# zancudos! (mosquitos)



## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

I've searched around and cannot find a mosquito net for our bed. Any suggestions? And/or is there someone out there who would be willing to send me one. I think in some areas they are called pabellon or maybe mosquitero.

We've had more rain here than usual and even after swatting as many skeeters as we can find before going to bed, I wake up with a face that looks like it has the measles! I'm over it, and although I live in an area with a low incidence for dengue fever, I'm not loving being covered in mosquito bites!

Sprays and smoky stuff are out for me as my breathing can't handle it. A net for the bed is the only solution I've been able to come up with. I don't have problems during the day, just in the evening.

thanks!


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Have you tried the "placas" that they sell in the supermarket? They have no smoke and only give off a slight scent. You plug in the apparatus and we put one in a socket several feet from the bed and I can't even detect the smell and it works to chase off the moscos.


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Never heard of such a thing. I'll have to check around. We don't have much for supermarkets here in Tequis., but I have to go to San Juan del Rio this morning, maybe there. Thanks for the suggestion. I'd rather not have to use more electricity but if it's a choice between the two I'll have to consider it.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I don't think it uses very much electricity. The apparatus is tiny (maybe half the size of a cell phone) and I don't notice a change in our electricity bill during mosquito season.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

itnavell said:


> I've searched around and cannot find a mosquito net for our bed. Any suggestions? And/or is there someone out there who would be willing to send me one. I think in some areas they are called pabellon or maybe mosquitero.
> 
> We've had more rain here than usual and even after swatting as many skeeters as we can find before going to bed, I wake up with a face that looks like it has the measles! I'm over it, and although I live in an area with a low incidence for dengue fever, I'm not loving being covered in mosquito bites!
> 
> ...


Have you looked for camping supplies? Most tents, etc are made with "no see 'em" netting, for the tiny biting flies, even smaller than gnats. Camping supply companies also sell the netting by itself, for those who want to camp under the stars without being a midnight snack.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2012)

itnavell said:


> I've searched around and cannot find a mosquito net for our bed. Any suggestions? And/or is there someone out there who would be willing to send me one. I think in some areas they are called pabellon or maybe mosquitero.
> 
> We've had more rain here than usual and even after swatting as many skeeters as we can find before going to bed, I wake up with a face that looks like it has the measles! I'm over it, and although I live in an area with a low incidence for dengue fever, I'm not loving being covered in mosquito bites!
> 
> ...


Here's your eco-responsible method, and it works. Warning: don't put this type of trap inside your house, as it will draw them inside too. Just put several up outside as a perimeter.

How To Make A Homemade Mosquito Trap | Homemade Mosquito Repellent


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

circle110 said:


> Have you tried the "placas" that they sell in the supermarket? They have no smoke and only give off a slight scent. You plug in the apparatus and we put one in a socket several feet from the bed and I can't even detect the smell and it works to chase off the moscos.


My vote for the Raid product. It simply works. I plug mine in a few hours before bedtime and no moscas the entire night.


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## Guest (Jun 25, 2012)

(sorry for the second post, time ran out)

Until the traps have put a dent in your local mosquitos, you could also do this for some peace and quiet at night. If your bedroom windows do not have screens, you could have a screen made at the local glass place for 100 pesos or less per window. They will probably oversize it and then screw it over the outside frame instead of fitting it to any tracks in the window frame.

Then, hang a sheer curtain over the bedroom doorway (this is the campo cure). It isn't important that the sheer goes all the way to the floor as mosquitos seem to gravitate upwards when flying into a room. Just make sure the sheer covers the doorway completely, side to side.

Then, eliminate any mosquitos in your bedroom. Pay special attention to the insides of the closets and under the bed, as mosquitos like to feed and then go there for a day or two as they digest your blood. With a full stomach, they like to hang out in a nearby dark, quiet place and are easy targets. You might find 20 of them living there temporarily.


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Oh boy, I'm going to get those zancudos tonight! We have screens, but need to plug a few holes. I'll ask the neighbor for some empty refresco bottles to make the zancudo traps. Weird for Mexico, but neither my husband or I drink refresco! I have an old sheet I'll rig to cover the doorway tonight.

I didn't find a placa in San Juan de Rio today, but was short on time.

Maybe we won't be totally free of the biters, but a whole lot less will be very nice! Thank you


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

May I suggest that you have one built. With the labor costs so low it would not be much money. All that would be needed would be some 2 x 2 wood, some nails and some netting and a good stapler gun for the netting.


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Hadn't thought of that. My original vision of the netting was one of those nets that hang from a ring and just drape around the bed. I rather like your idea. Rather a Victorian sort of thing.


