# Mosquitos



## welshduo (Aug 26, 2012)

Our first summer here and have just started to battle the mossies!! Advice would be very welcome on how to avoid them and how to treat the bites. Have visitors at the moment and we are all suffering!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

There are so many different products on the market and everyone has the favourites and hates. We use Bloom available from most supermarkets. Another thing we do is leave a light on in a room we are not using at night and this tends to attract the mossies keeping them away from us.


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

*Mozzies*

I sympathise with you all as the little ******s love me too. It caused lots of controversy on various threads when some-one mentioned taking vitamin b2 complex, as they reckon it's something in your blood that attracts them in the first place and taking the vitamin should help. In desperation I have tried that, been taking it almost a year now and that, along with using various bug sprays and wipes it has worked so far, don't want to tempt fate.
I have suffered terribly as I've lived abroad since 2005 so am very pleased with my results.
Where are you? If you have the British supermarket Iceland near you, they have wipes which are only 1.50€ and they are good as they don't pong as much as some products. I also use Avon skin so soft dry oil spray and some spray from Mercadona in a little orange bottle.
Luckily the urb I live on sprays the whole resort regularly, which is wonderful.
Treatment, ice for painful swollen bites, after bite pens, carry them everywhere and try catch them quick, take anti histamine.
Hope this helps and good luck!


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

Monkey Hangers said:


> I sympathise with you all as the little ******s love me too. It caused lots of controversy on various threads when some-one mentioned taking vitamin b2 complex, as they reckon it's something in your blood that attracts them in the first place and taking the vitamin should help. In desperation I have tried that, been taking it almost a year now and that, along with using various bug sprays and wipes it has worked so far, don't want to tempt fate.
> I have suffered terribly as I've lived abroad since 2005 so am very pleased with my results.
> Where are you? If you have the British supermarket Iceland near you, they have wipes which are only 1.50€ and they are good as they don't pong as much as some products. I also use Avon skin so soft dry oil spray and some spray from Mercadona in a little orange bottle.
> Luckily the urb I live on sprays the whole resort regularly, which is wonderful.
> ...


I seem to remember recommending B12 complex, and one odourless garlic tablet per day, some while back. I've have used this for years, as I used to have 6-8 wide reactions with swelling-from one bite, even after mozzy spray. I used to attract more!. Now I only get a much smaller reaction, maybe an inch wide at the most- which still itches, but resolves quicker, so the combo of those two tabs seem to reduce it a lot, and I still use a light spray of mozzy repellant. This combination of tabs recommended years ago by an Australian, I was on holiday near Coolum on the gold coast, when authorities sprayed the mountain nearby, and all the mozzy's, thousands of the little blighters, flew into the resort Hotel, my husband lost count at 75 bites I received within minutes, yuck it was horrible.


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## linken1647 (May 31, 2013)

We have Raid plug-ins in every room. They are very effective. Use mozzie wipes when you are out in the evenings. The ones by "Jungle Formula" are really good. Not sure if you can get them in Spain or not but we always bring some back when we visit England or ask someone to post them out to us


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

There are many types of cream on the market, or sprays. Worth asking your local farmacia which they recommend. Having said that, when in the UK I used to do night fishing in summer. Whatever spray I used, it eventually became in effective. So, I used to smoke cigarettes which to me are disgusting things, but it did help a little!


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2013)

I'm suffering terribly, each bite producing a swelling two to three inches across and the size of a golf ball. Even the pharmacist was tut-tutting over my bites. We're fully equipped with Skin So Soft which hasn't worked for me. It does help after the bite has come up by keeping the skin moist but doesn't repel. I've read about the Vit B/garlic approach before and wish I'd tried it. What's worked - in as much as anything has - is a combination of mozzie repellent reapplied at very frequent intervals, Raid in every available place, lights off and spraying with an insect killer before retiring for the night. We are in fact off today to try to find an English-speaking pharmacist to see if we can gain any more insights into an effective approach and I'll report back if we hear any advice which sounds as if it might be helpful.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

meetloaf said:


> I'm suffering terribly, each bite producing a swelling two to three inches across and the size of a golf ball. Even the pharmacist was tut-tutting over my bites. We're fully equipped with Skin So Soft which hasn't worked for me. It does help after the bite has come up by keeping the skin moist but doesn't repel. I've read about the Vit B/garlic approach before and wish I'd tried it. What's worked - in as much as anything has - is a combination of mozzie repellent reapplied at very frequent intervals, Raid in every available place, lights off and spraying with an insect killer before retiring for the night. We are in fact off today to try to find an English-speaking pharmacist to see if we can gain any more insights into an effective approach and I'll report back if we hear any advice which sounds as if it might be helpful.


I've taken the B complex, (it is the thiamine which is supposed to be the active bit), and odourless garlic for years, and I take it all year round, as I travel quite a bit, and get bitten the other side of the world as well, it does seem to help, so alway worth a try, it does seem to take a couple of weeks to produce "the smell' on your skin which Mozzies don't like much, it is not noticeable to humans,
We also use insect killing machines indoors,we brought ours from HK, a bit like the ones you see in butchers shops, with a UV light, I do believe I have seen similar in the Chinese shops around the costa's in Spain, they zap a few nasty things every evening.
Whenever I am in Uk I go to Tesco's and stock up on Vits etc, often they have special offers, and are much cheaper than any place here.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

A great cream for bites is Anthisan. Not sure of the Spanish equivalent, but it's really good for bites.

