Preventing mosquito bites?

I would like to know also. I don't have lymphedema, but every mosquito or fly bite I have gotten since my BMX 5 1/2 weeks ago is still here- red, sore, and swollen! What's with that? And yes, Becky, some were through my shirt- on the shoulder though.

I've gotten bitten through jeans before, so yes you can get bitten through your sleeve.

A couple of things that work for me:    Take a cotton ball and saturate with Listerine.   Rub on exposed skin and/or unexposed parts - avoiding eyes.   And swish some in your mouth and spit out. 

Fabric softener sheet tied to your shoe laces, belt loop, on strap of your purse.  Golfers use this often.    

Hi  I have never tried using Listerine. But I think I will give it a try. I heard it has to be the original one, not the new mint flavor one.  SharonH

Hmmmm. I thought garlic was for vampires, no? But then I guess we don't want them biting us either.

I've gotten mosquito bites through my compression garments -- doesn't even slow them down. Best to keep the topical antibiotic ointment with you at all times and apply it as soon as you're bitten.

And I wanted to add that you can also get sunburn through your garments which, if you're not aware of it, can be a nasty surprise. There are sun-repellent hats, scraves, shawls, parasols, shirts, sleeves and mitts to cover up with so you don't have to get sunscreen on your garments. Just a thought...

Be well,
Binney

OMG there really isn't an ap for that is there.

I honest-to-goodness think that the mosquito thing/threat/horror is my most depressing part of this whole LE thing.

I've nearly come to grips (more often than not) about the appearance with the sleeve, the pain thru the chest & arm, and the various limitations/concerns/strategies...... then the mosquitoes are so thick right now and I restrict my outside time and activities and I get real crotchity. (And I realize I'm in the shallow end of the LE pool.)

Maybe it's time I get a fancy-schmancy phone and have them buzz-off with my emitting signal of squeal-away-squito.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I got bit a couple days ago on my opposite lower leg and you'd think that I was attached by a tarantula -- the welt is ridiculously enormous. This from walking from the car to the front door of our little summer place..... probably 15 steps at most.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Can't think of any fashion statement garb to help this predicament.

Maybe a suit of armour?

How to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Posted By Tipnut On June 15, 2007 @ 6:32 am In Home Remedies & Health | 184 Comments

As promised from yesterday's post for How To Stop Mosquito Bites Itching ^[1], I've compiled a big list of recommendations and home remedies for mosquito repellent suggestions. A few things to note first:

• You pretty much have to stop breathing to not attract the attention of a mosquito, a big attractor for them is the carbon dioxide from your breathing.
• It also seems mosquitoes are attracted by scents like perfumes, sweat, body odor as well as body heat. Unless you stop using shampoos, soaps, deodorants and detergents-it's hard to be scent free.
• From what I understand, DEET has proven to be the most effective mosquito repellent. DEET is pretty crazy stuff though, so if you'd like to try less harsh solutions, there are plenty of tips below for you to give a shot.

Something to keep in mind: Since some people seem to be a mosquito magnet while others around them don't get a single bite, I have the suspicion that there could be a personal body chemistry factor involved. And that could explain why a remedy that works for one person, may not work for another.

I suspect that's why some people swear by the Bounce sheet method, or the Avon Skin So Soft solution, while others have a different experience. Bounce nor the Avon SSS did a thing for me btw, but I did include them in the list below. I know a few people who SWEAR by them.