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## pappabee (Jun 22, 2010)

itnavell said:


> Hadn't thought of that. My original vision of the netting was one of those nets that hang from a ring and just drape around the bed. I rather like your idea. Rather a Victorian sort of thing.


The other thing that you might do is to take a fan and blow it across the bed. Our little Mexican mosquitoes don't do well in wind. No if you happen to some of those dive bombers from NOB then the only suggestion is a shotgun.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

pappabee said:


> May I suggest that you have one built. With the labor costs so low it would not be much money. All that would be needed would be some 2 x 2 wood, some nails and some netting and a good stapler gun for the netting.


That is what I did. I bought 4 dowels for the uprights and another 4 for cross pieces, attached the uprights to the wooden bed base, then lashed the cross pieces together, and hung a mosquito net from this frame. There is a cortinero next door to my house so it was easy to get the dowels. I had to add a couple of diagonals to brace it, other than that it has worked perfectly. It does give the bed the image you see in some of the old movies.


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

That sounds easy enough. My quest, as I mentioned in my first post, is to find the netting. The fabric stores have this stiff netting (toulle), but it's not meant for mosquitoes and the holes are too large. As we are not coastal or tropical here, mosquito netting is not a common item.

I'm off this morning to find some brown sugar to make GC's mosquito traps.


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

itnavell said:


> That sounds easy enough. My quest, as I mentioned in my first post, is to find the netting. The fabric stores have this stiff netting (toulle), but it's not meant for mosquitoes and the holes are too large. As we are not coastal or tropical here, mosquito netting is not a common item.
> 
> I'm off this morning to find some brown sugar to make GC's mosquito traps.


mosquitocurtains.com in Atlanta sells the netting by the yard in 120" wide material. Of course the problem is getting it to Mexico. Also try usnetting.com

There is a thread on the forum from 2009 about Mosquito Netting - while interesting it does not provide a Mexican supplier for the stuff - it is called a rarity in Mexico:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/me...mosquito-nets.html?highlight=mosquito+netting


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

FHBOY said:


> mosquitocurtains.com in Atlanta sells the netting by the yard in 120" wide material. Of course the problem is getting it to Mexico. Also try usnetting.com
> 
> There is a thread on the forum from 2009 about Mosquito Netting - while interesting it does not provide a Mexican supplier for the stuff - it is called a rarity in Mexico:
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/me...mosquito-nets.html?highlight=mosquito+netting


I started doing an internet search as well. Threw out the idea of shipping from the US, too expensive, and takes forever to reach here. 
But, I did find a site here in Mexico. Productos mosquiteros | Trampas para mosquito
They're based in Guadalajara and will ship for 99 pesos. So, I ordered a net and will work on making a frame. I like it! Rather jazzes up the bedroom!


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## FHBOY (Jun 15, 2010)

itnavell said:


> I started doing an internet search as well. Threw out the idea of shipping from the US, too expensive, and takes forever to reach here.
> But, I did find a site here in Mexico. Productos mosquiteros | Trampas para mosquito
> They're based in Guadalajara and will ship for 99 pesos. So, I ordered a net and will work on making a frame. I like it! Rather jazzes up the bedroom!


*
WOW! GREAT FIND! *

_Mod: Is there are way we can put resources like this that we find in a place on the Forum? Like A Products Thread with sub classifications. Would it violate the Advertising rules to do so? I mean, three years from now, some Forum participant may want mosquito netting and it would make it easier. Just a suggestion._


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## dongringo (Dec 13, 2010)

You can buy mosquito netting on MercadoLibre Mosquitero Tul 2 Plazas Colores Anti Idengue Mosquito Net - $ 169,99 en MercadoLibre


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## dongringo (Dec 13, 2010)

Oops - that ad was from Argentina.
Here is one from Mexico - Mosquitero Pabellon Redondo Y Todas Las Medidas - $ 295.00 en MercadoLibre


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

FHBOY said:


> *
> WOW! GREAT FIND! *
> 
> _Mod: Is there are way we can put resources like this that we find in a place on the Forum? Like A Products Thread with sub classifications. Would it violate the Advertising rules to do so? I mean, three years from now, some Forum participant may want mosquito netting and it would make it easier. Just a suggestion._


There is a sticky thread in which I have collected some useful links. It does not include links to specific products however. I am reluctant to include them. It implies an endorsement of the product by the forum or by me, at least. Also such links tend to be ephemeral and broken links don't help anyone.


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## jjroth2 (Mar 30, 2011)

Just how bad is the mosquito problem in Mexico? Does it vary from community to community, house to house? How about screens as a line of defense, rather than netting over one's bed?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

jjroth2 said:


> Just how bad is the mosquito problem in Mexico? Does it vary from community to community, house to house? How about screens as a line of defense, rather than netting over one's bed?


