mppc Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Hi I'm looking for some advice on building up a resistance to mosquitos. I have been living in Australia for 9 weeks and it does not seem to matter how careful I am I still get bitten. The bites are really bad resulting in having to use stroid cream. It's so sore and itchy I'm really getting down about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Even after 32 years I had horrible reactions to Aussie mozzies. My DH on the other hand has failed to build up a resistance to UK mozzies in the 8 years that we have been here. They rarely bother me here and he never gets bothered there. Best advice is not to get bitten. Wear long sleeves and long trousers with socks and shoes, even a mozzie proof hat if they get at your head. There was an Avon product that people said was a good mozzie deterrent (a moisturiser I think) and others say that getting a good dose of vitamin B also keeps them at bay but nothing has worked for me. Couple of trips ago I went outside for 10 minutes within a couple of hours of arriving and got half a dozen bites which lingered pretty much all of my trip. This last trip, I made the mistake of going out to get the washing in, the day before we left and Bingo, 4 weeks later I still had the bites. If you find the magic answer, do let us know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumbeat Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 I don't believe you can build up resistance, I've lived here 30 years and I still get bitten. As Quoll advises prevention is the best option. Use 'Bushman's' insect repellant and cover up when possible. You could also trying burning citronella candles or similar when outside. Mozzies are the downside of living in a hot climate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouDYorkie Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Nothing works for me in keeping them at bay. Not just mozzies. I appear to be the favourite food source for midges/sandfly too. My friends all joke about how they don’t need repellent when I’m around!!So, although I struggle to avoid being bitten (since they’d get my eyelids if they were the only things exposed), I do take an anti-histamine and a couple of paracetamol and the combination stops the itch for quite a while and if I have them soon enough, the bites don’t seem to end up as big! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 55 minutes ago, Quoll said: Even after 32 years I had horrible reactions to Aussie mozzies. My DH on the other hand has failed to build up a resistance to UK mozzies in the 8 years that we have been here. They rarely bother me here and he never gets bothered there. Best advice is not to get bitten. Wear long sleeves and long trousers with socks and shoes, even a mozzie proof hat if they get at your head. There was an Avon product that people said was a good mozzie deterrent (a moisturiser I think) and others say that getting a good dose of vitamin B also keeps them at bay but nothing has worked for me. Couple of trips ago I went outside for 10 minutes within a couple of hours of arriving and got half a dozen bites which lingered pretty much all of my trip. This last trip, I made the mistake of going out to get the washing in, the day before we left and Bingo, 4 weeks later I still had the bites. If you find the magic answer, do let us know! Avon skin so soft 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 I have spent a long time working in areas with high malaria risks. This is the official method: Avoid dark clothing Wear a DEET based product such as Bushmans Most bites occur at dawn and dusk. Wear long sleeved loose fitting clothing and long trousers 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 5 hours ago, mppc said: Hi I'm looking for some advice on building up a resistance to mosquitos. I have been living in Australia for 9 weeks and it does not seem to matter how careful I am I still get bitten. The bites are really bad resulting in having to use stroid cream. It's so sore and itchy I'm really getting down about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My wife was told that she really needs to avoid being bitten as the reaction will get worse. Me, the little blighters either don't bite me or I don't react. If you don't like putting repellent on you, you can just spray it on your clothes. Deet will harm the clothes eventually, but Australian clothes don't last long anyway. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mppc Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 Thanks for the help, it's just so frustrating. I do follow the advice but even tonight I put spray on and was sitting in my living room and still got a bite. My husband is cutting back trees and clearing the gardens to try and get rid of them. App it's not even high season yet and I'm dreading whats ahead. Fingers crossed I can get on-top of the blighters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 1 hour ago, newjez said: My wife was told that she really needs to avoid being bitten as the reaction will get worse. My younger son is like that. He’s ended up in hospital following really bad bites a couple of times. It was the infection which developed after the bite that needed iv antibiotics. It’s the nasty things that mozzies can carry like Ross River Fever that scare me. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRC Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 Avon’s Skin-So-Soft spray oil is the best thing I’ve found to repel them and it smells lovely too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 (edited) I seem to have built up a bit of a resistance to mozzie bites over the years. They used to bother me horribly when we first arrived in Australia. Covering up is the best thing to do when they are around. If I was bitten I used to dab on tea tree oil and if that wasn't effective I rubbed in Tricortone cream which killed the itch quickly. I haven't seen any mozzies since we moved to Tassie but I dare say they are around - just haven't seen or heard any. Hated that high pitched noise they make. I hadn't heard about using Avon Skin So Soft and came across this. "The brand's original Skin So Soft dry oil spray is pleasant-smelling and good for the skin – but it is also a very effective insect repellent. In fact, soldiers have been using it for years to fend off the midges at Faslane in Scotland." Wish I had used it in Scotland as the midges there used to eat me alive. Edited September 24, 2019 by Toots 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 14 hours ago, mppc said: Hi I'm looking for some advice on building up a resistance to mosquitos. I have been living in Australia for 9 weeks and it does not seem to matter how careful I am I still get bitten. The bites are really bad resulting in having to use stroid cream. It's so sore and itchy I'm really getting down about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Take Vitamin B1 tablets. They don't help everyone, but they're well worth trying as they won't do any harm. Don't let the chemist fob you off with a Vitamin B supplement - they have to be just B1 and nothing else. https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/20887/Nature-s-Own-High-Strength-Vitamin-B1-250mg-75-Tablets Next time you're in the UK, buy yourself some Boots antihistamine cream. That's much more effective than steroid creams or any other creams. Unfortunately they won't sell antihistamine cream in Australia, I'm told it's because it reacts with sunlight to cause severe burns (so only use it on skin that won't be exposed to the sun). Avon went bust in Australia so you can't buy Avon here - but even when they were in operation, they didn't sell Skin So Soft for some reason. