like a body lotion, smells good (has a light, pleasant girly scent)and works, if you can find it. I discovered it in 2006 and stocked up...Didn't see it this year, so not sure it's still available.
2. Cutter Advanced--Active ingredient is picaridin, which is as effective, but all around less "toxic" than deet. Lighter, nearly odorless and works well.
3. Thermacell Mosquito Repellents...Pricey, but these REALLY work. We use them outdoors on the deck and in the yard when gardening. We've never found anything better and we find some pretty voracious swarms when fishing in the AK wilderness. They are well worth the investment.

Barbara

A big thank you to everyone who has posted all the suggestions.

I hope I can find something that works because it will make my days in the garden even more fun - and keep my hands busy working more in the yard, rather than slapping myself silly!!

If anyone knows where I can find the above suggested products, that would be helpful to me and anyone else having the same problem.

I am going to do some searches right now. Thanks again

Carrie

I think in the last 4 years I've only seen a handful of skeeters since the West Nile breakout. Ever since that and beginning in early May through August they've been fogging many of the local rural communties with Malathion around 10pm every Wednesday. Not that I'm advocating use of chemicals.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frequently Asked Quesions_Malation/Mosquitoes

Carrie...
The Cutters Advanced and the Thermacells (and their parts) should all be readily available at your local Walmart, Fred Meyers, or whatever box stores you have. Lowes, HDepot, etc. all carry them also. Even the grocery stores should have the Cutters Advanced.
All the Cutters work well, but the Advanced does not contain deet.

These products are seasonal items, but you should still be in season in NC.

Or...feel free to hop a plane up here, it is currently 3 degrees and that means our mosquitoes are asleep till the spring...None buzzing around today!...LOL

I've been buying all of the brands that contained Deet and so now I am really going to try and find some without that work as well. Thanks for the reminders about Lowe's and Home Depot - I always end up in the drugstores for stuff like that

Carrie

If I'm in the yard & getting bitten, I grab any aromatic plants around-mint, thyme, basil, etc & rub in on. I smell pretty tasty, but apparently not to the mosquitoes, works well for me.

The reason I mentioned Basic H was that for some reason it worked. In the house, garage, laundry and even kept the Minnesota mosquitoes away from the young ones. I didn't like spraying them constantly with poisons back in the 70's like a lot of people did. All of what we read about the shaklee line seemed good but unfortunately I never got into a dealership or stayed with a distributor. Here's a link if you want to read up: Not pushing the product per se, just saying that it worked for us and was safe.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/79946/basich_the_best_household_cleaner_on.html

I don't have much of a problem with mosquitoes, but when they're thick and going after anything that moves, I grab a stalk of catnip, crush it up in my hands, then rub it on my skin. Works like magic (for me, at least).

I could only WISH that the mosquitoes didn't like me so much. Someone else here was saying that they hadn't had so many mosquitoes because of the drought but we haven't had rain either and I fidn them terrible this year. Really looking forward to cooler temps and some rain sometime soon! Ann

They eat me alive. It should have been better this year because of the drought, but somehow it wasn't. Every time I grab the hose to water, every skeeter and noseeum comes running because they are so thirsty and I get bit from head to toe. I guess we're just tooooo sweet. LOL.

I never see them. I mean, somehow I get bitten all over and never see them coming. They even go inside my sleeveless blouse - which I may have to start tucking in.

I wonder if spiders also are attracted to certain scents of some people, because I get spider bites too - my husband, NOT. I guess I really am just TOO sweet.....

Carrie

I can relate to your problem. I am attacked as soon as I go outdoors, and the spiders find me just as tasty as the mosquitoes do. I garden in long sleeves and long pants (not so great on hot days), I wear a hat with a citronella patch. I spray with "Off" or similar product (all seem to work a bit, but need refreshing every 30 minutes or so) while my husband is not bothered at all.

I am of Eastern European descent (Polish) and I've been told that therein lies the problem. Bugs seem to like some folks better than others.

Here is what I did. I started taking Loretadine (Claratin) daily over the counter for seasonal allergies a few years ago. It stopped the allergic reaction that caused the mosquito itchiness. It worked best if I took it every day.

I used to get frequent bites the size of quarters and wake myself up itching. Now there is almost nothing. I just have to make sure I take it EVERY day.

I still avoid the nastly little things and apply bug spray if I know I'm going to be around them. We have West Nile around here.

I get a cheap generic at the chain drug stores. It does NOT have to be the D-decongestant version. Just plain old Claratin or Loretadine (generic) will do.

Take a supplement with Thiamine, Vitamin B-1, in it.

Also, grow lemon balm, and rub it on your skin, clothes and hat when you go into the garden. Smells lovely and repels the skeeters.

My ex could spend hours walking around the garden in a tank and shorts and not get one bite. I could literally walk out there for ten minutes and be covered. I mean covered -- we're talking about bites on my forehead and cheeks and neck and arms and hands and legs and feet! I don't know if it's because he smokes and I'm insulin-resistant so maybe my blood composition is slightly different, but to the bugs I'm like the bison returning after the long famine or something. It was so horrible one year that I finally did what I should have done right away: went to eBay, found an old Vietnam "coolie" hat -- Army/Navy surplus, it has mosquito netting on it which comes down around your shirt -- so at least, if I wore long sleeves pants with socks, the only thing I had to worry about was my hands!

Carrie, make sure you aren't wearing anything scented, of course. Also, I'm religious about the Don't Bug Me patches. The only glitch is that it takes two hours for the patches to begin working.

Pin some Bounce (or equivalent) fabric softener sheets on your clothing. Mosquitoes love my elbows and ankles, and so when I go out, I pin a sheet on my the bottom of my shirt sleeve and pant leg. The mosquitoes steer clear. If I forget the fabric softener sheets, I get bitten.

Wow - what good information - especially those Bounce sheets - can't wait to see if that works next year.

I absolutely stay away from cologne or perfume while gardening, but i wonder how much the mosquitos love my hair products (?)... I bet that also attracts them to me.

So bottom line here? I smell better than my husband??!! LOL

Carrie

VII.Excerpt from poem about mosquitos
A.Yet what an aura surrounds you;
Your evil little aura, prowling, and casting numbness on my mind
That is your trick, your bit of filthy magic:
Invisibility, and the anaesthetic power
To deaden my attention in your direction.

But I know your game now, streaky sorcerer.
Queer, how you stalk and prowl the air
In circles and evasions, enveloping me,
Ghoul on wings
Winged Victory.
J.D. Gillett

http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=178&o=0amp;l=dir&dm=&q=what%20attracts%20mosquitoes%20to%20humans

or just go to www.ask.com and type in what attracts mosquitoes in their search. Interesting stuff.

Why not fool the critters, wear his clothes when you next get attacked? If he has a mustache, then you will have to glue one on and you'll look like 'Lucy' in one of her skits!