If you have your own place get an insect repellant screen so you can keep the doors and windows open.

I would also invest in one of those plug in attract and kill things that glow violet.


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

The first year we were here my wife got bitten terribly ( I only get the occasional bites - my wife says its because I am naturally repulsive -LOL). Then she started taking Vitamin B on prescription, because one of her levels was very low. Since then, she only gets the occasional bite. I know what the science says, but it works for her. For the odd bite we buy a cream given to us originally by the Farnacia called Alergical. We use it for all skin complaints as well.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

We use 'Natural Honey Body Lotion' which is a great Mosca Negra / Mozzie repellant. (honestly) and 'Claral Fuerte' for the bites topped off with 'Citirizina' anti-histamines.

We also use an insect repellant called 'Halley', which you can get from your pharmacy, it is brilliant with a scent reminiscent of eau de cologne. 

The lotion is brilliant. However, miss one inch on your leg or wherever and the mozzies/mosca negras will hone in on that spot and bite you to Alicante and back, so blather yourself and don't miss so much as a single inch.


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## Nugget_Hound (Jun 13, 2013)

Where are you guys based , are the mozzies worse in particular areas or all over, Thanks


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2013)

Dunpleecin said:


> A great cream for bites is Anthisan. Not sure of the Spanish equivalent, but it's really good for bites.


Fenistil. It's much much better than Antihisan and you can get it at the farmacia. Doesn't stop the bites but reduced the recovery time measurably.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2013)

JoCatalunya said:


> We use 'Natural Honey Body Lotion' which is a great Mosca Negra / Mozzie repellant. (honestly) and 'Claral Fuerte' for the bites topped off with 'Citirizina' anti-histamines.
> 
> We also use an insect repellant called 'Halley', which you can get from your pharmacy, it is brilliant with a scent reminiscent of eau de cologne.
> 
> The lotion is brilliant. However, miss one inch on your leg or wherever and the mozzies/mosca negras will hone in on that spot and bite you to Alicante and back, so blather yourself and don't miss so much as a single inch.


Ace! Thanks for the advice. We're temporarily in Portugal but will track down this Halley as soon as we get back to Spain. The memory of the bites we acquired in El Rocio will stay with me for a long time....


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## Benjamino (May 14, 2012)

Rubbing Alcohol or anything to dry out the bites.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I found this on a Spanish facebook page. I have no idea at all if it works but I'm posting it anyway. Maybe somebody has heard of this technique or knows if it is useless or really works...

WITH WARMER WEATHER COMES MOSQUITOS! WITH SUMMER APPROACHING I THOUGHT I'D SHARE THIS AGAIN


Have you noticed the Mosquitos are already out! Here is a homemade trap to help keep you and the kiddos from being a blood donor!!!

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water 
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-litre bottle

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the colour black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.


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## Calas felices (Nov 29, 2007)

When we have been to Africa (and they get a lot of mosquitos there) the only repellent which worked was one containing Deet. It also helped to avoid wearing perfumes and aftershaves for example as they seem to be attracted to them.


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## AlexBramwell (Sep 24, 2012)

The plugins that release chemicals work, the silly ultrasoud ones don't. The only repellents that always work contain DEET. Use a net over your bed: They look good and really work when combined with a puff of bug spray.


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## ScottJaniceKyleErinFreya (Jan 11, 2013)

Monkey Hangers said:


> I sympathise with you all as the little ******s love me too. It caused lots of controversy on various threads when some-one mentioned taking vitamin b2 complex, as they reckon it's something in your blood that attracts them in the first place and taking the vitamin should help. In desperation I have tried that, been taking it almost a year now and that, along with using various bug sprays and wipes it has worked so far, don't want to tempt fate.
> I have suffered terribly as I've lived abroad since 2005 so am very pleased with my results.
> Where are you? If you have the British supermarket Iceland near you, they have wipes which are only 1.50€ and they are good as they don't pong as much as some products. I also use _*Avon skin so soft *_dry oil spray and some spray from Mercadona in a little orange bottle.
> Luckily the urb I live on sprays the whole resort regularly, which is wonderful.
> ...


This stuff works wonders for the dredded Scottish midge


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2013)

I'm still researching this but I'm hearing a lot about topical hydrocortisone cream and topical licocaine. The latter sounds a brilliant idea. You still have the bite - you just can't feel it. Vic Vapour Rub to repel the little blighters. Eucalyptus apparently works better than citronella.


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## tonyinspain (Jul 18, 2011)

For bites apply neat alcohol to the bite area it will relieve the need to scratch and is a cheap fix
Mercadona , or any supermarket carries it around 50+ 60 cents it works well 
I also use it as a antiseptic for cuts and scratches it stings but better that than infection 
Hope this helps


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## Navas (Sep 2, 2012)

meetloaf said:


> Vic Vapour Rub to repel the little blighters. Eucalyptus apparently works better than citronella.


They probably won't come near you cos they think you've got a cold


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## tuskaten (Feb 6, 2013)

an aloe vera plant in the garden i feel is a must ,as soon as im bitten slice a little of the leaf and rub the jelly on the bite, works wonders for me


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## GMHB (Jun 19, 2013)

Yes, Vitamin B1 200 mgs a day WORKS start taking about a month before they start and tell visitors to do the same. BLOOM spray keeps them down too


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## Nugget_Hound (Jun 13, 2013)

I love the fact that Aloe Vera grows all over the place in Spain , hopefully if I get out there ill be covering myself in the stuff every day!! Just slice a leaf open and rub it on


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