Mozzie bite prevention advice

[Skunk]

I went to my trusty pharmacist today to get advice re antihistamines etc for the trip.  She told me that as well as antihistamines I should take Vitamin B1 every day as well, as apparently they don't like the taste of you so much so keep away. Anyone else tried it?  I will let you know the results. SX

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=9905.0

[Chucky]

My Doctor advised this after I went to her with a badly infected mossie bite years ago. She had worked in a Missionary Hospital in Africa and had been advised to take Vitamin B by her colleagues. (she also advised copious amounts of gin & T!!! ) I get a pack of 14 one a day antihistamines from Asda only a £1 or so. I think Brewers Yeast is good way of getting Vitamin B.

[tortoise lady]

So there is a scientific explanation for those who say eating Marmite helps.  Always sounded unlikely but as it is meant to be rich in Vitamin B  that must what make it work.   I like Marmite but not every day for two weeks so will try the Vitamin B tablets for September.   I do everything else under the sun to prevent mozzie bites but they do love me and obviously eagerly await my visits.

So thanks Skunk and JoanH.

[kalkan4eva]

I take a vitamin B complex every day - have done for the last three years - for health reasons, can't say it helped me at all last month 
The antihistamines certainly reduce the reaction I get from the bite, but don't help me NOT to get bitten. I recommend Off Max, as it worked for me.

[Painter Man]

Marmite certainly works for me. A generous application of marmite seems to make the mozzies stay well clear, however it does make a bit of a mess of your clothes and bed sheets; a small price to pay for no bites.

[emma]

I used to suffer quite badly from mossi bites in kalkan,  I got a bite in the night and literally woke up at 4 or 5 in the morning to a very swollen finger, couldn't get my rings off, thought oh it will go down, but nope' it continued to swell. Ended up getting one of the jewellers to cut my rings off my finger!!! the doc said cut the rings off or the finger will come off!!!!! The jeweller said they cut rings off people a few times every season!!!!

So after that I did some serious investigations and found a Boots own brand, link below, which is about 50% deet, apparently deet is the magic ingredient. I have not had a bite for years since I have been using this. As soon as the sun starts to set I spray it all over, also I always use a mossie net over the bed.

Hope that helps, have a fab holiday

http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/EndecaSearchListerView?storeId=10052&searchTerm=10113016.P&ta=1&typeAhead=true&langId=-1&catalogId=11051#container

[MartynE]

The Boots Repel anti-mossie wipes work well too, if you don't like aerosol sprays.

[Pompeyalbie]

Are the mozzies still around in October? We normally rely on a plug in overnight and a wristband. Touch wood I've never  been bitten , must be years of toast &marmite that has built up a protection.

[pinkyali]

Always got bitten to death then discovered taking Vit B 1  (got told must be Vit B 1 not other Vit B's!) together with antihistamine tabs, two weeks before travelling and then using Mosquito Milk roll on, which lasts for 8 hours, works for me. This year OH, not usually bitten, had to visit the chemist on Kalamar Road, and got some cream which was  an antibotic and anti-histamine, was brilliant stuff for actual bites.

[kalkan4eva]

the pharmacies are quite fantastic...aren't they? You can get almost anything at remarkably cheap prices and the one by Parc Kalkan has two very good pharmacists who speak excellent English.

[Blue Lizard]

Lady in our local health food shop told mrs L if you take Vitamin B take it after a meal..people take it on an empty stomach and it passes through doing very little good otherwise.....Also we use boots repel.You can get an Aerosol like "Raid" from kalkan shops....we blast the rooms before we go out so anything that has whizzed in during the day will die..just remember not to sit on your patio with the doors open when you come back in half cut or they will sneak past you ..saying that we found Kalkan better this year than recent years and the mozzie busters were out spraying where we stayed most nights....don't forget a good old splat with your Flippen Floppen is a most satisfying experience when you score a direct hit..remember to shout.."Ha! hasta la Vista punk!"

[amber]

The mozzie blastıng truck was out and about in the town yesterday (pickup up truck wıth chemical sprayer on the back).The men also contınue to blast the drains regularly to make Kalkan as mozzie free as possible at this tıme of year.

[Sloany]

Now this is my first post as an EK member, so hoepfully it will prove useful. I tend to be the 'snack of choice' for mozzies, that was until I discovered this 'magic' stuff from Avon of all people (I have no affiliation with them btw, other than as a highly satisfied customer for this product). There 'Skin So Soft Dry Oil Body Spray' works a treat and it's only about £2 a bottle. Here's a link to their website:

http://avonshop.co.uk/product/bath-and-body/body-moisturiser/skin-so-soft-original-dry-oil-spray.html

We were in Kalkan for two weeks last August and not one bite amongst four of us.

One more sleep until next visit and I'll be packing this stuff.

Don't just take my word for it, read the reviews and articles. Apparently this is what the British Forces use to protect them from the 'Highland midges' when on manouveres in Scotland.

Hope it works for those who give it a try

[Firecat]

I have heard this about the Skin So Soft range but haven't put it to the test. I have the body lotion so maybe I'll pack that alongside the Off 

[kalkan4eva]

Hello Sloany, welcome to the forum
Avon SSS doesn't work for everyone, I'm afraid
A used it a couple of years ago and it was the most I've ever been bitten....some people swear by it but I just swore when I nearly broke my neck in bathroom after spraying it Please be careful as it doesn't mix well with marble floor tiles and you could end up on youtube
I think I've tried everything now...marmite, citronella, vit B, deet, more deet...corrosive strength deet, jungle formula (useless), avon SSS, tea tree oil, no perfume, no hairspray, aftersun with repellent (worse than useless) lemon cologne, head and shoulders, not drinking cocktails or Baileys (my least favourite remedy)....have I missed anything on the prevention side?
Once bitten - which is normal for me, the antihistamine overload helps keep the swelling to acceptable levels along with HC45 or equivalent. I've decided Off Max works best for me now...but I appreciate it won't work for everyone.
If you are mozzie fodder - as I am - even with all of the above and the spraying in town its best to adopt damage limitation and the tried and tested BL method of flippen floppen