Natural/safe insect repellents?

[Boo Boo]

We are off to Alaska in July and I hear that it is mosquito season :(.

 

Mosquitos seem to love me - so I am a natural target... Normally I would spray myself in the strongest mosquito spray that I can buy, but this time I will be pregnant... (so I wnat to avoid nasty chemicals on my skin, around me or inhaled).

 

Are there any "baby safe" (probably natural ingredients) mosquito repellents available for sale (will be in LA for a few days prior to the cruise - so could pick up something there)? Or, failing that, any safe "natural remedies" that repel them?

 

Thanks

Boo

[DebNJoe]

We are off to Alaska in July and I hear that it is mosquito season :(.

 

Mosquitos seem to love me - so I am a natural target... Normally I would spray myself in the strongest mosquito spray that I can buy, but this time I will be pregnant... (so I wnat to avoid nasty chemicals on my skin, around me or inhaled).

 

Are there any "baby safe" (probably natural ingredients) mosquito repellents available for sale (will be in LA for a few days prior to the cruise - so could pick up something there)? Or, failing that, any safe "natural remedies" that repel them?

 

Thanks

Boo

 

Congratulations ;)

 

Skin So Soft spray by Avon works well, check the ingredients.

I've been told that many golfers use a Bounce fabric softener sheet (in their hat)

 

Check with your doctor if these would be safe for you.

[bottom-dragger]

I've been told that many golfers use a Bounce fabric softener sheet (in their hat)

 

Check with your doctor if these would be safe for you.

 

i was visiting my parents and started breaking out all over. i went to a dermatologist and his first question was "do you use bounce in your drier". uh, my mom does..................

 

i'm not a fan of deet. any product that will melt your raingear isn't something i need to apply to my skin.

 

there are a few products out there, i use 'repel' that is a mixture of lemon and eucalyptus. but i do need to apply it a couple of times a day.

 

http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/4701202/detail.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=5075

http://www.travmed.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_71

[Boo Boo]

Thank you so much, both of you.

 

I have checked out So Soft Spray and that looks perfect for pregnancy - nothing nasty or harmful in it. Hope it is vaguely affective - I have ordered some bottles.

 

Will also check out "repel".

 

You have been a great help :)

[Alaskalovr]

Hi,

I have heard that vitamin B is helpful with this problem. Again you would need to check with your doctor but you may already be getting extra B in your vitamins so you may be double protected with that and the Skin-so-Soft! If you are going into Denali Park or any other really wooded area or right by a lake I would be sure to wear long sleeves even in July.

[Nutbunch]

We are off to Alaska in July and I hear that it is mosquito season :(.

 

Mosquitos seem to love me - so I am a natural target... Normally I would spray myself in the strongest mosquito spray that I can buy, but this time I will be pregnant... (so I wnat to avoid nasty chemicals on my skin, around me or inhaled).

 

Are there any "baby safe" (probably natural ingredients) mosquito repellents available for sale (will be in LA for a few days prior to the cruise - so could pick up something there)? Or, failing that, any safe "natural remedies" that repel them?

 

Thanks

Boo

 

This product doesn't even go on your skin. I am getting it. It can also protect anyone around you!

http://www.offprotects.com/clip-on-mosquito-repellent/

 

You clip it on to your clothes or purse would work to.

[Footloose57]

Hi Boo Boo and Congratulations on your sprout!

Skin So Soft is recommended by a lot of folks and it may work for you. I have used it without much success, myself, but that isn't why I wanted to post to you...just so you know, that product is pretty oily, so you will not want to be too liberal with it.

Also, the "naturepel" product might be a stand-by for you- its only eucalyptus oil and lemon it smells pretty good and it is not too expensive- at least it wasn't at out local Target store the other day.

Another option for you is a new product by Cutter that is a little apparatus that you can clip on your belt or packstrap. Supposedly, the airflow through the vents circulates the product vapors around you and keeps the bugs off. I don't know what is used as the repellent, but you might look into this option as it wouldn't require you to put anything on your skin.

[PennyAgain]

We do very well with Ex Officio brand insect repellent clothing. The repellent is made from flowers and lasts through many wash cycles. In any case ask your doc if this is OK

http://www.exofficio.com/product_results.aspx?page=LIST&category%7Cwomens=Women%27s%20Clothing&canned_results_trigger=&category_id=womens&category|womens_buzzoff=Insect Shield&canned_results_trigger=&category_id=womens_buzzoff

 

Sorry that the link looks so sloppy, but it works.

[whale-watcher]

We swear by ex officio buzz off in MN...it really does help and is the safest option.

[cindep]

My experience with the Off Clip On wasn't so good in Alaska ... evidently they didn't test it on the "state bird". I would have been better off hitting them with it. Maybe it works for some, but for me ... no dice. I was bit on the hand that was HOLDING the thing! I also got bit on the face.

 

Hopefully the "skeeters" will be calming down a bit soon, but I was surprised they were so nasty so early (first of June).

[cruzin4us]

Mosquito Eaters ;)

[fleet]

Believe it or not, Listerine works for us here in Texas...the gold colored one. Just spray it on clothes, skin, hair.

 

Pat

[JudeeJim]

Believe it or not, Listerine works for us here in Texas...the gold colored one. Just spray it on clothes, skin, hair.

 

Pat

Here is some information on the Listerine:

 

 

I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children’s swing area, and the standing water nearby. ——————

 

OUR FRIEND’S COMMENTS:

I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors.

It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89.

It really doesn’t take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn’t last 30 minutes.

So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don’t spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.

 

I am going to use it when we go to Alaska in July.

 

Judee

[Ellya]

Here is a link to some info on what works (DEET) and what doesn't with actual research behind it:

 

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp

[Grannycb]

Have a look at Bullfrog. It doesn't contain DEET but works wonderfully.

[Dirty Hobbit]

When I was a MP in the Army, we would all use Avon's "Skin-So-Soft" lotion when ever we went to the field on bivouac. I just ordered some from Amazon.com yesterday for my cruise to Alaska in a couple weeks about $10 +S&H. They claim it is the "#1 DEET free bug replent". I don't have a problem with DEET products but perfer "Skin-So-Soft" because it has 30 SPF sun protection and is a nice lotion that doesn't need to washed off later like some greasey bug-replent creams.

[jhannah]

Interesting about the Listerine. I'll have to give it a try.

[JudeeJim]

Have ordered my Skin So Soft and on my way out to buy the Listerine. Another thing I am going to get is called After Bite. It is good stuff and you just dab the bite and the itching goes away. I think it contains amonia. I don't want to take any chances with those hugh mosquitos I have heard so much about.

 

Judee

[bottom-dragger]

Interesting about the Listerine. I'll have to give it a try.

 

jim - i had sent all of my field crews the note about listerine, even offering to buy it if they would try it out.

 

last night, while dining al fresco and swatting bugs, one of my crew bosses came up to me and said "hey, i tried the listerine, and it really worked, for the first 20 minutes and then it was back to normal but i still smelled like bad gargle"

[PennyAgain]

We tried the Listerine method a couple years ago. I worked for a few minutes and quit. Respraying did not help at all.