Am slightly confused given the huge variety of Mosquito repellents around - what should I use - 100% Deet - should i use this on my skin and clothes....
Thanks for any advice you may have
Katie
(P.S. I am going round Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico)
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You don't need 100% DEET -- 35% is enough. Clothes should
be treated with Permethrin. Avon Skin-So-Soft has been
touted as an effective repellant but you have to keep
applying it every 2 hours. Long sleeve shirts, pants and
mosquito nets, along with avoiding exposure at dusk are
other ways to avoid mosquito bites.
DEET although very effective can melt plastic. If there is
a high concentration of mosquitos and black flies then 90%
DEET will repel the buggers. BUT put it on your clothes not
your skin. If there are not so many mosquitos take the
advice above. Have a good trip.
Don't use 100% DEET!
I reccomend "cutters" or Muskol. The latter seems to work
especially well. In Mexico you can buy "Raidolitos"
(mosquito coils) at almost any supermarket. I'm not sure how
true this is, but it doesn't seem to hurt..About a week
before trips I start taking vitamin B1 tablets. I take them
for a week, every other week during the remainder of my
trip.
I took Vitamin B1 for a couple of months before going to
Egypt and Jordan. It didn't help at all.