| War on the West Nile Virus Ok, mosquitos... prepare to be repelled! Use Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets... Best thing ever used in Louisiana.... just wipe on & go.... Great for Babies Bob, a fisherman, takes one Vitamin B-1 tablet a day April through October. He said it works. He was right. The odor the tablet gives out through your skin (you cannot smell it) repels mosquitos, black flies, no seeum's, and gnats. It does not work on stinging insects. Hasn't had a mosquito bite in 33 years. Try it. Everyone he has talked into trying it works on them. Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride 100mg.) Kenn said NPR reports that if you eat bananas, the mosquitoes like you, something about the banana oil as your body processes it. (Maybe they need the potassium, too - LOL) Stop eating bananas for the summer and the mosquitoes will be much less interested. This is going to floor you, but one of the best insect repellants someone found (who is in the woods every day), is Vick's Vaporub. Plant marigolds around the yard, the flowers give off a smell that bugs do not like, so plant some in that garden also to help ward off bugs without using insecticides. "Tough guy" Marines who spend a great deal of time "camping out" say the very best mosquito repellant you can use is AVON Skin-So-Soft bath oil mixed about half and half with alcohol. mix your own: 20 drops Eucalyptus oil 20 drops Cedarwood oil 10 drops Tea Tree oil 10 drops Geranium oil 2 oz. carrier oil (such as Jojoba) Mix together in a 4 oz. container. Apply to skin as needed avoiding the eye area. Keep out of reach of children. Test on a small area of skin for sensitivities. Experiment with different percentages of essential oil. From Sharon: One of the best natural insect repellants that I've discovered is made from the clear real vanilla (not the grocery store vanilla extract which is mostly alcohol). This is the pure vanilla that is sold in Mexico. It's cheap there if you know of someone that lives there or in the US close to the border. If not, health food stores usually carry it or can order it for you. I use it half vanilla and half water and find that it works great for mosquitoes and ticks, don't know about other insects. When all else fails - get a frog! ----Judy Paugh |