A cheap alternative to insect repellents

[Rik]

I saw some research a little while back which said that insects prefer some people to others. So just stay near someone you know is a 'midge magnet' and let them do all the scratching

[cliveanne]

Originally Posted by tarkwin

My wife swears by brewers yeat tablets (available from yr local health food shop - H&B £3.50 for 500). I was skeptical at first but last year I was (mostly) clear from mosquito bites for the first time in 5 years.

we take 2 each day...and so far this year no bites..and I don't smell like a tart

T.

I hear real ale is good too, you drink it. You might find it does funny things to your scores, but hey, who cares

[jojo]

LOL yes booo hoooo Ive smelled like a tart with that stuff and it aint no fun when you go to the pub after shooting and the whole bar goes silent as you go in. LOL

[CPlater1]

that stuff is really quite good at keeping insects away, the only problem is when i use it, i want to get away as the smell for the first couple of minutes is awful.

Chris

[doubletop]

on the same vein as marmite but eating garlic does the same job i knew a welsh guards sargeant who ate it raw and he never got bit never had a problem with the ladies either its all to do with it cominng out the pores of the skin
im lucky i dont get bitten very much but my wife does so i just stay close to her

[Steppenwolf]

I spent ages on the Avon website trying to find the product and then by chance I came across their FAQ section and there it informs you that they have changed the name of the product to

Skin-So-Soft Soft & Fresh Dry Oil Body Spray

and they know about the insect repellent abilities.

I do hope it is the same stuff as I am going to buy a bulk amount. I will report back if there is a problem.

[Timid Toad]

I hve a friend who did their MBA thesis on habits of midges...so here is the science...

Everyone gets bitten if the correct species is around (and there are about 76, around here anyway). They are less common in England and Wales, but you get mozzies instead. The only difference is some people are allergic to the anticoagulant they inject to get a feed.

They are attracted to the CO2 any animal breathes out.
So to beat them you need to set up something that produces more CO2 than you do, site it a little way away and hoover them up - thats called a Midge Eater and lots of homes and businesses on the West Coast have one.

Or you can take lots of vitamin B1 (found in Brewers' Yeast and marmite etc) which is a natural antihistamine, so you don't react as badly.

Chemicals are very effective, but obviously its not great to cover yourself in insecticide regularly unless there is a risk if Malaria.

Citronella oil works well splashed about on the ground - perhaps on the shooting line, but won't last a full day, and might kill the grass. Not tried it.

Or plaster yourself with anything greasy - and the Skin so Soft is very good at putting a thin film on the skin - which will mire the beastie and it dies before it can get a nip at you. You will end up covered in millions of tiny black dots - corpses! Any suncream that is slick and doesn't soak in works, but beware, you might as well be covered in chip fat for sliding around - watch your bow hand. Chip fat should work too but I can't say I've tried it. The nice smell is supposed to be like Bog Myrtle which grows wild where midges like to be and is a traditional remedy for the blighters (it doesn't work for me). Beware because it can remove the finish on things like specs frames and plastic lenses, and whatever you do, don't get it in your eyes! The marines round here use gallons of the stuff and have done so for years - but never tell one he smells like a tart!