Basics for Mosquito Bite Prevention

• Wear light colored clothing, mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothes
• Keep your body covered as much as possible (including wearing a hat), although mosquitoes can find their way through the fabric-it does cut down on bites

Mosquito Bite Prevention Home Remedies & Tips

• Vanilla Extract: A few different recommendations for this one, each contradicting the other. Some say to dab Vanilla Extract on your pulse points, others say to rub it all over your skin & dab your clothes. Some say the cheap stuff is what you have to use, others say the real, pure Vanilla is the only thing that will work. Some say to apply it full strength, others say you can dilute it with water and spray it on. Play around with Vanilla to see what gives you best results-there are plenty of believers for this one as a mosquito deterrent so I think there's something to it.
• Garlic: This isn't a favorite thing to do day-to-day, but if you're going camping or hiking through heavily mosquito infested areas, try a garlic powder and water paste. Apply to pulse points, behind knees, on shoes and ankles and a dab or two on your cheeks or somewhere on your face and neck. Remember-keep out of eyes. And maybe stay out of public places too  .
• Essential Oils: Mix choice of essential oils with rubbing alcohol, or witch hazel, or distilled water and spritz on body or directly on cloth to rub on body (shake before each use). Or add a few drops in baby oil or olive oil then rub on skin. You can also apply drops along a strip of fabric (cotton) and tie around wrist. *Make sure to avoid mouth and eye areas when using essential oils.
• Citronella oil
• Lavender oil
• Catnip oil
• Eucalyptus oil
• Pennyroyal oil *Seems to be strongly recommended
• Tansy oil *Seems to be strongly recommended
• Basil oil
• Thyme oil
• Cedar oil
• Tea Tree oil
• Peppermint oil
• Lemongrass oil

Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

Break off leaves and crush them roughly, rub them all over your clothes and skin. Toss the bruised leaves around the perimeter of your deck or patio. Also plant these in pots and arrange them around the patio. You could also infuse these in water and then use that as a spray.

• Citronella
• Lavender
• Basil
• Catnip
• Pennyroyal
• Tansy
• Marigolds

Commercial Products That Repel Mosquitoes

*(other than DEET items)

• Avon's Skin So Soft (straight or mix 50/50 with rubbing alcohol)
• Bounce Sheets (hanging out of a pocket or waistband)
• Listerine (mixed 50/50 with household vinegar then sprayed all over body)
• Vicks VapoRub
• You can purchase citronella torches to stand in the ground or set on table tops

Household Hack

• Spray garlic powder and water all over the yard and bushes. Use a fertilizer hose attachment. Will need to be done bi-weekly (approx) or after a heavy rain.

Items to Eat

*Daily

Apparently the smell that comes out of your pores from a steady diet of the below deters mosquitoes. The items aren't meant to be combined, they're just different suggestions.

• Garlic
• B1 Vitamins
• Brewers Yeast
• Lemons

Okay now LE is going to make me buy a smart phone just so I can have a mosquito repellent app?  The mosquitoes are all out there laughing their heads off I am sure!  I have tried most of the above and will try the few I have not.  My bites get huge like bee stings and drive me crazy.  The drugstore does have a Benedryl tube of liquid for bites.  It does help the itching.  Depressing to know they can bite through sleeves.  Do you put DEET/Off on sleeve?  On arm before sleeve?  I guess for me it is not if I get a bite on affected side but when. Plus I get many bites, not just one.  If chemo seems to stop attracting them, can there not be some kind of pill that will repel them?  They are all gearing up for the picnics tonight.  I can just hear them. "Go for the sleeves"!  Aghhhhh.  Becky

Lago, since we're not supposed to use fabric softeners on our garment fabrics, rubbing them with a Bounce sheet might be a mistake. On the other hand, butterflies being the international symbol of LE, here are the instructions for making an origami butterfly out of a Bounce sheet:

http://www.bounceeverywhere.com/media/pdf/Bounce_Origami.pdf

There you go! Make one and wear it on your shirt or in your hair -- the perfect accessory to go with your LE sleeve.

Or not...
Binney

Maybe if you have a sleeve (from clothing) over your LE garment and rub that with the Bounce sheet it would help.

A friend told me to put a Bounce sheet on the pillow when I sleep. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to - I don't have a drier so I haven't gotten the sheets yet.

Leah

I use Off Botanicals Plant Based repellant. Its a lotion that doesn't smell like bug spray and I put it on after the shower before I get dressed. Seems to be long lasting and most effective.

I'm voting unscented.

Back to square one!