I was wondering if anyone has experience with using Listerene
Mouth Wash to deter mosquitos? I am very skeptical, but a buddy of mine read this and says it works. Aparently he uses it full strength in a sprayer bottle for surfaces, clothing and flesh. I have heard of the Avon Skin So Soft method, which does not work here in MN where the mosquito is our State Bird

Are the mosquitoes under your tongue or around your gums?

They buzz my head, maybe I need to shower more often.

I just use good old fashiond long sleevs, jeans, mosquito nets and a little deep woods off on my hands.

Rubbing the juice from the leaves of English Plaintain (Plantago lanceolata ) on your skin will serve as a natural mosquito deterrent. And give you a nice greenish cast.

Stick...

There is only one way to test it. Put the Listerine on one arm and not on the other and see how many mosquitos bite each arm. Let us know what your results are.

...and if you can please check the breath of mosquitoes that have bitten each arm.

Gasoline works, but it is stinky, risky and pricey.

Dwight...

Don't forget about the causing cancer and highly flammable part. I am a little opposed to dousing myself in gasoline. I think I would rather feed a mosquito than turn into The Human Torch.

I use this stuff.

Works good for me and it doesn't have Deet.

GW, that looks good, I will have to give it try. I took ezylman's advice and tried Listerene on one arm, and regular unscented Off on the other. Went out in an infested area, got
one bite on the Listerene arm, zero on the Off arm. I am still
evaluating it's use as an area or surface spray.

Stick...

Keep us updated. Listerine is much cheaper than Off.

I've also never heard of listerine causing health problems. Can't say the same for Deet. That's why I try to just cover up before I go outside when mosquitos are active.

Ran into the local Sheriff today. He went camping this weekend,
and was very happy with his test of Listerene. He said the camping area had plenty of mosquitos. He sprayed around his camper and campsite and said it took care of the mosquitos. He did another area spraying the next day, and it held them off through the day and evening. Apparently it has more use as a fogger for an area, than a repellent on your skin. More to follow.

Went up north fishing, to give this a test. We sprayed liberaly
around the area of our picnic tables. The first night, we all felt that it cut the mosquitos down. Sprayed the second night, and that night was not as good. Third night not so good either.
So all in all, I would say I am one of many men looking for a device or potion that can't be detected by man, but clears out a
10 yard radius of mosquitos. Harmless to man, death to the mosquitos!
GW: I will give your bug stuff a try.
Dwight: It was nice to see you up north. Sorry your bug tent did not work as expected. Martinis were excellent!

Anybody else here bothered less and less by mosquitoes as they get older? I can remember when I started farming carrying OFF in the tractor toolbox and spraying liberally with it to keep skeeters off while out working. I have not kept it there for years, and don't really care when mosquitoes show up. Their bites don't seem to be much of a problem to me anymore (except for the malaria outbreaks).

To be fair, we have many fewer annoying bugs of all kinds around since the first pond went in and the fish, dragonflies, etc. started vacuuming up insects over many surrounding acres.

When I first moved to the country I would stand outside and talk to neighbors and practically beat myself to death trying to swat gnats and skeeters. It must have looked pretty funny. I'm a little better about it now.

Mix up some Vanilla with water at about a 1:3 ratio. Spray it on your hat and arms.

Does the sweet smell of vanilla attract flys?

I read the stuff about Deet on the Biteblocker link. I had no idea the stuff was so bad for you. I've been using 100% Deet for years. It tingles a little but works great. Maybe this explains why I never remember when my wife said I was supposed to be home

Stick, I was fishing in Northern Ontario around this time of year and we had to hike about 10 minutes through the bush to get from one lake to the other. We would spray down with OFF before getting out of the boat and halfway through the woods there'd be so many mosquitos on us we'd drop our tackle and respray so we could make it to the other lake and boat without donating a couple of pints.

Theo, I think we do become somewhat immune to their bite over time. I had friends visiting from Colorado Springs last summer and they were getting bit and had big welts. I didn't notice getting biten once.

I can remember when my wife says to be home I just can't get past my one last cast.

I have one last cast syndrome.

We've been having a lot of gnats around lately and the Biteblocker has been working like a charm. I have a hat with a full brim, like an outback hat or something, and I spray the underside of the brim once or twice each day. It does a great job of keeping the gnats off my head and if they start to land on my ears, eyes, mouth, I just rub the brim against that spot and they stop. Maybe it works like vanilla, it has kind of sweet smelling plant oils in it. Not a bad smell at all. I usually spray a little on my dog's head, collar and ears too.

GW, Looking at biteblocker's website. Which of their products do you prefer for general use on your skin or hat?
Ryan, I am staying away from Northern Ontario!

I have this one:



Last year I got the one for dogs, but now I just use this one on both of us.

Has anyone on the forum had any experience with the Thermacell
repelent system?

I do. I took it back to the store. IF you're sitting in one place and IF there's no wind and IF your local mosquitoes are a bit shy it MIGHT work. At least that was my experience.

It also seems costly to use.

GW, you seem to know a lot about mosquito control, do you just hate them like me, or is it part of your business?

Dynomite seems to work pretty well,but that seems to be the answer for a lot of things,IMHO

No, I don't know much about mosquitoes. Actually the main reason I get biteblocker is for gnats. They get pretty thick around here sometimes.

The vanilla mix hasn't attracted flies for me. I guess if it did, I would lower the mix ratio.

We have black gnats here. They have only messed with us a couple of times but are pretty rough. A bunch of them stung my wife around the face. It looked like I beat the dickens out of her. And, they also itch like the dickens. So, she sprayed her hat and we went fishing the next day. Others were complaining but it was if there were no gnats in the vicinity of us.

DD1,
I never thought of spraying it on the 'little woman', I hate that stuff, but that is a great idea. I might even get extra points for being close to her.