Biting blighters

I have always been a walking buffet for flying critters: today I have counted over 20 bites on one arm alone. As such, I have decided to conduct a series of experiments to determine what best prevents me from being bitten, and what relieves the allergy and ITCHINESS!

Today's experiment has been suggested to me by my Mother. Tonic water and quinine. I'm presuming that added alcohol can only help repel those pesky blighters. I'm not so sure that tonic water will do anything: quinine is used to control malaria, but only in high doses. Research concludes that 5 litres of the stuff would have to be drunk to have any noticeable benefit. That's me sorted for the night!



I'd be interested to know your suggestions and opinions.

Carole's the same, a mozzi magnet! Shes been using Avon skin moisturiser (Avon skin so soft) which seems to help. Some people say to eat Marmite. I love Marmite and I very rarely get bitten, so maybe it does work?

there really are some nasty critters around, last time we were over I got a bite that actually drew blood on my leg whilst sitting having coffee minding my own business. Over the next 3 days it swelled to the size of a marble and when i got back to the UK I had to see a Doctor who gave me antibiotics for an infection.

It still itches 3 weeks on !

Nasty critters indeed! Poor you David_B!

I eat marmite, but I don't eat meat. The marmite thing is about the b-vits, which you also get from meat intake. Could be that meat and marmite is enough B-vit to repel. I won't be eating meat though. Supplements are a possibility and I'll be buying some tomorrow.

Have ordered Avon's so-soft and will try that when it arrives.

Also bought some solar (no electric here) critter zappers which are on sale at Lidl at the mo for 15e. Hopefully they will offer some assistance. They get their first active service tonight. We're on the warpath now!

When working i rub cement powder over my arms and legs and this seems to work, not such a good look if you are walking around the centre of Baza but fine on work sites, never been bit by doing that.
Another way would be to squash a couple of critters on your arms or exposed bits and smear it around, the site of family members reduced to mush on your skin should scare away the other family members.

I've heard great things about Avon's moisturizer, tho' I've not used it myself. Citronella does work, if you can stand the smell. Habitacle on cta. de Murcia sell small jars of citronella gel which you just leave, opened, on the table. I also have a couple of oil burners on the terrace table which I fill with oil containing citronella. I used to get it from Idearium (now closed apart from the paint section) but I assume Habitacle would probably sell it, or Brico Baza. I also swear by those anti-mosquito spirals (from most ferreterias and Mercadona - probably Consum too).

A word of warning about insect-repellent sprays. I bought a very nice (and rather expensive) oilcloth for our terrace table from a UK supplier. I noticed that there were strange scars on it after a few days - some circular, some elliptical - and they coincided exactly with the shapes of the bases of our various spray bottles. The liquid dribbling down the sides of the sprays had eaten through the oilcloth to the fabric beneath - just think what it could be doing to one's skin!

I personally think the way to go is to find something that will make one's skin or sweat repellent to the little buggers. No matter how carefully one sprays, or positions the citronella burners or smoking coils, there'll always be a breach in the defences, so maybe Marmite's the way to go. Apparently troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are told to eat Marmite - tho' that may be apocryphal. It would be daunting if further research revealed that, like quinine, one needed litres or kilos of the stuff to have any effect!

Indeed, nasty stuff the insect sprays.

I do eat a lot of marmite, but I wonder if the fact that I have reduced B vits being a veggie is significant.

Bit sick of tonic water now although it would seem I have no bites as yet tonight. But, that could have something to do with our lidl solar bug frier which has just sizzled encouragingly.

There are also bites and bites. While I was sitting eating dinner on the terrace I was bitten 4 times on one hand by a tiny winged insect - almost too small to see, although I could distinctly feel each separate chomp and my hand itched seriously just afterwards. Now, 2 hours later, there's no trace of them - unlike the bites suffered by David B, which were clearly heavy-duty. My son-in-law has to go on serious antihistamines when he visits, as he has allergic reactions and swells alarmingly.

Surely you can take B-vit tabs to compensate for any lack in your diet? Or, like so many supplements, aren't they absorbed or digested properly?

Like the sound of the Lidl bug-frier - but you still need to make it a more attractive proposition than your flesh, otherwise the death rate is just chance.

There's bound to be an absolutely fool-proof plant-based solution, known by all South American rain-forest tribes, and free.