It varies from community to community and with the season. In the dry season in central Mexico, October to May, there are few or no mosquitoes. During the summer rains they can be a nuisance. Screens can also be a solution but, at least in my house, I have not sealed the windows and door very well, and a net over the bed seems to work better. It also produces a smaller area that has to be kept free of mosquitoes. I have never been very adept at getting all of them out of the bedroom before going to bed. They don't seem to bother me during the day, just at night. But some people are more susceptible to being bitten than I am.

The only bugs that I have found to be a real nuisance in Mexico are the no-see-ums on the beach in the evening in San Blas, Nayarit.


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## jjroth2 (Mar 30, 2011)

Thanks, TG. This helps.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

The Centro de Salud girls just came by today looking for standing water. Sprinkled a few grains in a storm drain and a little bag of the stuff in my clothes wash basin. My Canadian neighbors have a local house sitting and I just turned over 3 5 gallon buckets that were almost full of rain water in their yard. The guy got it after the fact ... but sitting water is not good in this climate. I rinse the water dishes for the animals with cloro every 3-4 days.

I live on the beach which is warmer and rain more but Centro de Salud visited my place near Lake Chapala every few months. It is a serious concern. 

My place is well screened and I get mostly flies .... but my cat can open the front screen door and refuses to close it


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Darned cat! 

I worry a bit about the mosquitoes here as unlike the mosquito bites I've gotten in the US, the ones here seem to leave red spots that linger for days and days. The don't itch all that much, but I'm concerned a bit about dengue fever. Sounds horrid and dangerous.

I ordered the mosquito netting from the company I mentioned out of Guadalajara and I should have it in a few days time. I also spend a considerable amount of time every evening hunting out mosquitoes in the house. They get me while I'm sleeping and I don't hear them coming. Like Tundra Green mentioned, we have them here In Tequis. only from May through October. Last summer was extremely dry so not so many. This year, it's awful

Our house is traditional Mexican brick and block (my husband built it) and so it's not sealed tigh eithert. Doors, etc. have gaps and it's nearly impossible to fix that one. I'm positioning the homemade mosquito traps outside near the doors and windows to decrease the number coming in.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

itnavell said:


> ...I worry a bit about the mosquitoes here as unlike the mosquito bites I've gotten in the US, the ones here seem to leave red spots that linger for days and days. The don't itch all that much, but I'm concerned a bit about dengue fever. Sounds horrid and dangerous.
> ...


There are about 300 cases of dengue per year in Guadalajara, out of a population of about 4 and a half million. Somewhere I read that there are a few, 2 or 3, cases that turn into the more dangerous hemorrhagic flavor. Wikipedia says that occurs in less than 5% of the cases. Curiously, most of the cases of dengue fever occur in Zapopan, the most affluent of the cities that make up the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. One of my coworkers contracted dengue fever a few years ago. His case was very mild and I don't think he even missed any work. 

So it is not as frightening as I once thought, although it would not be fun to be in the minority who contract the more serious forms.


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## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

That's encouraging to hear. I had bumped into a couple sites on Mexico/Mosquitoes when looking for the mosquito netting that were rather scary in their slant.


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## mickisue1 (Mar 10, 2012)

TundraGreen said:


> There are about 300 cases of dengue per year in Guadalajara, out of a population of about 4 and a half million. Somewhere I read that there are a few, 2 or 3, cases that turn into the more dangerous hemorrhagic flavor. Wikipedia says that occurs in less than 5% of the cases. Curiously, most of the cases of dengue fever occur in Zapopan, the most affluent of the cities that make up the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. One of my coworkers contracted dengue fever a few years ago. His case was very mild and I don't think he even missed any work.
> 
> So it is not as frightening as I once thought, although it would not be fun to be in the minority who contract the more serious forms.


The most important thing to do, in rainy season where dengue fever is a concern, is NOT to take aspirin or NSAIDs--ibuprofen and naproxin are two of the most common, because they make the hemorrhagic fever much worse.

One of the reasons that mosquitoes in MX bother you more is that there are over 3000 species of mosquitoes (I just looked it up), and you haven't built up the resistance to mosquitoes in the area where you live. If you lived in pretty much the same area for most of your life, your immune system is used to the mosquitoes there, and doesn't react as much.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

What I dislike the most about the mosquitoes that occasionally visit me in my bedroom in Mexico City is that the little ******s are silent, so there's no buzzing to alert me to their presence. Just the itching after they've has their fill of my blood!


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