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mppc Posted September 24, 2019 Author Share Posted September 24, 2019 Thanks again, my sister is coming in a few weeks from the UK so I will get her to bring Avon skin so soft. I'm hoping I can overcome this and I will be able to enjoy sitting out at night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 14 hours ago, mppc said: Thanks for the help, it's just so frustrating. I do follow the advice but even tonight I put spray on and was sitting in my living room and still got a bite. My husband is cutting back trees and clearing the gardens to try and get rid of them. App it's not even high season yet and I'm dreading whats ahead. Fingers crossed I can get on-top of the blighters. New Zealand sand flies are worse. They hover around you until they find a bit of skin you have missed. They even go under your clothes. I've seen terrible reactions to those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 50 minutes ago, mppc said: Thanks again, my sister is coming in a few weeks from the UK so I will get her to bring Avon skin so soft. I'm hoping I can overcome this and I will be able to enjoy sitting out at night Perhaps your sister could also bring some of the Boots antihistamine cream Marisa recommended too. I used a mild steroid cream (from the Dr) but I would think the antihistamine cream would do the trick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 3 hours ago, mppc said: Thanks again, my sister is coming in a few weeks from the UK so I will get her to bring Avon skin so soft. I'm hoping I can overcome this and I will be able to enjoy sitting out at night It's the skin so soft bug repellant (not the bath oil). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 5 hours ago, mppc said: Thanks again, my sister is coming in a few weeks from the UK so I will get her to bring Avon skin so soft. I'm hoping I can overcome this and I will be able to enjoy sitting out at night I’m the same as you and it has been a relief to move to Melbourne where mozzies are less common. The B1 definitely helped me. Never wear perfume, it attracts them. Get an outdoor mozzie zapper. Check the garden for ANY standing water, even tiny puddles. That’s where they breed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 22 hours ago, mppc said: Thanks for the help, it's just so frustrating. I do follow the advice but even tonight I put spray on and was sitting in my living room and still got a bite. My husband is cutting back trees and clearing the gardens to try and get rid of them. App it's not even high season yet and I'm dreading whats ahead. Fingers crossed I can get on-top of the blighters. This is not the correct thing. There is only one scientifically proven deterrent to mosquitos and that is DEET. You should try a product with about 25% DEET and see if that works, if it does, brilliant, if not, upgrade to 50%. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 On 23/09/2019 at 18:43, mppc said: Thanks for the help, it's just so frustrating. I do follow the advice but even tonight I put spray on and was sitting in my living room and still got a bite. My husband is cutting back trees and clearing the gardens to try and get rid of them. App it's not even high season yet and I'm dreading whats ahead. Fingers crossed I can get on-top of the blighters. You probably want to get rid of any standing water. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slean Wolfhead Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 On 23/09/2019 at 21:15, mppc said: Hi I'm looking for some advice on building up a resistance to mosquitos. I have been living in Australia for 9 weeks and it does not seem to matter how careful I am I still get bitten. The bites are really bad resulting in having to use stroid cream. It's so sore and itchy I'm really getting down about it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you do get bitten, you can buy these things called Zap-Its, they send a small electric shock to the bite and it removes the urge to scratch. It prevents the release of histamine which is what makes you itchy, so you then don't need to apply anti-histamine. We take it everywhere. https://www.easypestsupplies.com.au/zap-it-mosquito-bite-relief Aldi sell these in the UK occasionally for about £2, but they're $20 here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 1 hour ago, newjez said: You probably want to get rid of any standing water. Yes, tidying the garden will do nothing at all to reduce mozzies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOL Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 On 24/09/2019 at 01:09, newjez said: Deet will harm the clothes eventually, but Australian clothes don't last long anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 @mppc, if you're getting bitten in the living room, then you need to take action to keep the mosquitoes out of the house. Fly screens on every window that opens, and every door are absolutely essential if you live where mosquitoes are prevalent. Check all the fly screens for tiny holes and fix them. These plugins are good for killing any that do get in: https://www.woolworths.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails/900304/mortein-peaceful-nights-automatic-plug-in Buy yourself some light floaty pants and tops which you can wear at home in the evenings, then you've only got to worry about your hands, feet and face. Please persuade your oh to take this very seriously. It's not just the discomfort of the bite - mosquitoes carry some nasty diseases which you don't want to catch, trust me. Your husband may be getting bitten too but he's not reacting so he's not aware. Mosquitoes breed where there's stagnant water. Clearing away trees and shrubs will do nothing, but finding and emptying every puddle will. You will NEVER build resistance to mosquito bites - but like I said, even if you could, the bigger risk is getting ill as a result 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 On 24/09/2019 at 03:09, newjez said: , but Australian clothes don't last long anyway. What's "long"? I still have lovely clothes I bought in the 1980s....hoping, if I lose a few kilos, I could fit into them again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumbeat Posted September 25, 2019 Share Posted September 25, 2019 23 hours ago, ali said: It's the skin so soft bug repellant (not the bath oil). There isn't a bug repellant, it's the dry body oil or bath oil sprayed on. I haven't tried it so can't comment on it's effectiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.