Absolutely. I think the culprits are fondly known as 'no-see-ems'. We haven't seen that many mossies, so I'm not sure it's them.

I can't wait for the Avon stuff. But, seeing as how the Avon stuff won't arrive for a while yet I'm going to get some b-vits tomorrow and test that next. As well as up the marmite intake.

I take the antihistamines daily too as I also swell. I have one bite on my foot that is so swollen and sore at the moment that I have to bandage it up and force it into the only pair of shoes which will go on my feet as a result. Not good.

Normally I'm a peace and love person, with a kill nothing mantra to life. But now I say GET THE CRITTERS!!!

Any South-American tribal members, please pm me.

David_B wrote:there really are some nasty critters around, last time we were over I got a bite that actually drew blood on my leg whilst sitting having coffee minding my own business. Over the next 3 days it swelled to the size of a marble and when i got back to the UK I had to see a Doctor who gave me antibiotics for an infection.

It still itches 3 weeks on !

I got some of those last trip out. 3 welts on my right arm. It was strange because I was aware of getting some mozzie bites, but not of these ones. They only appeared after I was back in the UK and it took weeks for them to go down.
So far as tonic water goes, yes the quinnine content is negligible these days - and was never meant to repel mozzies, just to stop you getting malaria. The gin was added to mask the bitterness (and maybe dull the itching, if you drank enough)
Just have to cover up and keep your sleeves rolled down.

Burkas for me.

Well, yes - but the buggers would find their way through the square of mesh in front of the face and feast to their hearts' delight on the forbidden flesh thereunder. How on earth would you be able to locate them and effectively flap them out from under yards & yards of fabric?? But it's true, mozzies aren't the only, or even the worst, culprits - although there do seem to be more mozzies about this year than usually, presumably a legacy of the wet winter/spring. It's easy to tell when mozzies are around - you can hear them. In 6 summers I haven't previously been so aware of that ominous high-pitched whine as I have been recently.

Well, yes - but the buggers would find their way through the square of mesh in front of the face and feast to their hearts' delight on the forbidden flesh thereunder. How on earth would you be able to locate them and effectively flap them out from under yards & yards of fabric?? But it's true, mozzies aren't the only, or even the worst, culprits - although there do seem to be more mozzies about this year than usually, presumably a legacy of the wet winter/spring. It's easy to tell when mozzies are around - you can hear them. In 6 summers I haven't previously been so aware of that ominous high-pitched whine as I have been recently.

Whoops! I've done a Col. Sorry.

My Aunty came out a few weeks ago with her fella and he had a few bites on his leg and had to go and see the doctor in the UK as they were so bad.

He was given antibiotics and the swellings didnt go down,

He was then admitted into hospital to try and sort them and there was talk they might have to amputate part of his lower leg - scary stuff just from a few bites.

Jenny

its catching!!!!

Latest report:

Continued drinking of tonic water (minus alcohol)
Increased marmite munching
B-vit supplement taken
Lidl solar bug zapper in operation at key entry points

NO BITES TONIGHT SO FAR! Which is bloody amazing!

I used to be a bite magnet, I now take a daily vitamin b6 supplement which has helped immensely, and I also drink plenty of tonic water withiut the alcohol

Hi all !!! also the flying teeth are out those see through sand flies !! they feel like little needles sticking in you ! But yes i think be careful of any type of chemicals put on your skin or sprayed on your walls. not good i fear chemicals ingested can cause many different disease's !!

Too true.

I did get a couple of bites with the marmite/b-vit/tonic water combo, but that's a big improvement, so I'm encouraged. Much better than covering myself in deet and risking permanent nerve damage!

I used to get bitten to pieces until I bought a 'Bug Band'. Lots of different colours, wear on wrists or ankles and they're not expensive. We've all got one and no bites at all - Marvellous.

The only place I've seen them is on Annies stall at the local markets, she's always at Benamaurel on a Sunday and she sells rugs, throws, pottery, ethnic clothing and BUG BANDS - Look out for the little blonde lady standing in an insect free zone.

Do you know, I was going to go and see her this Sunday as I'd seen them last time I was there. Great minds :-)

Ta muchly for the reminder

Carole got one from her at the Galera market, it seems to work well.