<p>The mosquito magnets in our family are also the lactose intolerant members of our family.</p>
<p>I remember reading something about it having to do with your blood type.</p>
<p>I mentioned the body temperature post to my daughter and she reminded me that her body temperature is on the low side, which is my recollection from the years she was in my care. She is probably lactose intolerant – not tested, but advised to avoid lactose by a GI.</p>
<p>Have read that blondes attract mosquitos more than brunettes and that light colored clothing deters them. Anything perfumed can attract them. Supposedly, garlic scent and marigolds keep them at bay.
Some of the better formulas come from deer-hunting catalogues (or deep woods activities resource sites. I suppose that’s DEET.) I am fortunate not to attract mosquitos because I have a mortal fear of them. DH generally serves as bait.</p>
<p>Skin-so-Soft has been clinically proven NOT to work. I liked the malaria link. LL Bean and other outdoor catalogues sell permethrin clothing, which is supposed to stay resistant through many washes. Good luck.</p>
<p>D1 is mosquitos magnet, and she is lactose intolerant. This is H’s cure - liquid band aid. My kids swear by it.</p>
<p>note, it’s not internal body temp, but skin temp that radiates heat. If your skin is warmer than those around you…</p>
<p>I’m brunette, tolerate lactose perfectly well, avoid perfume and scented toiletries, and don’t run especially hot–and yet I’m irresistible to every biting insect. Many years ago I was a bridesmaid in a summer wedding in South Carolina. At the rehearsal dinner the night before, the patio door was left open all evening to allow the gross, humid–I mean, lovely, refreshing–breeze to waft in. I ended up covered with bites from head to toe, just me, no one else, and the next day had to wear a long swishy gown that set the bites itching unbearably every time I moved a muscle. And another summer a few years before that, I was hospitalized in Amsterdam in an old building with no air conditioning where the windows were kept wide open all the time, and I ended with bites all over my face–even my eyelids–to the dismay of the docs, who had never seen such a thing before. I’m also very fair, so any outdoor activity in the summer involves copious amounts of both sunblock and a DEET repellent, to the point that I can barely stand myself. Yup, I stay in a lot.</p>
<p>Oh, wish we all could just live in southern Cal. Or the desert.</p>
<p>Ditto #13–DEET is the only thing that works. Afterward, only time can take away the itch.</p>
<p>(Another mosquito and chigger magnet here. My temp runs cold, btw. I hear mosquitoes prefer women.)</p>
<p>Your poor D. They sell “bracelets” of coiled plastic, but I’ve never tried them. During years & years of soccer I sprayed my kids with the strong stuff (DEET). I figured I’d prefer a little DEET exposure over West Nile.</p>
<p>It is interesting. Apparently some people aren’t attractive to mosquitos. I have a friend who says they don’t bite her. She doesn’t remember ever being bitten and we’ve been together at many evening sporting events where the rest of us were being eaten alive. I wonder if it’s her body temperature?</p>
<p>What is in the coiled plastic? Do you know what they are called? Thanks.</p>
<p>I used to be a mosquito magnet when I was younger but don’t seem to be as much of one these days. Guess they got all my blood. We used to sit around and count our bites to see who got the most.
We always used a product called Shuttle. A white lotion (sort of chalky) that worked great for the itch. A bit messy but worth the relief. Just dabbed it on with a cotton ball</p>
<p>And DEET (full fledged Off–Deep Woods–no kidding around stuff) is the only real preventative.</p>
<p>I know this is going to sound really weird but I grew up in mosquito country and I’ve always just taken a finger nail and pressed an “X” hard right into the welt. Takes the itch away immediately. I probably would not do this on my face, but I’ve always done it elsewhere and never had a scar (I think I’ve had thousands of bites in my life). I kind of remember this being what other kids did as well.</p>
<p>I actually just googled this while typing and found hits on it. I guess it’s not so weird after all. Free and all-natural.</p>
<p>DEET- only one that really found in studies to work well. west nile is strong here and the spray or green off/woods wipes in like 25 % is best. the coils or fan are not effective. reapply after swimming.</p>
<p>DD reports that the hot spoon treatment gave her relief for about four hours and then the itching came back with a vengeance and she wasn’t somewhere where she could do it again. But it does work!</p>
<p>That sounds about right–not a permanent solution, but those four hours can mean a lot if you’re sitting in a business meeting or trying to fall asleep! Now if you want to try a more sophisticated approach, I’ve always wondered if one of those Zeno zit zappers, which apply heat to a small area, would have the same effect.</p>
<p>I use an ice cube applied to the bite for a few minutes. Numbs it enough that I can stop the cycle of scratch-itch-scratch-itch.</p>
<p>DH and I left our honeymoon a day early because I had so many bites – 45 on one leg from ankle to knee. And then there was the rest of the body. It was pretty awful.</p>
<p>He had, like, five, all over.</p>
<p>I don’t know what the bracelets are called, but they are usually located near the mosquito spray.</p>
<p>Yep, many allergic reaction in the skin can be relieved temporarily by burning out the histamines. My family used to use a crazy hot shower for poison oak. Miserable, moan out load miserable, when in the shower, there would be itch relief for a few hours. I never thought of the hot spoon and will try that for bug bites for the hot blooded in the family</p>